Putting fun in the medical practice: Hire for attitude, train for skills

Incorporating humor in health care hiring can enhance workplace morale, creativity and patient care; creating a more enjoyable environment.


"Fun is taken seriously at Southwest Airlines. Life is too short and too hard and too serious not to be humorous about it." Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines

Healthcare is a stressful occupation. Most doctors and healthcare employees are having to work smarter, harder, and faster than ever before. Is it any wonder that burnout affects more than 50% of healthcare workers? As the pace and intensity of healthcare have increased, we often lose touch with the lighter side of life and question why we entered the profession in the first place. Many medical practices have become very serious and businesslike, and we are requested to leave our personal and emotional baggage at the door before entering the office. We have been told that humor in the workplace is unprofessional and that silliness is for children's play.

Southwest Airlines believes that failure to nourish and encourage a sense of humor in the workplace not only undermines productivity, creativity, adaptability, and morale, but also can drive employees to quit, resulting in costly turnover.

Southwest Airlines seeks employees, including baggage handlers and pilots, who can perform their jobs with humor and professionalism. A passenger on a Southwest Airlines plane hires employees who are uninhibited and empathetic, believing that serving customers, which includes a sense of humor, makes the lives of both employees and passengers more enjoyable. I think that healthcare must move beyond the traditional mold of a serious, stiff, and humorless atmosphere and incorporate appropriate levity when providing care to our patients. We need to shift gears and find ways to make work in healthcare fun despite the intensity and seriousness of our profession.

How to find those potential new hires that have a funny bone as well as a crazy bone. We need to follow the example of the hiring process at Southwest Airlines, which is hire for attitude and train for skills. Their HR department looks for employees who don't take themselves too seriously and then commits to training them on what they need to do for the passengers and the airline. They focus on hiring employees with the right spirit. They look for potential employees with other-oriented, outgoing personalities, individuals who are willing to work hard and have fun at the same time.

Perhaps when interviewing a potential employee for the first time, you might ask, "Tell me how you used your sense of humor in a work environment or tell me how you have used humor to defuse a difficult situation." Let's assume you are looking for a new associate with an impressive resume and skills that could be a valuable addition to the practice. If the potential employee is stiff, reserved, inhibited, and lacks good communication skills, that may be a red flag indicating that this employee might not be a good fit for the practice. This might be a difficult choice, but it would be far better to pass on such an employee and continue the search. Although such a candidate might be qualified on the technical side, they would be deficient on the attitude component.

When posting a job opening, you might include in the job description that "if you are looking for those who are outgoing, even a bit off-center, and like to color outside lines, then you will enjoy working in this practice." You might continue your new-hire post by stating, "Consider Acme Healthcare if you want a future without boundaries, the opportunity to be original, and a chance to work your tail off!" This kind of post emphasizes that your practice is a serious medical practice that is committed to providing outstanding care to patients, while also prioritizing fun, financial responsibility, and a down-to-earth atmosphere. With this kind of word-of-mouth plus social media, the message is clear, and you are likely to have the right type of applicant flocking to your practice. I am not suggesting that you are looking for stand-up comedians or those who can dole out one-liners. However, the message is clear that behind all the fun, there's a lot of hard work.

Bottom line:

Consider looking for future employees with a sense of humor. I want to emphasize that you hire for spirit, spunk, and enthusiasm, and you can follow up and train for skills. When you have such an employee, treat them as family members or best friends. Don't ever take them for granted. Finally, treat everyone — patients and employees — with kindness and respect. They will appreciate the kindness and pass it on to your patients. As a result, you will have an enjoyable practice that is both productive and efficient, and fun.

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ACA premiums signal new pressures on providers: How to prepare

Providers certainly do not need any new financial pressures. Unfortunately, they are coming.

Insurance provided through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace is expected to increase by 26% for 2026 plans—the largest rate hike since its launch. That’s the average. In the 32 states using Healthcare.gov, those premiums are expected to rise upwards of 30%. Even worse, some enrollees could see their premium payments more than double if the enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of 2025.

