How an online preconsultation check-in can improve healthcare

Both patients and doctors want to make the best use of the doctor's limited time. You want the doctor to find out what is wrong with you and provide the right treatment, but you also know that he is very busy, and his time is in short supply, which is why you don't want to waste it.

Good doctors are always going to be scarce , which means we have to deal with the fact that the doctor's time is at a premium. This is why we need to work with patients , so that we can help them to improve their efficiency, which in turn will help doctors to become more productive. This requires prepping the patient for the consultation , even before he goes to the clinic. We need to teach the patient about their problem, so that he understands his options , and can ask the doctor more intelligent questions . He needs to able to tell the doctor his story in a structured format , so that the doctor can find out what's wrong quickly and efficiently, without wasting time on irrelevant issues.

The trouble is that if patients are not well prepared , they don't know what's important and what's not. They don't know what symptoms to share with the doctor, and what's irrelevant. Therefore, they try to do a data dump, but because they're so stressed out and worried, they often provide a lot of irrelevant details , which ends up confusing the doctor ; wasting his time ; and getting him irritated. Everyone loses !

This is why providing Information Therapy prior to the consultation can be so valuable. Patients will be able to understand what is relevant medically, and what's not important , because they'll be able to look at their problems through the doctor's prism. This doesn't mean that we're going to replace the doctor - this is simply a complementary service, which helps the patient to make better use of the doctor's time.

The good news is that because it's possible to do this through digital technology, there's a lot which the patient can do in order to prepare himself before going to the clinic. Intelligent doctors have started using these platforms and the receptionist tells the patient after giving him an appointment " We look forward to helping you to get better. Before you come for consultation, please visit our clinic website and fill in the structured questionnaire we provide online . This way, when you come to the clinic, you will be much better prepared for the consultation with the doctor. By working together , we can help you get better faster !" This clinical preview helps the patient to collate all their medical records and get better organised, so that they can answer their doctor's questions intelligently; and also ask their doctor intelligent questions !

Clever clinics also use this opportunity to collect the administrative details they need; and to provide patients with financial information as well, so their insurance eligibility can be checked and they can pay for the services delivered efficiently at the time of the visit. This kind of pre-consultation online check- in is very similar to the process which airlines follow these days to help their passengers to get on board the flight as quickly as possible !

This is a service which health insurers can offer as well, to help improve clinical workflow and make health-care more efficient !