Supply and Demand: How a Digital Front Door Helps Optimize Healthcare Resources
It’s a common refrain about healthcare in Canada: wait times for care are far too long.
Emergency departments (EDs) across the country are chronically overcrowded, often resulting in patients waiting hours to receive care. In some provinces, ED wait times are so long, patients are leaving the hospital before receiving treatment. The increasing burden on EDs poses a critical challenge, and the ability to efficiently triage patients to appropriate healthcare services while alleviating the strain on EDs is paramount.
Solutions like a digital front door can help manage supply and demand and ensure that patients everywhere can access the care they need when they need it. Let’s explore how a digital front door can help improve healthcare efficiencies through triaging and optimizing resource use.
Reducing Emergency Room Overcrowding
Many Canadians are struggling to access the healthcare services they need. A poll by the Angus Reid Institute found that 29 percent of adults – or roughly nine million Canadians – have experienced chronic difficulty in accessing healthcare. A further 31 percent – or 9.7 million Canadians – said they’ve experienced some challenges, although nearly all (98 percent) of this group reported having a family doctor.
When patients cannot find a family physician or are unable to book a timely appointment with their doctor when ill, many head to the local ED. Patients also commonly seek care in the ED because they are unsure of the severity of their condition or unaware of alternative healthcare resources available to them.
And while most trips to the ED are warranted, many patients could be better – and more quickly – served elsewhere. This is where the triaging capabilities of a digital front door can help.
Directing Patients to Appropriate Services
A digital front door helps healthcare systems manage patient demand with available services in their area.
When ill, patients enter the healthcare system through the digital front door using any connected device, where they can access healthcare resources and connect with a healthcare navigator or chatbot about their condition. A patient’s condition is assessed within the digital front door, and it will then direct them to the most appropriate point of care, which can include a pharmacy, walk-in clinic, virtual urgent care, self-care at home, or the ED.
The digital front door’s triage capabilities mean that more patients with minor ailments or non-life-threatening conditions are guided to appropriate care facilities other than the ED, often resulting in them accessing care faster. Diverting ED traffic also reduces ED wait times, and frees up critical resources, ensuring patients with urgent, potentially life-threatening conditions are seen quicker, enhancing overall care quality for everyone.
Improving Resource Allocation and Cost-Efficiency
Redirecting patients from emergency departments to more suitable care settings not only optimizes resources but also contributes to cost-efficiency within the healthcare system. Emergency department visits are typically more expensive than visits to primary care providers or walk-in clinics for non-emergent cases. By steering patients toward the right level of care, unnecessary healthcare spending can be reduced while maintaining quality care delivery.
Enhanced Patient Experiences
Today’s patients want digital experiences that make it easy to access the services they need. According to a survey by Canada Health Infoway, 92% of Canadians want technology that makes healthcare as convenient as other aspects of their lives, while 90% want technology that puts them in greater control of their health.
A digital front door provides those experiences. It brings the healthcare system to their fingertips, allowing them to access health advice, browse healthcare providers in their area, find and book the soonest available appointments, and connect with healthcare providers virtually for many health issues (sometimes instantly!), which often results in patients receiving care in the comfort of home.
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A digital front door serves as a critical tool in helping constrained healthcare systems more effectively manage supply and demand. By reshaping patient access and efficiently triaging patients to the most appropriate care setting from the start, healthcare systems can balance resources, enhance patient experiences, and improve overall efficiency.
Discover how a digital front door can help your healthcare system – download our eBook or book a custom demo today.
