No shows can have a serious impact on healthcare staffing, resource allocation and the facility’s bottom line.
Christine Luckie is the Director of Operations at UCHealth Medical Group in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She said the staff recently stumbled upon a solution to help drive higher patient attendance.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the expansion of the hospital’s virtual health platform. It was “a bit stressful but has really broadened our ability to bring health care close to home,” Luckie said.
And, it turned out with teleath options, the push toward a digital environment helped with no shows.
There were fewer reasons to skip an appointment: No COVID-19 concerns, no transportation issues and fewer scheduling complications.
“So it's allowed us to actually reduce the number of no shows that we have and increase our ability to touch base with patients in a way that is convenient for them,” Luckie said.
It’s helped the facility with everything from staffing allocation to a more proactive approach to caring for patients’ health.
“We're not just taking care of you when you are at your sickest. But how do we also care for you across the continuum and make sure that you have all of the resources that you need to be as healthy as possible?”
Luckie spoke in an exclusive interview more about the rapid shift toward telehealth and virtual platforms.
