How to Get Help if You’re Dealing With Addiction

 

If you think you might have an alcohol or drug addiction, take the first step by acknowledging you need help. Whether you’re a teen or an adult, there are several ways to find help when you need it. Learn more about how you can determine if you have an addiction, how to seek help, how to talk about it, and how to get the financial assistance you need.

How to Tell If You Have an Addiction

Here are some signs that might point to addiction:

• Behavioral changes.
• Mood swings or irritability.
• Anxiety, anger, or depression.
• Weight loss or gain.
• Lack of motivation.
• Poor physical appearance.
• Loss of interest in activities you used to find important.
• Poor hygiene.
• Selling belongings to afford drugs or alcohol.
• Use of drugs or alcohol to forget about problems or relax.
• Only spending time with friends who use drugs.
• Feeling sick or shaky when trying to stop using.
• Changes in sleeping habits.
• Secretive behavior.
• Unusual breath, body, or clothing smells.
• Avoiding eye contact.
• Bloodshot eyes.
• Bad grades.

How to Find Help

Keep in mind that the care you need varies on a number of factors, such as your age and drug-use history. Here are some ways to seek help:

• Get professional help. While many people think they can handle addiction on their own, outside assistance from a medical professional is usually necessary.
• Confide in someone you trust. Leaning on a family member or a friend can provide you with the support you need as you recover from addiction. You can also speak with a drug counselor or a therapist.
• Enter a treatment program. Consider getting help through a drug treatment program, such as residential treatment, day or partial hospitalization, outpatient treatment, or a sober-living community.
• Join a recovery support group. Joining a group provides you with an outlet to speak to others walking the same path. Not only can it be healing, but you can also benefit from hearing about what they’ve gone through and how they’ve worked to stay sober.

How to Talk About Your Addiction

Oftentimes, talking about your addiction can be therapeutic. Here are some tips on how to talk about it with others:

• Find a quiet place where you can talk freely with someone you trust.
• Even if it may feel hard to accept help, allow them to be there for you.
• While it’s important to be open, make sure to only share what you’re comfortable with at first.

How to Get Financial Aid for Treatment

There are many ways to fund your treatment and get the help you need outside of insurance. Some treatment centers offer scholarships or financial aid for rehab. Financial aid allows you to make payments after you’ve been discharged. Speak to the treatment center of your choosing to discuss the financing options available to you.

Remember that having an addiction doesn’t mean you’re weak. Once you’ve identified the problem, you can be on your way to a healthier lifestyle in no time.

Source: https://insightscare.com/how-to-get-help-if-youre-dealing-with-addiction/

Stempeutics Research: An Leading Name in Stem Cell Therapeutics

 

Founded on the vision of ethically and scientifically exploring the full potential of stem cells for transforming medicine and offering new hope to millions of people, Stempeutics Research Pvt. Ltd. is striving ceaselessly on its path towards developing innovative stem cell products that address prominent unmet medical needs with an ‘India first, global next’ approach.

Stempeutics, founded by the Manipal Group in 2006, is a late-stage life science company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapeutics based on adult stem cells. Stempeutics’ strength lies in developing innovative stem cell-based products by nurturing cutting-edge research and clinical applications through the dedicated efforts of its highly qualified team. Scientists working at Stempeutics have filed over 65 patents and have published over 75 peer-reviewed international publications.

The company’s flagship product, Stempeucel^® drug, is an on-demand, off-the-shelf product based on pooled, allogeneic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSC) derived from the bone marrow of healthy, adult volunteers.

Research conducted at Stempeutics has shown that pooling technology balances out variations observed with individual donor cells, resulting in a product with strong immune-modulatory properties, broader cytokine/growth factors array, longer lifespan, and consistent clinical outcomes.

Stempeucel^® is being developed for the treatment of Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI), Osteoarthritis (OA), Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU), Perianal Fistula (PAF), and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19 pneumonia.

In August 2020, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) granted the manufacturing and marketing approval of Stempeucel^® product for the treatment of CLI. Stempeucel^® thus became the first allogeneic cell therapy product to be approved for commercial use in India and the first stem cell product to be approved globally for CLI indication.

