This year communication has become more important than ever. At points, most of the population has been living in some level of lockdown, unable to visit friends and family, and unable to go about their usual practices and routines. Being able to communicate with our family and friends online, over the phone, and particularly with video chats has helped us to stay in touch and boosted our mental health in a challenging time. Businesses have also had to find alternative ways to communicate with customers who might not have been able to visit in person.
One sector that’s had to make a significant effort when it comes to changing practices to remain safe and keep in touch throughout the pandemic is health care.
If you run a health care business, finding ways to communicate with your patients is essential. But, it can be difficult when you are used to seeing people face to face. Here are some ways that you can maintain communication during the pandemic.
Utilize Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool that most businesses have been taking advantage of for a long time. But, in this respect, the healthcare industry has been a little behind. Social media is fun and informal and hasn’t always seemed appropriate for health care professionals. But, social media gives you an excellent way to reach multiple people simultaneously and an easy way to check-in with patients who might spend a lot of time online.
Spend some time building profiles for your practice. Share updated information, keep people up to date with the latest developments about the pandemic, and share informative content and videos that could help your patients look after themselves.
But, remember, utilizing the internet more might mean that you need Healthcare IT Support to keep everything running smoothly.
Embrace Video Chats
Over the last year, video chats have become more popular with every demographic. Once, telehealth was largely restricted to young, busy people who needed an alternative to making time to attend an in-person appointment. But, over the last few months, grandparents have embraced video call technology to keep in touch with family members. Use this to your advantage, and encourage older members of your community to make video appointments.
Access Individual Situations
It’s more important than ever to treat each patient individually, instead of offering blanket rules and solutions. Speak to someone and consider their needs before arranging a specific kind of appointment or offering self-care advice.
Make the First Move
People aren’t always good at reaching out for help when they need it. Sometimes the best way to promote good communication is to make the first move. Reach out to patients, especially those you know might be relatively isolated, and offer your services. Don’t assume that people don’t need you if you haven’t heard from them. In many cases, they’ll need you more than ever.
Research shows that while we’ve been dealing with the pandemic, fewer of us have been going to the doctors when we’re ill. We’ve been missing important appointments and screenings and even ignoring worrying symptoms. Keeping in touch with your patients and boosting communication means that they are more likely to get in touch if they need help.