Bottom line: the cost of care is going to dramatically increase for many, and patients will be taking on more payment responsibility. At a time when copays account for the highest percentage of bad debt for healthcare organizations, providers must get out in front of the patient collection challenge by implementing five key strategies for their ACA-insured patients.

1. Map the new patient journey early

Traditional billing practices lack patient empathy and are notorious for creating confusion and frustration. In contrast, a patient-centric approach ensures financial clarity and transparency at every stage of the patient journey.

The changes coming for those insured in the ACA marketplace will likely result in unwanted financial surprises. Providers should acknowledge this up front and treat these enrollees as a distinct group that needs special attention. Then they can implement proactive strategies that prioritize clear communication around coverage limits and cost expectations.

2. Segment and communicate proactively

With higher out-of-pocket costs coming, price transparency and the ability to provide accurate estimates upfront will be more important than ever. Providers need tools that will support segmentation of those currently insured in the ACA marketplace and those newly insured, as well as timely means of communicating financial responsibility and payment options.

Automation plays a key role in the effectiveness of these strategies as manual processes are often a non-starter in today’s leanly staffed provider organizations. Any communication method should meet patients where they are, addressing both education level and native language, as well as making information available in a variety of formats, whether text-based, email or phone.

Once patients receive notification of copay estimates, staff readiness is essential. Patients will look to them to discuss payment options including payment plans or financial assistance that may be available. The reality is that patients are much more likely to follow through with payment if they understand their financial obligations and options.

3. Go digital with payments and billing

Digital payment innovation is one of the most effective ways to improve collection rates and speed revenue cycle because it helps eliminate confusion. Given that the majority of consumers prefer digital billing and payment options, providers should invest in tools such as mobile statements, text reminders and online payment plans to improve both collection rates and patient satisfaction. The good news is that when patients opt for digital communications, providers win on the operations front, both in terms of more efficient use of staff time and the costs associated with generating and mailing paper bills.

While digital offerings are important, patient preference should remain at the forefront of strategy. Consequently, digital tools may need to coexist with paper statements and payment. They key is to incorporate patients’ preferences into communications by asking them early in their financial journey how they would like to be notified about their balance.

4. Automate to protect cash flow

Shoring up reconciliation processes will be critical to staying ahead of increased patient financial responsibility. Deploying reconciliation and payment-acceleration tools to reduce days in A/R and streamline back-office work is an important step forward. When payment reconciliation is automated, providers can match incoming electronic payments to invoices to improve accuracy and speed processes.

Equally important are advanced platforms that reconcile both payer-collected and direct patient payments. While patients are increasingly looking to easy payment options such as insurance portals and health savings accounts (HSAs) to make their copays, provider organizations often have to wait weeks to receive funds. Automation ensures these payments are transferred immediately to a provider’s bank and reconciled within existing provider systems, as opposed to receiving a check or virtual card outside of the EHR.

5. Reevaluate collection policies

Rising out-of-pocket costs demand new approaches to outdated, manual billing processes that lack patient empathy and engagement. Sustainable financial health now depends on meeting patients where they are via flexible payment options, early-out strategies and clearer financial education. When patients have clarity at every step of their financial journey, providers can foster trust, improve outcomes and build loyalty.

Many patients may be caught off guard by coming increases associated with ACA premiums. Providers who acknowledge that increased financial pain and take action will be best positioned to help patients navigate changes as well as collect balances owed. From transparency into pricing and copays to personalized communications and flexible payment options, the future of patient-centric billing will prioritize educating, engaging and empowering patients.

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Does your practice still need doctors?

Across the country, medical practices are asking a provocative question: Can nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) fill the traditional role of the physician or do practices still need doctors to ensure quality and safety?

With an ongoing shortage of primary care physicians and expanded scope-of-practice laws in many states, the issue is increasingly practical rather than philosophical. The answer, experts say, depends on the practice’s size, complexity and goals.