Stempeucel^® has been licensed to Cipla for CLI & DFU indication and to Alkem Labs for OA indication for the India territory. Stempeucel^® has strong patent protection with 18 patent applications filed across the globe out of which 16 have been granted.

The core Stempeucel^® patent has been granted in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, China, Singapore, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and the Philippines. Stempeucel^® has been classified as an ATMP product by EMA and designated as an Orphan Drug for the treatment of CLI due to Buerger’s Disease.

Stempeutics’ proprietary pooling approach provides for an efficient manufacturing process thereby enabling the products to be made accessible to patients at an affordable cost. More than one million doses can be produced from a single set of master cell banks, which is unique in regenerative medicine, thus providing consistent products to patients. The proprietary technology also helps Stempeucel^® extend the therapeutic potential of the drug across multiple disease categories.

In Critical Limb Ischemia, Stempeucel^® directly addresses the root cause of the disease by reducing inflammation, stimulating the growth of collateral blood vessels, and repairing damaged muscle, thereby reducing the pain, healing the ulcers, and salvaging the affected limb.

“Our company strongly believes in ‘Science Driving the Business’. While there are many companies around the world focusing on ‘Mesenchymal Stromal Cells’, the stem-cell technology platform what we have adopted is unique and novel for the development of treatment for immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases,” says Mr. BN Manohar – the MD and CEO of Stempeutics Research.

Mr. Manohar has transformed Stempeutics – a life science start-up from R&D to commercialization stage with Global recognition. Under Manohar’s leadership, Stempeutics has been recognized as India’s hottest startup by Business Today in 2008 and Karnataka Government bestowed the “Emerging Company of the Year Award” in 2011 and 2013.

In 2017 Manohar was awarded the “Biotechnologist of the Year” award by the Wockhardt Foundation, India. He raised US$ 10M in 2009 by establishing a strategic alliance with Cipla and US$ 13M in 2019 by establishing a strategic alliance with Kemwell Biopharma.

Stempeutics Research believes that India is already seen as the world’s low-cost pharmacy as far as conventional therapies are concerned, and the recent economic and epidemiological changes present a lucrative opportunity for the Indian biotechnology industry to replicate this success in the field of novel and innovative healthcare therapies that include biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and regenerative medicine, etc.

“In 2021 Union Budget, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is seeking measures that can help India transition from being a volume player to being a substantial value player in the global market. She has also sought ways to incentivize investments for start-ups and to support risk capital,” comments Mr. Manohar.

To catch up to these significant opportunities, Stempeutics’ growth objectives for the next few years include:

• Revenue generation in India and Exports: Commercialization of Stempeucel^® cell therapy product for three key indications – Critical Limb Ischemia in 2021, Knee Osteoarthritis in 2021, and non-healing Diabetic Foot Ulcer in 2022
• Expansion to other countries where Indian regulatory approval is accepted.
• Globalizing Stempeucel^® product for a select indication. Cross key regulatory milestones in Japan (PMDA), EU (EMA) & US (FDA) for commercializing Stempeucel^® product for the select indication.
• Scaling Commercial manufacturing with 3D technology and make the product affordable in India.

Source: https://insightscare.com/stempeutics-research-an-leading-name-in-stem-cell-therapeutics/

Next Article: https://insightscare.com/trioxnano-opening-windows-to-inventions-through-biological-nano-carriers/

Advancells: A Pioneer at the Forefront of the Healthcare Revolution

Healthcare and medicine have been of prime significance to mankind with the intent of sustaining our lifespans and keeping them free of any ailments. Healthcare facilities and services in India have been evolving with time and in recent years have been on a path of continuous development.

Companies across this spectrum are ceaselessly striving to deliver the best of their potential in order to cater to the ever-increasing demands of the healthcare industry. This edition, Best of 5 Regenerative Medicine Companies, places a spotlight on those companies that are bringing about profound changes and innovations in the sphere of regenerative medicine.

One prominent name among these companies is Advancells, an India-based research-oriented company focused on regenerative medicine and its therapeutic applications.

