The healthcare industry has undergone tremendous change in recent years, to say the least. With increased regulations and public attention, the competition has never been tougher. It’s more important than ever to gain every edge you can and run your daily operations as efficiently as possible.
5 Tips to Stay Competitive in Healthcare
A business owner is never truly done researching and improving processes and strategies. While the healthcare industry is about saving lives and improving health, in order to keep the doors open, the business must be attended to as well. Consider the following 5 tips for maximizing your time and resources.
1) Technology
Technology enhances every aspect of life, often advancing faster than you can keep up. Its impact on medicine can’t be overstated. Embracing new technology is a great way to better serve your patients and maintain a competitive edge in the market. Electronic Medical Records (EMR), medical equipment technology, and advances in medicine are a few areas to keep your eye on.
2) Environmental Friendliness
Beyond moral or ethical considerations, keeping your operations environmentally friendly is also good for business. For medical practitioners, advances in technology have brought more efficient use of energy and resources. Medical equipment is being developed to make your job easier while simultaneously using less power. Reducing energy consumption while increasing your profits is always a good thing.
3) Keep it Personal
Let’s face it, working in healthcare often means long, hard, stressful days. It’s easy to get caught up in the pressure and demands of a given moment. You likely went into the medical industry because you wanted to help people, however. Your patients can see and feel when you take the time to give them personal care. And they’ll remember it. Think about how you talk to them, anticipate and address their fears before they express them, and remember to connect with the person and not just do the medical work. They’ll appreciate the care, feel your compassion and respect, and many will tell others. Whether by word of mouth, social media, or by online reviews, your reputation will spread as you keep it personal.
4) Train Staff on People Skills
This is so crucial. You need to think through every patient interaction and what your standard of patient care will be. Then you need to train your staff. Not just one time or even once a year. Rather, even old hands need frequent reminders to keep it fresh and not grow over confident or complacent. Create a training schedule, making sure all new hires are fully trained, and everyone is brushed up on their people skills periodically. There is nowhere where this more vital than in the healthcare industry.
5) Patient Experience
Your patient experience, to a large degree, is your brand. Keeping a controlled climate, monitoring your patients’ every need, and providing quality sheets, blankets, and hospital gowns will go a long way in separating you from your competitors. Patient comfort is huge and your hospital linens play a significant part. While it could add substantial man hours, cost, and inventory to maintain, a linen service provider can shoulder much of the load and ensure you always have comfortable linens on hand when you need them.
Show You Care
It has never been more important to set yourself apart from all other healthcare providers than now. What kind of experience will your patients tell their neighbors they had in your care? Use this guide to get started improving your patient experience and to stay competitive in Healthcare both today and tomorrow.
Wilkins Linen is your Houston area healthcare linen specialist. To learn more about our healthcare products and services or to schedule a consultation, Contact Us.
