Why Use a Texting Service to Post Wait Times?
As the need to provide ER wait times increases, so do the many different methods you can use to do so. From the internet, to phone applications to texting, the options are various. But the question is, why should you choose a texting service? In this article we will go over some of the many reasons why this would benefit your hospital and increase patient satisfaction.
According to the GSM Association, as of 2009 there were approximately 4.5 billion people who own a mobile phone. This translates to more than half of the world’s population which now stands at 6.8 billion. If we concentrate on the United States, approximately 90% of Americans own a mobile phone. An outstanding 1.5 trillion text messages were sent two years ago, and the numbers keep rising. These mobile phones are with us at all times, which makes it convenient to check ED wait times when the need arises.
Although there are cellular phone applications out there which will also show wait times, not everyone owns a smart phone, but most people are able to receive a text message. ERtexting is an efficient way to move forward, and allow patients to know your hospital’s emergency room wait times any time, any place.
Importance of Providing ER Wait Times
Filed under: Emergency Services, ER Facts, Other, Wait Times Health Services
A recent article by the Philadelphia Inquirer discussed the importance of providing patients with ER wait times. Many hospitals are now posting their ED wait times on their websites. One of these is Hahnemann University Hospital, where a clock on their site shows the time patients will have to wait once they arrive at the emergency room.
Alan Zuckerman, president of consulting firm Health Strategies & Solutions in Philadelphia stated “I think it will become very routine in a matter of a couple of years”. He understands how consumers expect to be informed about different matters, whether it is knowing about a delayed flight through a text service, or on the highway where signs tells them driving times between major junctions.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, many more hospitals are now joining the bandwagon. It explains how “Tenet Healthcare Corp. of Dallas, is posting wait times for 40 of its 49 hospitals”. St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network has done the same for its Allentown and Bethlehem Emergency rooms, among others.
Keeping patients informed has never been easier, whether it is through your website or through a texting service. Knowing how long they will have to wait through a user friendly, convenient text service, will guarantee patient satisfaction.
HEALTHCARE MARKETING EXECUTIVES BILLBOARDS ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING IN THE ER WAIT TIMES WARS
If you spend anytime on the road these days, you’ve probably seen hospitals touting their short ER wait times “LIVE” on any of the highways’ many billboards.
HCA hospitals started the strategy in Florida, developed by their advertising agency, AB&A out of Miami. And the outcomes were fantastic. Some showed increases in ER traffic of up to 25%! Of course, HCA’s wait times were stellar, almost always less than 30 minutes, many times less than that.
But then came the new marketing wrinkle that REALLY got the ER’s cranking: Live ER wait times delivered to potential patients via text message in the middle of their emergency. That’s right, just think about it. Your daughter cuts her finger and needs 3 stitches. Don’t you want to know if you need to go to Hospital A and wait 18 minutes or Hospital B and wait 312 minutes? Pretty simple decision.
So what’s this whole text thing about anyway? Well, its about a trillion of them. Over a trillion texts sent in the US in 2009 and climbing. More and more, people are using their smart phones as the device of choice for making decisions on the go.
Many hospitals are turning to the industry leader for live ER text services, ERTexting out of Miami, Florida. Currently the company manages the 4ER411 system of ER text messages. The patient texts 4ER411 with their zip code and instantly they receive a text of the participating hospitals’ live wait times. Hospitals can secure zip codes on an exclusive basis and use the system to really dominate their competitors. And now 4ER411 even features outbound services to maximize their clients’ database. Patients can routinely receive text messages from hospitals on the system for pennies.
So if you’re looking for the wow factor, get that big billboard and let the whole world know! But if getting ahead of the marketing curve is your thing, text away and reap the rewards.
Sarah McCallister
RSS Feed- Emergency Room Challenges: Options to Ease Overcrowding
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- Press Ganey Associates Reports the Top 10 Metro Areas for Emergency Department Patient Satisfaction
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