It’s important to offer NEMT clients transportation that is timely, comfortable and convenient. NEMT is your clients’ link to health care, and as such, better service can mean fewer missed appointments and better healthcare outcomes.
The key to providing better service is to improve the flow of information between you, your providers and their drivers. That’s why we introduced Provider Mobile, a smartphone app that enables the real-time exchange of data between all players.
There are many ways that this real-time data exchange can help you improve the quality of service provided to your clients. Here are the top 5:
1) Track vehicle locations in real-time
Monitoring on-time performance (OTP) can help you ensure clients consistently receive timely service. With access to real-time vehicle location information for all assigned trips, you and your providers can easily see when a driver is running late. Armed with this knowledge, providers can take action to call the driver and see if they need routing assistance. Tracking OTP over the long term can help you ensure that your provider network is adhering to prescribed quality standards.
2) Gain insight into your providers’ network capacity
When clients call in or use an online booking portal to book same-day trips, it can be challenging to accommodate them. The typical process is inefficient and involves calling around to different providers to confirm who is available and then calling the client back to confirm their trip booking. With an app that gives you visibility into driver availability, you can know right away which providers have the ability to provide the trip. This means your staff won’t waste time calling providers to confirm capacity, and clients don’t have to wait to find out if their trip request can be fulfilled.
3) More accurately estimate arrivals
With real-time visibility into the locations of your provider’s vehicles, you can easily answer “where’s my ride” inquiries from clients. You’ll be able to tell clients exactly where their ride is, and also provide an accurate Estimated Time of Arrival based on the vehicle’s real-time location. When clients know when to expect their ride, they can safely wait indoors until arrival.
4) Allow drivers to select work to perform
Giving drivers the power to self-select unassigned trips speeds up the trip confirmation process, and reduces strain on dispatchers since it eliminates the need for them to assign the trip. When drivers select a trip to perform, it is automatically added to their manifest and that information is sent back to both the dispatcher and to your office staff. With driver trip selection and automatic data transmission, you’ll quickly know if you can accommodate a same day trip, and your providers will have more time to focus on customer service.
5) Automatically receive trip completion data
When drivers complete a trip, they tap the “finish” button within the app. Once this button is pushed, completion information such as odometer reading and client signature is automatically sent to you and your provider. Automated submissions ensure that signatures and other vital data is always captured. Drivers can’t start their next trip until they’ve “finished” their current trip, so there is no way for the driver could forget to record the data. Because all data is automatically sent in, your office staff do not need to waste time tracking down missing data. Less time spent calling around to your providers means more time your staff can spend on tending to your client’s needs.
The impact of real-time data transmission
With a driver app that connects brokers, providers and drivers, you can finally ensure that quality service is always provided. Access to real-time location data means providers can take action to keep trips on track and you can tell clients, with certainty, where their ride is. Boosting efficiencies through automatic submissions and by allowing drivers to self-assign trips means that you and your providers have more time to spend on what matters the most – your clients.
