Over five million appointments have been booked using the online health portal myhealth1st.com.au, since it was established in 2012.1ST Group’s secure, cloud-based portal enables patients to schedule appointments conveniently 24/7, receive automated appointment reminders and provide feedback to their practitioners.
According to 1ST Group Managing Director Klaus Bartosch, there has been a distinctive shift in consumers’ online habits when it comes to healthcare.
Mr. Bartosch said, “The amount of monthly new patients using 1st Group’s appointment booking platform has surged 700 per cent since 2015. Today, consumers are accustomed to purchasing products or booking services anytime, anywhere. Higher online security has helped consumers to increase their trust in online systems to the point where they now prefer to take care of their health needs using internet-based services.
“We have seen a seven-fold increase in online patient registrations on our health portal, MyHealth1st.”
Increasing Efficiencies
Almost 60 per cent of all appointments on 1st Group’s platform are made during business hours, up from 48 per cent just two years ago. According a statement from 1ST Group, “this validates its value proposition to practices of making reception desks more efficient, reducing practice administration costs and driving greater convenience for patients”.
Mr. Bartosch said he was excited about opportunities for growth in 2017 following a shift in consumer trends and increasing government initiatives in digitising healthcare such as the launch of the Australian Digital Health Agency in 2016.
“Our latest milestone demonstrates that not only are 1ST Group’s platforms and apps an invaluable tool for health care providers and consumers, but we are also at the forefront of increasing the productivity of the health industry,” he said.