How staffing models are changing

The number of NPs in the United States has risen sharply in recent years as practices turn to advanced practice professionals to meet growing patient demand. According to Medical Economics, NPs now account for a significant share of the health care workforce as more practices look to them to meet patient needs. A 2025 report found that nonphysician clinicians now make up more than 40% of the U.S. provider workforce.

Meanwhile, physician shortages continue to worsen. Many regions—especially rural areas—face severe shortfalls in primary care doctors, pushing practices to hire NPs and PAs to maintain access. In 26 states, NPs have full practice authority, meaning they can evaluate patients, diagnose conditions and prescribe medications without physician oversight, according to Physicians Practice.

When you still need a doctor

Despite the growing role of advanced practice clinicians, physicians remain essential for many reasons.

• Complex diagnostics and procedures. Physicians receive years of additional training, including medical school and residency, that NPs and PAs do not. The American Medical Association notes that physicians complete three to seven years of residency or fellowship, while NPs have no residency requirement. For complex cases involving multiple comorbidities or invasive procedures, physicians are still the gold standard.
• Regulatory and reimbursement rules. Many payers and credentialing bodies still require physician oversight for certain procedures, meaning a doctor must remain part of the care team.
• Patient preference. Surveys consistently show that patients prefer to see physicians for complex or new medical issues.
• Clinical leadership. Physicians often set care protocols, oversee quality measures and lead referral networks, providing strategic direction for the practice.

5 signs your practice still needs a physician

Even as nurse practitioners and physician assistants take on more responsibility, some practices still require a doctor’s expertise. If any of these apply to your organization, you may need to keep (or add) a physician on staff.

1. You handle complex or high-risk cases.
If your practice regularly manages patients with multiple comorbidities, performs procedures, or interprets advanced diagnostics, physician oversight remains essential for quality and liability reasons.

2. You participate in value-based contracts or advanced payer programs.
Many payers still require physician credentialing or sign-off on treatment plans, especially under value-based reimbursement models.

3. Your patients expect physician-led care.
Brand reputation matters. If your marketing, signage or online reviews emphasize “doctor-led” care, a sudden shift to a nonphysician model can erode trust.

4. Your state limits independent practice.
Scope-of-practice laws vary widely. In states without full practice authority for nurse practitioners, a physician must still supervise or collaborate on patient care.

5. You’re planning to expand services.
If your growth plans include specialty procedures, hospital affiliations or telehealth licensing across states, physicians will likely be required for compliance and continuity.

A Physicians Practice article on adding new clinicians emphasizes that when patient complexity and case mix increase, hiring another doctor may be more appropriate than adding another advanced practitioner.

When an NP or PA may be the right fit

In many cases, however, nonphysician providers can deliver care of similar quality at lower cost.

• Routine and preventive visits. For stable patients with chronic conditions or preventive care needs, studies show nurse practitioners can provide comparable outcomes. A Harvard Public Health article explains that in many primary care settings, NPs serve effectively as primary care providers.
• Improving access. Advanced practice clinicians help reduce wait times and increase patient satisfaction. Physicians Practice reports that hiring a PA or NP is an effective way to decrease a physician’s workload and improve efficiency.
• Cost efficiency. NPs and PAs earn lower salaries than physicians and can be onboarded faster, allowing practices to expand capacity without dramatically increasing overhead.
• Scope-of-practice expansion. As states continue to grant NPs full practice authority, the flexibility to staff clinics without physicians increases. Medical Economics notes that expanded NP training and authority are reshaping the traditional definition of “provider.”

A separate Physicians Practice report on hiring NPs or PAs says recruiting advanced practitioners should be based on economic needs and a commitment to team-based care.

Finding the balance

In most cases, the right answer is not “either/or” but “both/and.” Physicians and NPs or PAs working in tandem can deliver the best combination of quality, access and cost control.

Physicians Practice argues that while nonphysician providers add value, they do not fully replace doctors. Instead, the most successful practices combine physician leadership with advanced practitioner support.

Medical practices still need doctors—but not necessarily as many as in decades past. For complex cases, leadership, and procedural work, physicians are indispensable. For preventive care, chronic disease management and access expansion, NPs and PAs can often deliver comparable results.

