Urgent Care Goes Online to Better Serve Community

DANBURY, Conn. - April 9, 2014 - PRLog -- The first Doctors Express Urgent Care Center in CT, Doctors Express of Danbury, opened its’ doors to the public a year ago on March 23, 2013 and has been employing new media and creative online ways to improve patient doctor communications since the beginning. They are reaching out to the community in innovative and interactive ways.

Advances in apps and online awareness are opening the door to all kinds of possibilities for doctors and healthcare providers these days, and they are being applied in full force at Doctors Express.  Awareness and information is key.  Especially now with the sweeping changes in healthcare laws, outreach in the form of quick, targeted education and information is what people are hungry for, what they've become used to and what an Urgent Care Center should be delivering. Here is a sampling of how people are experiencing the upgraded services at Doctors Express:

Real time community health alerts, such as flu warnings, or, like now, spring allergy information and help, communicated to the community via email blasts, e newsletters, and social media: Twitter, Google Plus and Facebook
Youtube Doctors Express Medical Minute Video Series featuring local Doctors Express providers speaking on seasonal health issues, common ailments and preventative tactics folks can watch to self- manage their health issues between doctors appointments, and in some cases to prevent seeing a doctor
Expanded website offerings, with healthcare education in the form of the Medical Minute videos and informational articles, the multitude of services offered such as employer services and an email and newsletter sign up are designed so that patients can not only get to know the urgent care center but can get useful information on the services prior to coming in. People often have questions about whether their ailment can be treated at an urgent care center. The websites are a one stop source for those questions. All the websites are available on mobile as well
Specialized health education and services like camp and sports physicals, blood pressure screenings, flu shots, and more, again, via online newsletters, email blasts, Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter.
On-line Check-in to help cut down further on visit times.  10 minutes or more can be spent on paperwork related to registration.  Doctors Express has a goal of getting patients in and out in under an hour, and this can reduce that time even further.

Within this past year, another Doctors Express has opened in Bridgeport, and two more are slated to open in the next few months, one in West Hartford and one in Stamford. All have jumped on the online bandwagon.

Tom Kelly, managing partner of http://DoctorsExpressDanbury.com and Doctors Express West Hartford said “The way that healthcare is being delivered today is changing.  Although often- times doctor-patient time is shorter than it has been, we have the ability to interact with our patients through various mediums and share real time health updates, educational pieces and prevention advice.  The online services we provide are efficient, portable and most of all effective. We want to encourage interaction and connection with our health care providers, in person in our urgent care centers as well as with these online tools.”

http://DoctorsExpressStamford.com owner Brad Radulovacki agrees.  “If you are engaged with your healthcare providers, trust is formed and then a relationship. And that’s how you stay current and connected. We want there to be a real back and forth with our patients”.

Both Kelly and owners Brad Radulovacki  and Dr. Steven Heffer at newly opened http://DoctorsExpressBridgeport.com are excited to be exploring how these online ways of communicating will improve not just the efficiency of their urgent care center, but intensify their relationships with the community as a whole.

“The intention is not to replace personal interaction,” says Dr. Heffer, “Quite the contrary. We are hoping to break down barriers and enhance the doctor-patient experience in ways not seen before while bringing significant efficiency and accessibility to the process.”