In the following interview with Insights Care, Vipul Jain, the CEO and Founder of Advancells Group shares with us in detail about the current landscape of the healthcare sector and how his company has gained a strong foothold within the same.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Brief our readers about Advancells, its vision, and the key aspects of its strong position in the healthcare industry.

Advancells Group is a multifaceted organization that focuses on cell culture research and stem cell therapeutics to encourage academic and industrial innovations in the healthcare domain. An offshoot of the same, Advancells strongly believes that stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine can change the global viewpoint of medical healthcare in the years to come.

Humankind is looking towards an era where personalized medicine will replace drugs, organ transplantation will be based on 3D printed organs, and aging will be a reversible process. These miraculous statements will no longer be mere words upon the progression of stem cell therapy into translation and Advancells will play a major role in realizing such biomedical applications. With an expert research and clinical consultation team, we harbour the potential to hold an eminent position as a premier regenerative therapy-based global organization.

What makes your company a preferred choice among your clientele over your competitors?

Currently, stem cell banking and research have gained prominence in India, but therapy is still a neglected perspective. Advancells bridges this gap by creating regenerative therapy awareness and encouraging stem cell therapies.

When it comes to our USPs, Advancells harbors cGMP certified cell culture laboratories and expert research personnel to ensure that our clients get the best quality of stem cells for therapy and research, besides other bioproducts like tissue-specific and disease-specific primary cells.

When it comes to patient treatment and policies, with a gross 70% therapeutic success rate, many patients have found significant relief from disorders of osteoarthritis, diabetes, and ALS with stem cell therapy.

The credit of Advancells being a preferred choice for stem cell therapy goes to our medical experts who play a major role in helping doctors, patients and caregivers in understanding the clinical potential of stem cell therapy. Besides that, low-cost and quality healthcare assurance makes more patients take up our value-added services as compared to our competitors.

From a business leadership perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the healthcare industry and the related market for regenerative medicines?

In all practicality, every industry has been financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and a lot of predicted CAGR percentages for biomedical trends will have to be recalculated before understanding the forecast, due to the pandemic setback.

But research-wise, the COVID-19 duration has been the most hard-working time for several healthcare and related companies. Besides spending resources and time on vaccines and alternative therapies, many big firms have pushed a lot of effort into drug designing and repurposing. Scientifically speaking, such a research pace has not been seen prior to the pandemic crisis.

Other than that, in my opinion, another major change for the companies was the transition into digital marketing for business survival. While many companies ceased to exist, and many stood strong through the storm of the pandemic, this period also laid the ground for some entrepreneurs to build up their company in healthcare-related fields. To sum it up, the pandemic was a survival life lesson for every industry out there.

Share with us your opinion on the necessity for businesses to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to changing industry trends and customer preferences?

Business and marketing strategies have evolved in the current times to customer-based engagement-oriented marketing and the major survival criteria are to adapt. It is quite necessary for business ventures to align their services with the recently available technologies so that they can provide optimum timely and useful value-based products.

The best example to put forward is the adapting of telemedicine and telehealth technologies by the healthcare business. While visiting a clinic or a doctor was regarded as ‘should be avoided due to social distancing norms during the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth apps and technologies kept the healthcare business afloat. So yes, every day sees business entities molding their ways and adapting to modern technologies to innovate themselves. That is the way it should be!

In your opinion, what could be the future of the healthcare industry post the COVID-19 pandemic? And how are you strategizing your company’s operations for that future?

As far as the healthcare industry is concerned, it is inevitable that the post-COVID-19 period is going to see a boom in business.

Regarding the operations of Advancells, we have always been a step ahead in organizing and strategizing the market demands to maintain an optimum balance between business profits and social welfare through healthcare, even in times of a crisis. During the pandemic, Advancells started producing DRDO-certified Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits, to help the frontline healthcare warriors, and ICMR-certified Viral transport Medium (VTM) kits, to accentuate COVID-19 sample collection for faster diagnosis. Advancells has always believed in helping people and even after the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue following our passion, sticking to govt. healthcare guidelines.

If given a chance, what is the one thing that you would change about the business ecosystem in your respective market?