For administrators, the key is to structure the care team based on patient mix, regulatory requirements and financial goals. Practices that strike the right balance between doctors and advanced practice professionals will be best positioned to thrive in 2026 and beyond.

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Quick tips for better performance

All too often, we focus on bigger projects to improve efficiency or lower costs.Smaller initiatives can impact your bottom line, too. Here are a few of my favorites.

Prior authorizations

Refer to facilities that do the prior authorizations for you. Every electronic authorization costs you more than $5, while manual authorizations take nearly thirteen dollars out of your pocket, each and every time.

Ensure your clinic note supports the prior authorization. Ensure supporting documentation like labs are included with the clinic note. Doing so avoids unnecessary back-and-forth (and costly) communication.

Optimize electronic authorization processes. As noted above, manual authorizations cost more than twice what electronic authorizations do.

Billing

Avoid undercoding. Don’t be afraid to bill level 4 visits.A 99204 is paid at close to 50% more than a 99203.A 99214 is paid about 40% more than a 99213.

Don’t be afraid to bill a 99205 or 99215 when warranted. A 99205 pays 32% more than a 99204 (and over 97% more than a 99203). A 99215 pays 40% more than a 99214 (and more than 97% of a 99213).

Collections

Automated appointment reminders are fine, but most fall short in letting patients know what they will owe when they show. Patients should know in advance what they are expected to pay at the time-of-service.

If you have a lot of patients who show up without their co-pay or balance due, ask for a credit card. Better yet, keep a credit card on file.

If that fails, try the ‘Stamp in the Pocketbook’ trick. Buy a couple of sheets of stamps for your check-in person to keep in their ‘personal’ drawer. If a patient shows up without payment, have your person print out a statement, put one of ‘their’ stamps on an envelope, and ask the patient to please pay when they get home. The subtle nature of someone at the practice sharing one of their ‘own’ stamps works when nothing else has.

Two statements are enough. No one other than healthcare providers send more than one statement, yet we in healthcare are fine with sending three or four statements. It is a waste of time and money.

Employee productivity

Invest in an additional monitor for your employees. A second monitor is one of the best productivity investments for your billing and scheduling teams.

Thank your employees. Employee recruitment and retention are costly matters for most practices, and constant employee turnover is costly and leads to all sorts of inefficiencies and dropped balls. Letting your employees know you care for them and appreciate what they do will save your practice thousands and thousands of dollars over time.

Lead by example. If you treat patients as appointments, your staff will follow your lead. It is up to you to connect the dots by caring for patients as patients.

Credentialing new doctors and APPs

In new provider agreements, include a clause that says the new provider cannot start until at least 180 days after they give you everything you need to get them credentialed. Bringing on a provider who did not complete their end of the credentialing in a timely manner costs you money. It also leads to all sorts of scheduling hell when a new provider is credentialed with some, but not all, payors.

If you do not have an in-house, detail-oriented credentialing specialist, outsource this function.

Health insurance

Have your insurance broker draft a letter explaining how using higher cost providers impacts your practice’s health insurance premiums. Cut and paste this letter into an e-mail that you send to your employees twice a year.Remind them that using in-network providers and lower cost testing centers/hospitals/ASCs will keep their premiums from rising as much the following year.

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Harnessing the power of nonverbal communication through professional attire

While medical competency remains the foundation of exceptional patient care, numerous factors contribute to building strong therapeutic relationships and achieving optimal patient outcomes. Among the opportunities to build rapport with your patients, it’s time you consider your professional attire which serves as a powerful component to your interpersonal skills in healthcare. Every clothing choice you make sends nonverbal cues that patients unconsciously interpret and respond to—signals that can either enhance if your attire is professional and appropriate or undermine the opinion of your patients based on your selection of the attire you wear when interacting with your patients. Science-backed research reveals that people form impressions in as little as one-tenth of a second with various factors such as appearance, body language, and facial expressions influencing perceptions. Your attire creates an immediate opportunity to leverage professional dress as a strategic tool for better patient communication and perhaps even outcomes. These rapid judgments can significantly impact personal and professional interactions. By understanding how your appearance communicates trust, competence, and approachability before you initiate the doctor-patient encounter, you can harness these nonverbal messages to strengthen therapeutic relationships, improve patient trust, and create an environment where healing begins the moment you enter the room. In this article we will discuss why what you wear impacts the first impression of the doctor-patient encounter and suggestions for having a professional appearance.

