Overcome Delayed Healthcare Due To Transportation

As something vital to human life and wellbeing, healthcare shouldn't have to wait. Yet, it's a position millions of Americans are put into each year due to the fact that they simply can't access transportation to healthcare providers.

Types Of Transportation Healthcare Facilities Provide

Healthcare facilities provide several modes of transportation to their patients in order to ensure they're able to receive the care they need. These include:

Ambulatory door-to-door transport -  Patients can use private shuttles that are provided by the hospital or medical facility. This type of transportation is typically available during specific hours and days.

Wheelchair door-to-door transport - For patients who are unable to walk on their own, wheelchair services are available. These are usually operated by drivers who are CPR trained.

Stretcher transport - For patients who are unable to sit up unassisted, stretcher services provide transport while they lie down.

Flight escorts - For patients who need medical supervision while traveling by air, flight escorts are available.

How These Modes of Transportation Are Currently Being Met

Healthcare providers utilize a range of transportation models to meet their patients needs.  Here are some examples:

• Owned and operated fleets of vehicles and drivers managed directly by the Healthcare provider.

• Public and/or private Non-Emergency Transportation providers (NEMT)

• Transportation brokers such as Ride Health, and MTM.  

• Transportation Network Companies (TNC) like Lyft.

The Related Challenges

Despite the fact that they're designed to help patients, there are a number of ways traditionally-run healthcare transportation services can fail to live up to expectations. These include the following:

Transportation Not Being Available When Needed

A common issue is that transportation isn't always available when it's needed. This can be due to a number of factors, such as the facility not having enough drivers, or the service only being available during specific hours. This can be a major problem for patients who have to work around their transportation availability, instead of their transportation working around them.

Long Wait Times For Transportation

Another common complaint is that patients have to wait a long time to be picked up for their appointment. This can be due to the facility being short-staffed, or the transportation providers not being able to keep up with demand. This can be a major inconvenience for patients, and can even cause them to miss their appointments.

Inadequate Communication

Another issue is inadequate communication between transportation providers and patients. This can lead to patients not being ready for pickup, not being picked up on time, or not being given the information they need about their ride.

How Providers Are Streamlining The Transportation They Offer To Patients

While there are a number of challenges that can be associated with managing patient transportation services, there are likewise solutions. One of the most notable is transportation management software, which is specifically designed to streamline and automate patient transport systems. TripMaster can play a vital role in ensuring that patients are able to get to their appointments and receive the care they need in a timely manner.

At the end of the day, quality health care is about providing people with the resources they need to live healthy lives. And with TripMaster, it's easy to take a big step in the right direction.