In the Indian healthcare scenario, there are very few doctors who practice regenerative medicine, and patients looking for an alternative treatment are not much aware of regenerative medicine or stem cell therapy too. This is a major problem in our business market as most medical personnel are themselves hesitant of prioritizing stem cell therapies.

But with advancements in stem cell research and translation, we believe that this equation will slowly get better as more doctors witness the positive patient outcomes upon the use of regenerative medicine treatment.

As an established business leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the healthcare industry?

The first step of any entrepreneurship venture is to have a good plan and the second step is to believe in it all the way towards success. Failure is a part of taking the entrepreneurial leap, but no success comes without it. If you have a plan, and you think you bear the potential to go along, never hesitate to work towards it.

If I have to advise regarding the entrepreneurial journey in the healthcare domain, always know the trend! Do not hesitate to work towards it. It is always better to try and fail, rather than lying around and hoping for a miracle to happen. Failure has always been considered the pillar of success and you should not let your fear or insecurities get the best of you.

If you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur, you should take the risk. For a passionate entrepreneur, every day is an experience and a lesson to learn for the company’s growth. The more you learn, the more successful will be your vision.

How do you envision sustaining your company’s competency in a cutthroat and volatile world of business? Where do you see your company in the next five years?

Not many companies can take up the challenge of promoting stem cell therapy and encourage people to witness the positive application of regenerative medicine. In that respect, we hardly look at any company as a competitor.

We believe in working towards establishing goodwill and good health among the patients with the best quality of technology and patient care. The world needs more people who can vouch for the therapeutic benefit of stem cell therapy and that will require more industries practicing stem cell therapy awareness along ethical lines with no false promises.

Source: https://insightscare.com/advancells-a-pioneer-at-the-forefront-of-the-healthcare-revolution/

Next Articles:

https://insightscare.com/accurex-biomedical-saving-lives-through-quality-medical-diagnostic-solutions/

https://insightscare.com/giostar-leading-india-towards-an-immune-future/

Isolation & loneliness - the ignored epidemics ravaging the lives of older adults

Shainoor Khoja, CEO, and founder of Thrive-Community outlines the role technology can play in overcoming this growing problem, if it’s built right

Loneliness and isolation are taking their toll on people of all ages right now with older people being impacted the most. Life was hard enough for many of them in a pre-Covid-19 world given limited support from friends and relatives, housebound challenges due to diminishing health or other mobility issues, NHS (National Health Services) staff shortages, or the accessibility and affordability of adequate care in the first place.

The pandemic has only exacerbated an already dire situation. Almost 12 months on and older adults living independently are still being advised to minimize contact outside their respective support bubbles. Those living in residential care are only permitted virtual contact with close relatives. When they are allowed real-world visitors, it’s behind Perspex screens with friends and family members obliged to wear PPE so they look like spacemen. Such foreboding conditions can be intimidating at best, for some older adults it can be very frightening indeed. Research is showing that reduced social contact is detrimental to the physical and mental wellbeing of many, and the continued virtual appointments/checkups combined with constantly changing social distancing guidelines (intended to keep them safe), are exacerbating the problem further.

The digital divide is not acceptable in a modern world

Considering we live in a digital world, it begs the question as to why do older adults feel lonely, isolated, and removed from society? After all, PCs, laptops, smartphones, and tablets are widely available, most areas of the UK have adequate broadband and 4G coverage, and platforms like Zoom, Skype, FaceTime are providing some semblance of normality by allowing us to see the people we’re talking to. Sadly, many older people lack the skills, confidence, and motivation to take advantage of these platforms and another digitized service due to digital poverty and/or poor system design. Such a state of affairs is not really acceptable for a country aspiring to eradicate digital poverty and for an NHS wanting to implement a long -term digital transformation plan with a mobile-first strategy and connectivity at its core. There is an international shortage of technology built specifically for older adults which is a concern as this demographic is growing faster than any other.

The lack of intuitive technology for this age group makes it all the more difficult for overstretched healthcare professionals to benefit from the value that well-designed technology could bring. In many instances, digital devices and the services they support are hindering rather than helping overburdened social workers and other outreach teams. Smartphones should be serving as a “go-to” communications and patient management tool, but this isn’t happening in reality and older people are becoming more and more isolated as a result.