Whether walking into a patient’s hospital room or into the exam room in your office, your attire sends a powerful message to patients and colleagues alike. But what do doctors wear to work, and why does it matter?

Brief history of physician attire

Medical uniforms have been worn since medieval times. From the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries, physicians wore “plague costumes” and black “frock” coats. As medical education became more formalized and teaching institutions were founded, the attire changed to white clothing to signify cleanliness. In the 1970s, green and blue colored scrubs were introduced as uniforms. Modern traditional physician attire has evolved to business attire with a white coat.

Why does dress matter for doctors

A dress code should consider overall appearance and infection control, hygiene, and safety.

Physician attire may impact patients’ perception of how knowledgeable, approachable, and trustworthy their physician is during a patient care encounter. Nonverbal communication occurs through facial expressions, body language, gestures, and physical appearance. Physical appearance, including physician attire, is one of the first nonverbal communications that patients can evaluate during an encounter. Physician attire is recognized as an increasingly important area that can influence patient preferences and perceptions.

Appearance

When patients step into a doctor’s office for the first time, they begin making judgments about the care they are about to receive. One of the first things they notice is the physician’s appearance, with 53% of patients reporting that a doctor’s attire is an important factor in their care experience and over one-third saying it influences their overall satisfaction. First impressions matter, and a professional appearance fosters an immediate sense of trust and credibility. A well-groomed, professionally dressed physician conveys competence, authority, and confidence. Your initial presentation signals to patients that the doctor takes their role seriously and creates an atmosphere that they are committed to providing the best care possible.

What a doctor wears can make a difference in patient perception, but that preference may change over time. A study performed at a single-site academic institution in 2017 and a follow up study in 2022 demonstrated that patient preference for physicians wearing professional attire decreased during the pandemic.

Infection control, hygiene and safety

Infection control and hygiene are significant in medical settings, both in private practice and in hospital settings. Over the years, this has led to changes in the standard dress code for a doctor.

Bare below the elbow dress codes have become more common, particularly in hospitals. These guidelines promote wearing short-sleeved shirts or short-sleeved white coats to reduce the risk of pathogens transferring from sleeves to the patient. BBE is often combined with easily laundered garments to help maintain a sterile environment.

Physician safety is also impacted by clothing choice. Doctors need practical clothing that lets them move freely and efficiently, either in the operating room or during doctor-patient encounters. Scrubs, for example, are designed with this functionality in mind, offering comfort and flexibility.

Hospital vs. private practice: Differences in dress code

When considering what medical doctors wear, the first consideration is the work environment. Attire may vary depending on the workplace setting and any workplace-specific dress codes, and doctors should tailor their appearance to the setting. For example, a formal attire would not be required in the emergency department.

Attire in private practice

In private practice, there is typically more opportunity for doctors to build long-term relationships with patients, and the attire may reflect the desire to create an inviting, trustworthy atmosphere. Private practice dress codes tend to strike a balance between professionalism and comfort.

However, the expectations for a doctor’s attire may significantly vary depending on the type of practice, the location, and the specific patient population.

In more traditional settings, authority and expertise are signaled with formal business attire, including a suit jacket or white coat.

In other private practices that lean toward a more comfortable and approachable atmosphere, doctors may opt for a white coat business casual dress code that involves slacks, knee-length skirts, or even scrubs for a less clinical, more personal setting. For example, today there are now more procedures performed in the office setting and a doctor who does office procedures may have a more casual dress code which might include scrubs. Therefore hospitals and surgical settings typically require scrubs as the standard attire. Scrubs are practical, easy to clean, and designed to minimize the risk of infection.

