The Executive Suite: patient relationship management

Showing posts with label patient relationship management. Show all posts

Sunday, October 10, 2021

Tools of the trade: Attracting and keeping patients in a more fluid market

Just when it seemed like things were getting back to some semblance of normalcy this summer, life has gone and tossed a tricky curveball at healthcare organizations. After a year and a half of titanic struggle against the COVID pandemic, relief and recovery seemed all but assured. Cases are falling, total vaccinations are climbing, and the country came within inches of reaching President Joe Biden’s goal of inoculating 70 percent of American adults by Independence Day.

At the same time, providers continue to see encouraging signs of regained momentum as patients feel safe returning for care, schedules are fuller, and revenues ascend. Hospitals and health systems began to report positive financial gains in May due to increased patient volumes and hospital revenues and margins, according to a Kaufman Hall report.

So, what could possibly cast a shadow over healthcare providers’ anticipated successful comeback in 2021? In short, the rules have changed and the goalposts have been moved. The pandemic fast-tracked a series of continental plate-sized societal shifts, most of which were already in progress. Technology, communication, and patient behavior evolved during the pandemic to such a degree that the healthcare world we left in March 2020 is not the same one we returned to 18 months later.

Though the lightspeed development of the COVID vaccines was nothing short of miraculous, it isn’t so much that technology sprinted ahead during the pandemic as it is that we adapted how we applied existing innovation. Virtual health predated the virus, but providers only began marketing telehealth service to the masses when the virus made it unsafe for in-office care. Now, telehealth is a viable post-pandemic care option for patients and providers.

Similarly, there’s nothing particularly different about text messaging technology. You still send a text to someone the same way you did two years ago. What is new is that consumer trends have substantially enlarged who we text back and forth within everyday usage. A wide segment of society now uses real-time texting for everything from catching a ride on Uber, to confirming a hotel booking, to checking the status of an Amazon order. What’s also different now is that, increasingly, patients want to be able to benefit from the speed, accessibility, and convenience of texting their providers. Nearly 80 percent of patients want to be able to receive texts from their providers and almost 75 percent want to be able to send texts to providers.

Not only have patient communication preferences drifted during the pandemic, but the very nature of the patient-provider relationship is changing. Today’s patients—both young and old— are more likely than ever to view their healthcare options through the lens of a consumer. That is to say they no longer feel obligated to stay with providers who don’t deliver a satisfying, digitally connected care experience. A 2021 survey of patient communication preferences found 64 percent of those under 50 and 33 percent of those 50 and up are willing to switch to providers with an option for modern digital communication methods like texting. Providers will need to look to patient engagement solutions to match trending patient predilections and expectations in order to competitively retain and attract patients.

In a more consumer-charged space, patients expect their providers to engage them with the same well-accepted tools and techniques that retailers and other B2C companies employ. For acquisition purposes, the patient journey in 2021 effectively begins when individuals hop on a laptop or smartphone to search for potential providers. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine revealed that “convenience and access” trump reputation when patients over 50 considered prospective providers. These tools include, but are not limited to, the following:

Organization website: Does the provider offer a vibrant, modern web page filled with useful information that showcases their services?

Patient portal: Can patients easily sign in to the provider’s portal to access lab results and other pertinent patient health data?

Text messaging: Can patients receive automated texts for things like appointment reminders, pre-visit directions, and post-care follow-up instructions and patient education? Does the provider offer real-time two-way text messaging so patients can ask questions, get clarification, or reschedule without making a call?

Digital intake: Can patients fill out forms electronically at their own convenience prior to an appointment rather than completing annoying paper forms at check-in?

Streamlined appointment workflow: Does the provider have an informative and easy-to-follow process to guide patients through every point of their healthcare journey in a way that minimizes hassles and leads to a positive patient experience?

Healthcare organizations can avoid the potential pitfalls of greater patient fluidity in a more consumer-driven market by reassessing the technology, tools, and practices they employ to engage with patients. Today’s patients have higher expectations and communication standards. Providers can meet this challenge and energize their acquisition and retention efforts by adopting more effective and efficient digital communication to meet patients where they are.

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Friday, May 17, 2019

Grow your practice with patient relationship management software

Studies confirm what you already know: Patients of independent practices have lower costs and better health outcomes. Both are also key indicators of high patient satisfaction. Staying independent seems like a no-brainer, but it's getting harder and harder for providers to do so.

It can be tough to grow a thriving practice and remain competitive in the marketplace given the rise in reimbursement challenges, patient consumerism, and care delivery options. Consequently, many practices find themselves choosing between joining a hospital network or closing their practice altogether.

While joining a larger network may bring providers some initial relief in terms of job security, those benefits are not long-lived. Providers who keep their practices independent tend to make more money and have higher job satisfaction than their employed counterparts. Plus, independent providers can often avoid the office politics and bureaucracies that sometimes exists in larger health systems.

Rather than join a consolidating, selling, or closing, independent providers need to consider an alternative option. They can implement technology to help increase revenue and expand their practice. Small investments in the right software can reap big rewards for independent practices.

Expanded patient base

Patient relationship management (PRM) software offers a variety of tools that help a practice expand its patient base. The key is building loyal relationships with current patients, as strong patient relationships can help attract new patients. One way to grow your patient base is through regular communication.

Patient communication software allows practices to create newsletters and schedule their delivery. Not only does this consistent communication build loyalty with existing patients, it’s also a great opportunity to ask for referrals. A “Refer a Friend” button can be added to newsletters, prompting patients to easily provide the name and contact information for the friend they would like to refer. The PRM software gathers this information centrally, which also makes it easier for practice employees to follow up on these referrals.

Another great way to ensure continued medical practice growth is by maintaining a positive online presence. Seventy-two percent of patients look at online reviews before they choose a new provider, so ensuring there are plenty of positive reviews can have a huge impact in persuading potential patients to book an appointment.

As with referrals, the best way to increase the number of online reviews is to reach out to existing patients. PRM software allows everyone in the practice to get involved. When team members have a positive interaction with a patient, they can ask the patient if he/she would be willing to write an online review. If the patient agrees, the staff member can send a text message to the patient’s phone with a link to the practice’s Google or Facebook page. This makes it simple for patients, who only have to click the link and write their review.

Optimize practice workflows

PRM software can also impact the practice’s bottom line by increasing its efficiency. Many of the tasks required to keep a practice running are time-consuming. Simple tasks such as confirming upcoming appointments, informing patients about balances, and sending appointment reminders are all tasks that, if done manually, can mean a lot of time spent on the phone. But with patient communication software, these tasks can all be automated.

Appointment reminders are automatically sent to every patient before every appointment. The practice can decide how often the reminders are sent, and patients can choose to receive those reminders by text, email, or phone call. The reminder messages can also include appointment-specific information, such as a reminder to fast or bring their medication(s) with them. Patients can confirm the appointment or let the practice know they need to reschedule. The PRM software gathers all the data in one place for practice staff so they can respond accordingly.

Automated reminders aren’t just for existing appointments. They can also be used to remind patients they have a balance or schedule a future appointment. Patients receive the message in the way they prefer to be contacted, so they are more likely to see the message and take the requested action. With so many tasks to do every day, practice staff can spend more time interacting with patients and less time on routine calls.

Independent practices are feeling the financial burden of trying to compete with bigger clinics and hospital networks. Instead of giving in to the pressure to merge or sell, providers can use technology to make simple changes to help them continue running a successful practice with all the benefits that come with remaining independent.