Tech can only solve problems if the adoption barriers are properly understood

The downfall of many handsets and other consumer electronic devices, along with the health and wellbeing services they power, is that a certain amount of know-how is needed to get them up and running in the first place. There are browser issues and settings menus to contend with, seamless experiences are not always that seamless because you’re obliged to juggle between services and platforms, depending on what you’re trying to do. Grappling with tech, remembering the multiple steps needed to join a Zoom call, for example, can be overwhelming for some older adults, especially if there’s no one close by to help them get started in the first place. Small displays don’t make things any easier either, especially for those who are short-sighted or arthritic.

Switching between different technologies is just as frustrating for professional carers. They have no control over what systems or device type their patients are using. Some may have Zoom set up, others may prefer Skype or Facetime. Chances are that their patients don’t have anything at all which makes virtual caring impossible. As a result, social services and community care workers are losing contact with those who are reliant on these services the most because they’ve given up trying to engage with tech.

New players are taking the time to gain a better understanding of the situation

Covid-19 has caused anguish across the board, but a positive outcome has been an advancement in the usability of many healthcare systems/technologies/platforms. This holds particularly true for the newer players who are taking the time to better understand the requirements of the different user groups, with more intuitive applications coming online as a result. Many of these services are leveraging capabilities such as machine identification, facial recognition, and sound recognition to overcome accessibility challenges by streamlining processes and removing the need for usernames and passwords.

The key failing of all digitized healthcare systems, old and new, however, is not understanding the importance of mood. Erratic mood changes provide a pretty reliable indication that something is amiss among older adults. Equally as important, a subtle change in mood over time can indicate the onset of different medical conditions. Staying on top of these early warning signals makes diagnosis and treatment easier, which in turn improves the overall quality of life and helps to combat feelings of loneliness and isolation.

There is no going back to a pre-Covid world. Even with the development of breakthrough medicines and nationwide vaccination projects, there is still a long way to go before everyone is inoculated and protected. We also live in a digital age and whilst we have to adhere to social distancing and other safety measures, the different technologies needed to facilitate digitized healthcare must be accessible and available to all, especially to those isolated and lonely older adults who need them the most.

About Shainoor Khoja

Shainoor Khoja is passionate about utilizing technology, building partnerships, raising funds, and fostering talent to drive social impact in critical fields, particularly healthcare and education, in some of the world’s most challenging environments. She is a fierce advocate for youth, female empowerment, and improving the lives of the most vulnerable in society. As a serial entrepreneur with private equity experience, Shainoor has built businesses from the ground up, from a successful chain of physiotherapy clinics in developed markets to social enterprises and small businesses in fragile, conflict states. Shainoor is currently developing Thrive Community, a digital platform that will keep older adults in the UK connected and engaged with their families, friends, and care providers.

Source: https://insightscare.com/isolation-and-loneliness-the-ignored-epidemics-ravaging-the-lives-of-older-adults/

What Are the Services Offered by Home Health Care Businesses

Private healthcare businesses are growing in popularity, especially during the current SARS-CoV-19 pandemic. As your loved ones grow older, you will likely want to invest in the best healthcare for them, and part of that is allowing them to spend their final years at home, rather than in a home or care centre. In this article, we are going to tell you what the services offered by private healthcare businesses are so that you can decide whether or not private healthcare is the right choice for you and your loved ones.

Tailored Healthcare
One of the best benefits of a private healthcare business for you and your family is tailored healthcare. You will find that a home care business will boast well-trained and professional staff, many of whom will have a length of experience in healthcare. Because of this, they will be able to use their experience to create a personally tailored healthcare plan for you or your loved ones. Tailored and personal healthcare plans are very effective in treating healthcare problems and ensuring a person gets the best quality of healthcare possible. This is, without a doubt, one of the best benefits of private healthcare.

Communication
Private healthcare businesses allow patients to stay in touch with their carers even when they are absent from the patient’s property. It is unlikely that, unless you have a lot of money, you will be able to afford permanent live-in healthcare. An inability to afford permanent live-in care, however, does not mean that your loved one (or you) cannot stay in touch with their carers and have them come over whenever they need them. No, many private healthcare companies set-up WhatsApp or digital messaging apps to allow them to communicate with their patients.

