5 ways your healthcare intranet can improve patient care

The rise of patient centricity

From nurses to doctors, every healthcare worker aims to improve the quality of life for the patients they treat. Thanks to digitalization, patients are empowered by more knowledge and a greater number of choices at their fingertips than ever before. Consequently, modern healthcare is evolving to ensure treatment is convenient, accessible, and user-friendly.

Is your organization prepared to thrive in the age of patient centricity? Nearly all healthcare leaders are in agreement that patient satisfaction is a priority, with more than 70% of providers deeming patient-centric care as a top objective. However, only one fifth of patients have seen any improvements in their care. 

Leveraging next-gen technology to enhance patient care

How can healthcare enterprises give patients the quality of care that they are looking for? Many leaders believe digital innovation is the answer, evidenced by the fact that 81% of healthcare executives say that their organization is investing in technology to improve patient experience.

With a 36% growth rate, healthcare data is expanding faster than any other industry. While more data can transform patient experience, it comes with its own challenge: managing a rapidly expanding number of touchpoints and leveraging this information to improve the patient journey.

As the center of your digital workplace, your healthcare intranet is the ultimate tool for navigating the influx of information that is coming your employees’ way. With seamless access to your knowledge repository any time and anywhere, your workforce will gain the insights needed to enhance their patients' quality of care. 

5 ways to upgrade patient care with your intranet

Improving patient experience in the digital age requires digital technology. Your intranet software can serve as the gateway to the tools and information your employees need to deliver a superior patient experience. If you are looking to improve patient care with your intranet, consider the following steps:

#1. Minimize preventable errors

When patients’ lives are on the line, your employees can’t afford to make a mistake. Yet, 14 adverse events occur per every 100 hospitalizations, creating a total of more than 43m avoidable patient injuries annually.

What can you do to keep patients safe and cut down on the incidents that threaten to undermine your organization’s reputation? To reduce the potential for accidental harm, your employees need efficient access to the right tools and resources. Pair a comprehensive knowledge repository with consumer-grade search functionality to ensure seamless access to critical information when it counts most. A mobile responsive healthcare intranet eliminates network dependency as an obstacle, meaning potentially life-saving insights are always within reach.

#2. Take employee wellbeing to the next level

Between the global pandemic and a rising elderly population, many healthcare employees are facing overwhelming workloads. As a result, 84% of healthcare workers are experiencing at least mild burnout and nearly 40% report not having adequate mental and emotional support.

Given the proven link between burnout and poor performance, reducing workplace stress levels can have a major impact on patient experience. If you’re looking to boost morale and cultivate a sense of support for your employees, consider launching a wellbeing hub on your intranet. Start by including articles, video content, and outlets for additional support.

Take it a step further by using recognition features to pinpoint designated Wellness Ambassadors for peer-to-peer guidance. To maximize participation, encourage your C-suite to lead by example. When employees see members of the senior leadership team utilizing your intranet's communications channels, they will be inspired to follow suit. 

#3. Keep patient information secure

Cyberattacks can have particularly disastrous consequences in the medical world. In fact, the cost to remediate a breach in healthcare is almost three times that of other industries, averaging $408 per stolen healthcare record.

To make matters worse, cyberattacks on health records can pose a risk to patient privacy, causing your organization significant reputational damage as well as potential penalties under HIPAA’s Privacy and Security Rules.

Take advantage of your intranet to store and share documents securely. Customizable user permissions can restrict document access so that everyone can view the information they need while confidential records remain private. For maximal safety, prioritize both ISO and SOC-2 certifications, which guarantee best practices for protecting patient information.

#4. Build the foundation for superior collaboration

As medicine becomes increasingly specialized, collaboration has become non-negotiable. Interprofessional collaboration models are a win-win for healthcare enterprises, as they have been shown to improve patient outcomes while reducing the cost of care.

While the benefits of collaboration are clear cut, initiating effective group-working practices can often prove challenging. With so much specialist expertise within every healthcare organization, employees may not be sure about who to turn to for what.

Use your intranet’s enhanced directory to prevent a silo mentality from setting in. One-click contact information makes for efficient collaboration, while org charts and profile badges will help your users identify colleagues with the niche expertise they are looking for.

#5. Get everyone on board with digital transformation

Patients have spoken, and their healthcare preferences are decidedly digital. More than half of all consumers expect their healthcare providers to have digital capabilities and 41% would stop going to a healthcare provider over a poor digital experience.

With 86% of executives in agreement that healthcare’s “digital moment” has arrived, the next challenge is getting everyone on board with your transformation strategy. Turn to internal comms to build a conversation around your organization’s digital business narrative. Introduce elements of your transformation strategy on your intranet via blog posts and video content and emphasize how your new approach will directly impact patient experience.

Are you ready to supercharge patient experience with your intranet?

Patient centricity is the differentiating factor that will set tomorrow’s healthcare leaders apart. If you are looking to leverage next-gen technology to enhance patient experience, get in touch with our digital workplace experts.