Some hospitals have implemented systems to differentiate medical staff by color-coded scrubs or by assigning different lengths of lab coats to help distinguish various roles quickly. Example, is that medical students wear jacket length white coats and residents and faculty wear longer white coats.

Common dress code mistakes

While professionalism is key, doctors must also be mindful of what they shouldn’t wear when they are in the office or hospital. Inappropriate or too casual clothing should be avoided in all medical settings, as it can undermine the doctor’s authority. For example, open-toed shoes, sandals, and tennis shoes are not unprofessional and should be avoided.

Physicians also need to be aware of jewelry and accessories. Large earrings, dangling necklaces, and other adornments can be distracting to patients.

Finally, grooming is essential. Long nails, heavy perfumes or colognes, bad breath, and other personal care aspects should be considered for a professional image.

Providing quality care, regardless of the setting, includes adhering to a dress code that prioritizes the balance between professionalism, hygiene, and comfort in your work attire. What you wear is more than a uniform; it reflects your commitment to what you do.

Bottom Line: Being conscious of how we present ourselves is essential.

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The future of value-based care relies on payer-provider collaboration

For years, value-based care has remained a central debate in the health care industry amid the ongoing push to improve outcomes while controlling costs. Traditional fee-for-service models have revealed their limitations, such as data fragmentation, misaligned incentives, regulatory complexity, technology gaps, and an overall cultural hesitancy to adopt to a new business practice. These challenges contribute to provider burnout and fatigue, as well as a lack of trust and transparency between payers and for physicians specifically.

At its core, value-based alignment truly asks health care leaders to answer a simple question: how do we reward what matters the most (better patient outcomes) rather than volume of services delivered? Achieving this shift requires not only new payment models, but cultural change, shared accountability, and the willingness to rethink decades of accustomed behaviors.

However, as stakeholders across the health care ecosystem look to align incentives with patient health, payers and physicians have an opportunity and responsibility to collaborate to move the industry forward and solve their unique pain points along the way. Together, payers can work with physicians to shape incentives, guide behavior and ensure the right data and tools are in place to support this transformation. Both sides must recognize that success is not measured only by financial performance, but also by improvements in equity, patient trust, and outcomes. Here are a few considerations to fuel success.

Build a common language and understanding

Not all physicians are equally familiar with value-based care models, especially independent physicians located in rural and underserved communities. However, payers can help facilitate collaboration among physicians in their network, enabling them to share best practices and learn from others’ experiences. Additionally, payers can support training and education opportunities for physicians, helping networks better understand value-based care models, care coordination techniques, quality improvement strategies, and other concepts critical to success.

On the other end, physicians can educate payers on the realities of delivering care that might historically be siloed from their point of view, especially as it relates to managing high-risk populations or resource-limited environments. To achieve the common goal of value-based care, education must be a two-way street.

Share data to create a single source of truth

Value-based care depends on access to timely, accurate, and actionable data. Yet, many payer and physician relationships are hindered by data silos, interoperability issues, and mistrust over how data is used. By sharing relevant patient data responsibly with physicians, payers can help identify trends, care gaps, and opportunities to improve patient engagement and drive better health outcomes. More specifically, payers can help surface gaps that might not otherwise be apparent, ranging from persistent conditions a patient has already been seen for, to conditions that payers suspect a patient may have based on trends in their data. Using these insights, physicians can engage patients in preventative screenings or social-determinant of health-related programs, such as transportation or nutrition support. This data is powerful when used in real-time at the point of care.

Payers can also empower physicians to seek performance analytics to help them understand their performance compared to national standards and benchmarks. This type of timely performance feedback can give physicians actionable insights for their improvement, impacting their HEDIS scores and Star Ratings, while helping to build trust in value-based payer-physician partnerships.

Equally important is ensuring that the data shared is meaningful — not just massive amounts of historical clinical insights, but rich information that providers can quickly understand and use in their workflows. Without data usability, information overload risks compounding provider frustration rather than alleviating it.