Comfort
Having carers who will tend to your loved one, or you, with personally tailored healthcare plans, can be very comforting for a sick or old person. Personal care is all about comfort – it is something that simply cannot be offered in a hospital, hospice, or care home, and rather, it is only something that a person can get when in the comfort of their own home, with carers who genuinely show interest in them. Comfort is another of the benefits of personally tailored and at-home care. While not necessarily a ‘service’ – it is something offered by at-home carers.

Company
Many old or sick people do not have anybody to talk to and, because of this, spend their old age in complete misery. Having company to look after you or your loved one will make the experience much better for them and will ensure that you or they, do not get lonely during your period of ill health, or your old age. Having somebody you are familiar with and who you get along with can make your life considerably better and worth living. Having company is definitely one of the best reasons to hire an at-home care company or care giver.

In this article, we hope to have explained to you what the services offered by at-home care givers are. We hope you have found this article enjoyable and that you will join us again soon. Thank you for reading.

Source: https://insightscare.com/what-are-the-services-offered-by-home-health-care-businesses/

Tips on writing an essay for a nursing school.

 

Nurses play a key role in the healing process of the patient. They support doctors and other health care workers in the management of the patient’s condition. Nurses are frontline workers in healthcare who provide moral support and give injections and pills to the patient to ensure their quick recovery.

If you are choosing a nursing career, then get prepared for the great task. You will also meet a lot of writing assignments that to sharpen your competencies in the field. You may meet ease, report and critique writing as you go through this noble training.

The article will provide some important tips on online nursing essay help.

Steps for writing a good nursing essay.

Read for a comprehensive understanding of your assignment.

You may probably be in a hurry to finish your assignment in time and focus on other things right! The success of your essay will depend on how well you read to understand your assignment. Before writing anything, go through the essay question and read to understand what your essay needs. Some essay questions may require discussion, analysis, reflection, etc.

Decide the topic

Some instructors may give you topics to write your essay. In case your professor didn’t provide you with a topic, research for a good one that will help you produce a good essay. Ensure that your topic is relevant to your areas of interest and has enough information to write about.

Research deeply and widely on your topic.

At this stage of the writing process, spend enough time going through reliable information in the library database and internet. Gather enough information on the topic and note down all the sources because you will need them when citing your work.

Develop an outline

To produce a well-organized essay, you will need a good outline to provide a roadmap to your work. Develop a list of information and its classification for easy structuring of your work. Classification of information will help you determine the type of information to start with and the one to come last.

Create an introduction

The introduction section will allow you to briefly discuss the issue you are going to discuss in your essay. The section provides the reason why your essay is important.

Develop your essay body

The body paragraph is the bulk part of a nursing essay. A typical nursing essay has about three to five body paragraphs. The paragraphs should represent each classification for the main points about your topic. They should be rich in information with enough sources examples and proves to authenticate your points.

Create a conclusion

The conclusion section of your essay sums up all the main paint in a single paragraph.do not generate any other new information in this section. Consider mentioning what you think is the key thing that needs emphasis in your work.

Proofread and edit before submitting your work

After you finish writing your work, spend some time proofreading and editing to remove any typos and grammatical mistakes.

Conclusion

Writing a good nursing essay should be among the easiest task when pursuing your career. With the above tips, you will have a good essay to help you achieve your career dreams.

Source: https://insightscare.com/tips-on-writing-an-essay-for-a-nursing-school/

Using WhatsApp to facilitate patient communication in private healthcare

 

From delayed treatments and phone-only consultations, medical providers have been forced to adapt their service offerings to ensure patients are kept as safe as possible during the pandemic. This approach has also presented new challenges for patient experience strategies created pre-COVID.

Forward-thinking healthcare providers – clinics, and hospitals are investing in a new digital patient service channel to address the issue – one that is already used by many of their patients daily – messaging platforms, specifically the world’s number one chat app, WhatsApp.

WhatsApp offers healthcare providers an instant, secure and flexible channel to help and support their patients no matter where they are on their treatment journey while improving communications and engagement.

