Digital In Health: Quick Win Opportunities

Like many other industries, healthcare is undergoing a digital transformation. According to a major report from KPMG, the need for patient-led healthcare is more important than ever. The report raises fears that the Australian healthcare system must adapt quickly in order to keep up with an aging population. It’s not all bad news, however, as the report also details the potential to overcome these challenges with a digital-led approach.

The need for digitalisation in healthcare is evident, yet many healthcare businesses are slow to adapt to the change. As a decision maker in any size healthcare business or organisation, there are some easy, quick-win digital opportunities you can employ that can have a big impact. Let’s explore a few of those opportunities below.

Firstly, you need to understand existing barriers to entry

To make the digital health transition, it goes beyond simply investing in more technology. You must use each tool purposefully. For all the advancements society has made in the medical field, many healthcare practitioners still rely on antiquated mediums of communication, such as the fax machine.

As well as a reluctance to give up dated technology, a lack of time, resources and know-how are all barriers to entry for a healthcare business looking to adopt a digital ecosystem. Deciding what emerging technologies to use — and getting everyone in the team to agree with change — can be the hardest part.

4 quick-win opportunities for healthcare businesses

Thanks to digital advancements in the healthcare industry, the patient experience is transforming rapidly. Digital advancements help avoid issues like unnecessarily long wait times by using tools such as online booking platforms. These digital tools can be used to benefit both patients and practitioners.

Taking small, manageable steps into the future of healthcare starts with the basics. As industry experts in digital solutions for healthcare, Tadashi can help you with a roadmap to get where you want to be.

1. Be clear on your offering and audience

It’s crucial to know who you are talking to. It sounds straightforward, but something as simple as mapping out your audiences is more in-depth and valuable than you may think.

2. Conduct a high-level audit to inform your strategy

Conducting a high-level audit is a great starting point, as it can help you to take stock of your businesses strengths and weaknesses from a digital standpoint. This assessment will help to inform where your investment is best spent, and more importantly, where you will see the biggest impact from any digital solution.

Any future decisions will also be able to utilise the insights gained from your audit, helping to leverage the best digital tools available. Enlisting professional help is instrumental to asking the right questions and finding any potential gaps.

At Tadashi, our team of digital health professionals conduct audits and strategy sessions every day. We get to know your organisation, the problems you’re experiencing and create a digital solution to get you where you need to be.

For larger organisations that have the basics covered or are more mature in their digital thinking, we can take a deeper dive. This includes a longer-term strategy for engagement, accessibility, advanced audience analysis — including user personas — personalisation and much more.

3. Get your web presence sorted

Your website has the potential to be one of your business’ most valuable assets. And by meeting your patients across multiple channels, you’ll reduce any friction or pain points they may experience.

Websites are an essential point of reference for prospective patients, they also present ample opportunity to simplify internal processes. By providing patients with a user-friendly, modern, accessible website, you can streamline these processes — such as booking an appointment — for patients and staff alike.

Some of the essential considerations are:

• User navigation
• Clearly displayed contact information
• Cohesive branding
• Answering frequently asked questions
• Communicating with a clear purpose
• Creating a responsive website to deliver a consistent experience to everyone across different platforms, devices and situations.

Small, seemingly innocuous details like using a private domain name for your email address (e.g. ‘ reception@yourbusinessname.com.au’ rather than ‘ yourbusinessname@somefreeemailprovider.com ‘) also join the ever-growing list of patient expectations. These common mistakes have less obvious impacts, such a brand recognition and projecting professionalism, trustworthiness and authenticity.

4. Know the basics of social channels

For healthcare practitioners, social media can be hard to get right. It’s a fine line to tread between expressing personality and posting off-brand or unprofessional content. All social content must have a purpose and align with your business’ overarching objectives.

Start with taking stock and mapping out who you are, who you want to be, and what you wish to achieve. Then, devise a social media strategy to help get you there. As with any digital initiative, always remember to take a client-first approach — and speak to an expert before you dive in.

Your experts in digital healthcare

The good news is that this digital transition doesn’t have to be complicated. As digital in healthcare experts, we can help bridge the divide between traditional systems and more modern, technology-based solutions.

Our capabilities span from discovery and learning to marketing and creative, and digital solutions and technology. We specialise in bringing digital improvements to health.

To learn more about digital transformations in the healthcare industry and how we can support you, Get in touch today.

Originally published at https://www.tadashi.com.au on August 23, 2019.