Predictive technology’s power to align payers and physicians for smarter collaboration

The shift towards value-based care calls for tools that leverage predictive analytics and AI to dig deep into data. Advanced analytics enable physicians to leverage actionable insights from patient data to help improve care and outcomes. More specifically with predictive analytics, physicians can more easily identify high-risk patients, enabling earlier care interventions and personalized care plans. When applied to past scheduling data, predictive technology can help forecast patient demand and optimize appointment flows for physicians, resulting in better operational efficiency.

On the payer side, these predictive models can support targeted interventions like outreach for preventive screenings to close care gaps, reduce hospital readmissions, and improve population health while controlling costs. Real-time analytics solutions can monitor key performance indicators related to value-based contracts, including readmission rates and emergency utilization.

Overall, predictive technology can empower physicians to make informed decisions and help payers evaluate the effectiveness of their programs. With the right value-based care-focused solutions that promote easy use and intuitive workflows, payers and physicians can leverage a data-driven approach to align objectives, supporting a more collaborative effort to enhance patient care while managing health care costs.

Value-based care as a shared responsibility

Both stakeholders bring unique strengths and perspectives to the table. The shift to value-based care is not a payer initiative or a physician initiative, but rather a health care initiative. Enhanced collaboration across the health care ecosystem means a multitude of benefits: improving the management of chronic conditions, reducing the total cost of care, lowering administrative burden for physicians, supporting better quality scores for payers, and building trust. When aligned around shared goals, payers and physicians can educate each other, exchange actionable data, and leverage the right technology to collectively improve outcomes, reduce costs, and create a more sustainable health care system.

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Using data intelligence to simplify the patient journey

Health care delivery faces challenges from fragmented systems and data, impacting patient care and increasing costs. Here's how technology can streamline the patient journey.

Care delivery rarely follows a straight line. Patients must navigate fragmented systems, complicated protocols, and disconnected data sources that leave both them and their providers scrambling to stay on track. Today’s physician groups and practices know firsthand the complexity of this journey.

Physicians who are already operating under tight margins and limited staff can find these additional challenges more than frustrating. They also jeopardize patient care. Missed follow-ups, preventable readmissions, and increased administrative responsibilities can drive up costs, reduce efficiency, and contribute to burnout.

Patients also feel the weight of this system, particularly when it comes to medication adherence. Studies have estimated that non-adherence costs the U.S. health care system between $100 billion and $300 billion annually, with some analyses suggesting $528.4 billion when morbidity and mortality are included. Behind these numbers are real patients who may want to follow instructions but face unscalable barriers ranging from financial hardship to the sheer complexity of managing multiple conditions.

The practice-level impact of fragmentation

When patients fall through the widening cracks in the health care system, practices feel the effects immediately. Staff will spend hours chasing down prior authorizations, clarifying prescriptions, or reconciling records from other providers, resulting in complicated administrative burdens that distract from patient care. There are also revenue pressures, because missed follow-ups and poor adherence can adversely affect value-based reimbursement and increase financial strain. Finally, clinicians experience frustration and moral distress when evidence-based treatment plans are not being carried out, knowing that this often leads to predictable declines in patient health.

As the PAN Foundation explains, cost, complexity and lack of support remain leading drivers of non-adherence. Without proactive systems to address these barriers, practices are left to react in the moment instead of managing care strategically. The result is a cycle of inefficiency that burdens staff, erodes physician well-being, and undermines patient outcomes.

How data science can support practices

Advances in data science and additional technologies are providing physicians and practice teams tools to reduce friction across the patient journey. By consolidating data, surfacing insights, and automating outreach, practices can ease administrative burdens and devote more time to care delivery. This includes:

• Remote monitoring: The proliferation of connected devices and medtech among the patient population can provide real-time feedback, helping clinicians track patient progress without requiring constant in-office visits.
• Predictive analytics: Before a patient deviates from their care plan, predictive models can flag those who are at risk of non-adherence, enabling more targeted outreach.
• Digital reminders and check-ins: Automated messaging tools help patients stay on top of prescriptions and appointments, reducing the need for staff to manually follow up.