From scheduling to timely information with WhatsApp

Here is how private messaging can service patients at critical stages throughout a typical patient journey:

#1 Facilitate booking appointments

Most doctor appointments are currently phone-based, more so with social distancing rules. This inevitably leads most patients to wait in phone queues to book an appointment or, even worse, receive a busy signal.

That’s a patient experience disaster for medical providers as such inefficient services not only frustrate patients but potentially upset those who may be desperate to talk to a professional. WhatsApp enables providers to sidestep such issues entirely. Their patients can send an appointment request via the app that a doctor or booking department can respond to in moments. And administrators can handle multiple appointment requests simultaneously and efficiently.

#2 Flexible scheduling and feedback

With WhatsApp, healthcare providers can send appointment details via WhatsApp, deliver reminder notifications in the days leading up to the appointment, and allow patients to change or cancel appointments in the app easily.

And that latter benefit is essential as 77% of patients state the ability to book, change, or cancel an appointment is one of their top priorities (Source: Accenture).

Healthcare providers can use the full power of the messaging application after scheduling an appointment by sharing a list of to-dos before and on the day of the appointment with the patient.

Moreover, on the day of the appointment, the messaging application can also ‘accompany’ the patient, acting as a virtual assistant. For instance, to help patients navigate often confusing hospital layouts, simple maps with directions can be sent by the provider using WhatsApp templates. The app can also provide other useful updates, including current waiting times and safety reminders.

After the appointment, short surveys can be sent in the app to encourage patients to give immediate feedback on their experience. Such a wealth of functionality reduces the health provider’s burden while offering friction-free CX on what may well be a very anxious day for the patient.

#3 Deliver test results

Post-consultation and clinics can send a notification that lab results are ready for pick up or send the results to the patient directly via WhatsApp, negating the need for mail or phone calls while offering further convenience for the patient.

It’s an approach that health provider MedTel is already successfully leveraging to deliver laboratory results directly to patients in PDF form as soon as they become available.

#4 Offer security and peace of mind

While messaging is ideal for a great patient experience, its benefits are meaningless to patients if they believe their sensitive medical information is not fully protected. WhatsApp features two-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption plus official business verification, so patients always know they are talking to their actual healthcare provider and not a scammer. Additionally, by partnering with an authorized WhatsApp Business solution provider like tyntec, providers can be reassured that the use and storage of any patient data are fully compliant with GDPR’s strict rules.

#5 Keep data on your knowledge base

The WhatsApp platform offers specific advantages for providers and their existing IT solutions. By integrating tyntec’s simple API with their data source/knowledge base, they can keep all conversations with patients and their profiles so that the medical team can have access to the communications and inform their treatments accordingly.

This ensures a medical practitioner continues to work with the latest patient information such as medication history and recent doctor appointments. WhatsApp’s analytics functionality raft also allows healthcare providers to identify potential business growth opportunities and, critically, to continue evolving services based on emerging patient needs and pain points.

Preparing healthcare patient service for the future

To aid the healthcare sector manage the logistics of a rollout, official WhatApp solution providers can design, create, and implement the channel, fully integrating the messaging platform with existing CX infrastructures. At tyntec, we offer a Support Inbox service that allows healthcare providers to manage multiple channels, including WhatsApp, SMS, and more, via one centralized hub.

Pre-COVID, the healthcare industry was slow to embrace CX and digital transformation, all while patient demand increased for both.

By taking steps to bridge this gap, this sector can ensure that when the pandemic does finally subside, they are ready to face a new reality – the shift into the online space made by consumers during the pandemic is here to stay. Having the digital experience under control will help healthcare address the demand and offer a seamless patient experience.

Jean Shin, Director of Strategy and Content

Jean Shin is tyntec’s Director of Strategy and Content. As a seasoned tech marketing strategist and editor, Jean excels in connecting key business insights with tech innovations to create greater value for all stakeholders. Originally from New York, Jean now lives in Munich. Building on her 10 years of experience with Samsung’s DigitAll publication, she continues to cover the mobile industry. Jean is a supporter and board member of The Denan Project.

Source: https://insightscare.com/using-whatsapp-to-facilitate-patient-communication-in-private-healthcare/