As more and more people are looking for immediate and efficient medical care at a more affordable cost, the urgent care business seems to be on the rise. A number of patients in the US seem to prefer urgent care centers for their healthcare or medical needs over emergency departments, which decidedly costs more.
The number of these facilities are indeed rising, with an approximate of about 9,300 walk-in centers providing urgent care services in the US alone, with 300 new clinics joining its rank every year. To add to this phenomena, retail or minute clinics (healthcare facilities located inside pharmacies, wholesale stores, and groceries) have become new players in the marketplace, and are rapidly turning into pharmacies, grocery stores and retail chains themselves. CVS Walk-in Clinics boasts of about 1,600 minute clinics across the US with other giant retail stores such as Target, Kroger’s and Walmart following suit and offering their own brand of medical services.
With this dizzying number of options on the plate, it is essential for your urgent care facility to provide the topmost efficiency in order to stand out from the rest. Think lesser and better waiting times, access to knowledgeable staff and the latest technology to improve efficiency in your facility. Ensuring that these three factors are in place can assure you that your patients will be happy, with your business at top of mind when it comes to urgent care needs.
Pre-registration and Appointment Options Online
Make the most out of available technology today and utilize pre-registration apps to allow patients to book an appointment through their online devices. Having a computerized registration system in your clinic will also lessen paperwork while streamlining the process and saving up on time for your staff as well.
Digital Medical Records
Go electronic with your records to increase your efficiency while significantly lowering wait times for your patients as well. Having electronic medical records will greatly improve your documentation process because of foolproof systems in place. It will lessen human errors due to unreadable handwriting or simple inconsistencies. You can also be assured of a more efficient billing process as you make use of an intelligent automated system or applications.
Friendly and knowledgeable staff
Invest in a staff that are not only knowledgeable in the ins and outs of the clinic process and protocols but are also attentive, pleasant and flexible. While technology certainly streamlines your process minimizes common errors, the presence and touch of a caring staff is ultimately unbeatable. When it comes to the urgent care clinic business, it is important to have a well-trained staff that can handle all sorts of situations, attend to those who are in need and be a source of information that can help calm urgent queries.
As the name suggests, an urgent care business is all about delivering the best kind of care at an efficient rate. Patients who seek out this kind of health care facility may be weary from the long lines and expensive rates of more mainstream hospitals and are seeking out the personalized touch of walk-in clinics. Bearing this in mind and giving out the best kind of service you can, will help put your minute clinic on the medical map.
