How to Choose a Patient Engagement Solution- Checklist for Healthcare Providers

Introduction

The pandemic has revolutionized how healthcare organizations think and work. For a health care provider in 2022, just offering the treatment is not enough. The industry has been disrupted and fragmented with new players, technologies, and processes. In 2021, more than half of health care organizations voted for patient engagement as a top priority. In 2022, the need for patient engagement has only steadily risen for healthcare organizations.

In a Healthcare Engagement Survey by Pega, it came to light that 77% of health care providers feel their patients would leave them due to bad communication. Clear communication and improved patient experiences are mandatory for patients to associate with the health care centers. Good patient engagement also leads to improved admissions, increased patient satisfaction, and a ripple of benefits for the health care provider. 

However, how can health care providers choose a patient engagement platform that increases efficiency and collaboration? This is the best guide for health care clinics and organizations who are confused about which patient engagement platform to use. 

If health care providers are looking for a robust patient engagement solution, this checklist will help them find the right provider. 

What is a Patient Engagement Solution?

A patient engagement platform is a tool used by health care organizations so that patients can interact with them in a simple manner. It reduces the gap between the two parties and keeps both of them on the same page. Patient engagement platforms streamline appointment reminders, make access to medical records easier, and manage the online reputation of the health care provider. 

Here is a checklist on how to choose a patient engagement platform. 

How to Choose a Patient Engagement Solution 

Choosing a patient engagement platform is compulsory for streamlined service and improved patient retention. In fact, a survey on patient engagement showed that patient goals and expectations were not closely aligned with healthcare providers. This is a signal for health care providers to choose options that will build better relationships with patients. For any organization, while choosing a third-party solution provider, they need to keep in mind certain things. It is important to make an informed buying decision with a checklist in place. These questions will help determine if the patient engagement platform is the right choice for your organization. Does it have the elements required to tie in with different existing technologies and collaborate with all stakeholders involved- patients, staff, and providers? 

Here are the capabilities that are a must-have in patient engagement solutions or tools- 

#1: Real-Time and Interactive Patient Communication 

Patient engagement platforms need to allow for meaningful conversations. Conversations should be bidirectional for maximum impact. Text-based messaging needs to be secure and safe. Communication needs to be interactive and one where patients can initiate and respond to information from the health care practitioner. As per a report by BMC Health Services, 76% of patients prefer text messaging to manage their appointments, details, and general health databases. So communication must be improved keeping the patient-preferred mode of communication in mind. 

#2: Secure Messaging Pre, During, and Post-Visit 

The patient engagement solution chosen must include multiple ways to outreach to customers- text or email. It should be easier for patients to communicate with the health care providers before the treatment, during the course of treatment, and after the visit to the hospital. Appointment reminders will lead to fewer no-shows. The post-visit and pre-visit messaging will ensure that patients stick to the plan chalked out for their treatment. Post-visit communication involves gathering information on the reviews and ratings of the health care organization. 

#3: Chatbot Functionality 

Chatbots are a revolution in conversational intelligence. Every interaction does not have to be human-enabled. This is why chatbot functionality in patient engagement is trending. A website chatbot ensures that the number of missed opportunities is reduced. Patients can leave the website after raising a query. This is then redirected to an automatic conversation leaving it easy for customers to choose what they want- request a quote, book a service, or more. 

#4: Automation for Appointment Reminders 

It is a big problem for health care organizations when patients miss their appointments. Beat that with the best technology created to capture every appointment information. If patients miss their appointments, they can miss out on critical care. Missed appointment reminders can also increase administrative work for clinic staff. In such a situation, automating reminders to patients is a great way to keep up. All you need to do is pick a patient engagement solution that automates patient appointment reminders and reduces manual follow-ups. This increases the chance and likelihood that patients will be connected for their next visit. In this way, patients don’t miss their appointments and their health is not compromised. 

#5: Integration with EHR/CRM

For any healthcare provider, it is important to maintain patient information in an updated fashion. It is equally important to ensure that it is accessible by the end-user. You need to ensure that the patient engagement portal you pick can integrate with any EHR or CRM. This way you can reduce the hassle of manually extracting broadcast lists, patient information, data, and more. Outreach is drastically improved and enhanced with this integration. 

To ensure the best results, it is necessary for health care providers to choose the best platform that improves and simplifies patient engagement. 

Why Emitrr Should be Your First Choice for Patient Engagement Software?

Emitrr offers end-to-end patient engagement solutions for health care providers to make use of. You can automate compulsory tasks, set reminders, and improve the overall efficiency of answers that patients get. Emitrr’s patient engagement solution is simple, user-friendly, and lets clinical support staff connect with patients seamlessly. 

Emitrr is easy to use and that is why our customers love us. Alex Duncan from Spa Creek Health says, “Emitrr’s team has done a great job of rolling out a product that is beneficial to practices like ours. They are also tremendously responsive to our feedback and input on how they can make the product even better for us. We are very impressed.”

Emitrr’s one-stop patient engagement solution allows for customer interaction through chat, phone, and text. Health care providers can automate all aspects of customer engagement through reviews, recalls, and reminders. 

Find out how Emitrr can make it easy to engage patients and improve communication by booking a demo. 

Frequently Asked Questions