Pretty much all healthcare providers have been there. You sit down with a patient, and getting answers is a challenge. You naturally want to nurture trust and provide excellent care, but knowing their needs is integral.
Anticipating patient needs gives you a major advantage with both new and existing patients. In other words, you predict and address their needs before bigger problems arise.
Still, it seems easier said than done — but you don’t need a crystal ball. With a few tactics and an AI call agent, anticipating patient needs is an everyday matter.
[Related: Why a Patient-Centric Approach to Healthcare Is Crucial]
5 Ways To Help Anticipate Patient Needs
These skills and tools bolster your ability to anticipate patients’ needs without adding to your workload.
1. Look for and Record Cues
Pay close attention to a patient’s behavior using active listening. What verbal and nonverbal cues do they give? Are they bubbly, hesitant, nervous, jabbery?
Respond flexibly and empathetically to that unique patient, and note any concerns in their record. Watch for patterns pointing to a problem (or potential emergencies). Patients tend to pick up on the fact that you’re being attentive — and they’re more likely to trust you and their treatment plan.
An AI-powered phone, text, and chat agent allows you to access each interaction your patients have had with your office. As you transcribe, you can zero in on and support your patient with their data right before you, ready for reference.
Tip. Cleveland Clinic offers more advice on how to practice active listening.
[Related: The Secret to Increasing Patient Acquisition]
2. Encourage Ongoing Communication
Tell your patients to contact your practice anytime, especially if new needs emerge. Anticipating patient needs has its roots in healthy communication!
An AI call agent doesn’t simply facilitate that communication. It records, tailors, and automates replies when you or your staff are unavailable. This benefits you on two fronts:
- Your patients have peace of mind, knowing they’ll get a relevant response 24/7.
- You have an organized, consolidated log of your patient’s words, from HIPAA-compliant texts to chat logs to transcribed voicemails.
Again, look for patterns in what they say to spot recurring concerns and proactively handle them. You will not only see greater patient satisfaction—your patients are more likely to see better care outcomes.
Tip. AI-driven tools like Wendi assist patients with communication channels and provide human-like, real-time answers. See what makes Wendi stand out.
[Related: How Patient Journey Mapping Revolutionizes Your Healthcare Experience]
3. Offer Patient Education
Provide your patients with informative, meaningful resources. Note any specific requests — they often indicate an area to explore in their care.
With AI-powered communication, you don’t only give patients innovative channels to make more informed decisions. They also access their data via multiple tools, including automated intake, insurance verification, and scheduling. Plus, your practice demonstrates state-of-the-art responsiveness, fostering trust.
You and your staff can view full phone, text, and chat logs with an AI call agent to check patients’ requests. In turn, you can provide them with appropriate patient education resources. With an accurate account of their habits and progress, you can better anticipate patient needs.
Tip. Offer online lists of community resources — an essential component of patient education. The more resources you can give patients, the better. After all, navigating the healthcare system can be a struggle for even seasoned healthcare professionals.
[Related: Streamline Insurance Eligibility Verification With These 5 Tips]
4. Follow Up Regularly
Message patients regarding scheduling, follow-up appointments, and check-ins. Your patients stay in the loop and control while their care is more flexible and approachable. As you’d expect, anticipating patient needs is more effortless when seeing patients more often.
An AI call agent shines here. Instead of burdening your staff with administrative work, an automated communications system handles follow-up reminders, scheduling prompts, and more.
Knowing patients’ scheduling and cancellation histories also enhances anticipating patient care. For example, you clearly indicate whether they follow their treatment plan and pursue referrals. Having that information at your fingertips during their next appointment aids in discovering what’s affecting their lives.
Tip. Wendi’s AI Call Agent frees up your staff and ensures follow-up calls flow smoothly.
[Related: How To Do Patient Screening the Right Way]
5. Take Advantage of AI Integration
Don’t hesitate to integrate an AI call agent into your practice’s platforms. It allows you to analyze the big picture, meet individual patient needs, and modernize your services. An AI-powered solution like Wendi works with an array of EMRs/EHRs like these — and hundreds more:
As a result, you can intuitively anticipate patients’ needs and leverage that intelligence in your core system.
[Related: The Top 13 Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant]
Why Anticipating Patient Needs Matters at Your Practice
You undoubtedly see the advantages of taking the time to anticipate patient needs. Still, a quick summary never hurts:
- Better the patient experience
- Improve outcomes
- Provide more efficient care
- Build a stronger patient relationship
- Address medical challenges early
- Reduce long-term costs for your patient and practice
- Elevate patient satisfaction
- Meet patient expectations
We could go on — you save time, build trust, and provide proactive care. Those efforts go a long way toward helping patients live healthier lives while staying loyal to your practice.
Meanwhile, AI technology lets you focus on the patient while meticulously maintaining open, documented lines of communication.
[Related: Automated Medical Answering Services: Are They Worth It?]
Meet Wendi, Your AI Call Agent for Efficient, Dynamic Care
Wendi is your tireless AI call agent for patients, healthcare providers, and healthcare organizations.
Our innovative features let you increase patient acquisition, harness around-the-clock communication, and automate screening. Anticipating patient needs is crucial. With less administrative labor and more detailed data, you can determine what patients might not even know to tell you.
Explore our AI Call Agent, check out a demo, or contact us to get started. We’re happy to make Wendi part of your thriving healthcare practice.
Wendi integrates with your EMR/EHR to streamline its features, workflows, and screening processes. Visit our FAQ and pricing pages for more information.
Featured image via Freepik