These technologies are not meant to replace the provider-patient relationship. Instead, they are meant to extend and augment the reach and efficiency of the practice. The goal is to ensure that a patient’s care plan is adequately supported between visits and that staff time is focused on patients.

What a connected patient journey looks like in practice

For independent practices and clinical research organization alike, creating a “connected” patient journey means thinking beyond isolated points of care. At each stage, data-driven tools can reduce complexity for both patients and staff.

Start from the first step, the diagnosis. Patients can be matched with personalized education and counseling services that are tailored to their specific needs. In this phase, care teams from all sides can gain visibility across the continuum. During treatment, digital adherence platforms can flag early warning signs, such as missed doses or potential side effects, allowing staff to quickly intervene before complications escalate or trials are derailed. Finally, in the ongoing management phase, patients with chronic or acute conditions can receive digital coaching and reminders, which lower the risk of relapse and reduce unnecessary visits. In the end, both patients and practices can benefit from fewer emergencies and practices experience greater predictability in scheduling.

Shifting from a reactive, problem-solving model to a proactive coordination-based approach helps patients feel better supported and frees care teams to focus on care quality instead of administrative triage.

For example, in an oncology study, a mobile health application enabled care providers to monitor patient symptoms and treatment side effects of oral chemotherapy. Over six months, the digital tool not only improved medication adherence but also enhanced multiple quality-of-life measures by enabling earlier clinician interventions and more continuous patient support.
Practical steps for practices

Physicians, clinical research organizations, and patients all know that adopting new technology is not as simple as flipping a switch. Successful implementation requires balancing between setting patient engagement goals with workflow realities, staff capacity, and operational constraints.

Just as in modern clinical research, the process works best when guided by rigor with clear objectives, measurable impact, and validation of outcomes in real-world settings. Still, there are pragmatic steps any practice can take:

• Start with existing data. Most electronic health records include tools for flagging missed appointments, gaps in refills, or noncompliance with care plans. Treating these indicators like early signals can provide immediate insight into at-risk patients and help identify cohorts for further intervention.
• Use patient portals. Encouraging portal adoption can streamline communication, improve data capture, and provide a foundation for digital reminders and education, like how clinical studies use digital diaries to track adherence.
• Establish strategic partnerships. There are numerous parties involved with a patient’s care plan, including payers, pharmacies, and community resources that can address the driving factors of non-adherence. By establishing and building upon these foundational partnerships, research trials can improve patient retention in practice settings, as well.
• Pilot new tools gradually. Begin with one high-priority population, such as heart failure patients or diabetics, and measure usability/feasibility. Before scaling further, it’s important to allow kinks to be worked out and pave the way for smoother adoption of the next tool. By conducting a pilot study as the first step in an implementation strategy, practices and CROs can test feasibility, gather evidence, and refine workflows before wider deployment.

By treating digital adoption as an evidence-based process, practices can reduce disruption, foster buy-in among staff and patients, and generate valuable real-world data to guide future improvements.

Looking ahead and building evidence for connected care

With advances in artificial intelligence, interoperability, and natural language tools, patient data is no longer locked in silos. Unified datasets enable clearer, more actionable care instructions while value-based reimbursement models strengthen incentives for practices to achieve lasting outcomes instead of short-term fixes.

Even in the age of AI, technology alone is not enough. Success depends on clear goals, consistent data collection, and proactive human support for adherence. Organizations that can apply these evidence-based principles to everyday workflows will play a pivotal role in transforming fragmented care into a connected experience, leading to improved outcomes for patients and reducing administrative strain.

The complexity of today’s patient journey translates into real pressures for both patients and care organizations. With the right digital support, there can be a dynamic shift from chasing details and reactive patient care to focusing on what matters most, delivering high-quality proactive and patient-centric care. In a health care system where nonadherence alone costs hundreds of billions of dollars annually, building a connected patient journey is not just a clinical imperative, but also a practice management strategy that ensures sustainability.

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