6 reasons practices need digital patient engagement tools

With advances in mobile and digital health technology, 90% of patients want to use technology to self-manage their care, while 77% want to manage appointments online. To retain existing patients and bring in new ones, healthcare providers must implement a range of digital patient engagement tools. 

Here, you’ll find out what that means and how they benefit large healthcare systems, solo practices and everything in between.

What are digital patient engagement tools?

Examples of digital patient engagement tools include:

•  Online provider search, such as MediFind, which helps more than 1 million patients each month find the right care based on factors like condition expertise and insurance coverage. Providers can be listed on MediFind for free, giving patients another way to find and connect with the care they need.
• Online appointment scheduling
• Patient intake solutions with targeted outreach capabilities
• Digital patient check-in
• AI-powered call management, such as Phreesia VoiceAI, which answers every call on the first ring, automatically routes and resolves routine requests like scheduling and refills, and documents every interaction.
• Virtual waiting rooms
• Self-service kiosks
• Telehealth
• Online billing and payment
• Patient satisfaction surveys
• Pre- and post-visit patient education

Why should healthcare organizations use digital patient engagement tools?

Healthcare, like retail, no longer relies solely on its brick-and-mortar locations to manage and deliver care. Healthcare organizations that offer a connected, personalized digital experience—much like their big retail counterparts—have a competitive edge in our on-the-go, on-demand society.

Why? Now that mobile devices are part of everyday life, patients increasingly expect healthcare to offer the same digital convenience they experience in other industries. At the same time, rising healthcare costs and demand for more accessible care are putting pressure on healthcare organizations to make the patient experience easier to navigate. Digital engagement tools can help meet those expectations and give organizations a distinct competitive advantage over those still relying on phone calls and paper forms.

In fact, a Phreesia survey of over 4,000 patients found that 64% prefer online check-in, and 29% consider it a must-have. How are they checking in? Most (84%) use a mobile device.

Other factors have also accelerated the move toward digital patient engagement in healthcare. High rates of chronic illness and aging Baby Boomers have both affected—and will continue to affect—patient volume. The shift toward value-based care has pushed many healthcare providers to rework processes and procedures to provide high-quality care for a lower cost. The efficiency gains digital tools provide have made them an important part of that process.

Staffing challenges add to that pressure. Shortages of physicians, nurses and administrative staff can make it difficult to keep up with growing demand. Tools that automate routine tasks and streamline the patient journey can help organizations make better use of the staff they have.

To manage these challenges, effectively engage with patients and stay competitive, healthcare organizations must adopt the modern communication channels patients use and prefer. In the Phreesia survey, 88% of patients said they enjoy using digital methods such as email, text messages and online portals to communicate with their providers, and 41% said this is a must-have. However, in the past year, less than one-third of patients (31%) said they used online tools to communicate with their doctor.

6 benefits of using digital patient engagement tools

Digital patient engagement tools can improve the patient experience and make day-to-day work easier for staff. Patients get more convenient ways to manage their care, while staff spend less time on routine administrative work. These tools can also make it easier for patients to find and access the care they need.

Here are six reasons healthcare organizations implement patient engagement tools:

1. To improve patient satisfaction. Convenience matters, but so do the interactions patients have with the people caring for them. Digital tools can handle tasks like forms, payments and check-in, giving staff more time to focus on patients. That can make a noticeable difference in the experience, says Rachel Smith, IT Manager at Pediatric Associates, Inc.: “When we implemented Phreesia, our relationship with patients changed almost overnight. Previously, handling multiple forms and payments made interactions awkward. With Phreesia, we could focus more on patient experience, connecting with them and providing a warmer atmosphere. Instead of dealing with scattered papers and scanning, we had more time to talk to parents. I fell in love with Phreesia from day one—it was amazing.” 
2. To give patients control of their care. When patients are invested in their health and see themselves as active members of their care team, research suggests they may experience better clinical outcomes and use healthcare resources more effectively. Digital tools for scheduling, communication, registration and payments give patients more opportunities to manage their care on their own time.
3. To improve staff productivity and satisfaction. Online scheduling, digital check-in and automated outreach can reduce time spent on phone calls, manual data entry and other repetitive administrative work. That gives staff more time for higher-value tasks and patient interactions. One study found that when parents of pediatric patients received a text message in addition to a phone call reminder, no-shows dropped by more than 14%. 
4. To reduce risk of burnout. Heavy workloads and staffing shortages can leave healthcare workers stretched thin, especially when repetitive administrative tasks consume much of the day. Automating some of that work can lighten the load and give staff more time for the parts of their jobs that require human judgment and connection. That can support both the employee experience and the patient experience. Phreesia VoiceAI, for example, handles inbound call volume automatically, routing and resolving common requests like scheduling and refills without requiring staff to pick up the phone. Front desk teams save up to 2–4 hours per day per location on phone-related tasks, and call abandonment drops by 15–30%.
5. To provide a superior patient experience with a small staff. When hiring more full-time employees isn’t feasible, technology can help existing teams do more with the resources they have. Automated schedule management, registration and check-in give patients convenient self-service options while freeing staff to focus on more complex needs and meaningful patient interactions.
6. To improve access to care. Digital engagement can help patients move from searching for care to actually receiving it faster. Provider-search tools such as MediFind, for example, can help patients identify clinicians based on factors such as condition expertise and insurance coverage, reducing some of the friction involved in finding the right provider. For Cassandra Englund-Thompson of Summit Orthopedics, faster access has a tangible impact: “This tool delivers impact on both sides. As a physician-owned practice, we’re mindful of responsible use of healthcare dollars, but more importantly, many of our patients are in pain and desperate to get in. The sooner they can be seen, the sooner they can get treatment, recover, and get back to their goals. That’s incredibly meaningful for patients—and for us.”

What to look for in digital patient engagement tools

Digital patient engagement benefits healthcare providers, patients, and staff. When researching solutions, healthcare IT leaders must consider the needs of all three, as well as technology requirements and budgets. Here are a few capabilities to look for when researching vendors:

• Expertise and experience. Does the vendor have the industry knowledge and proven experience to tailor the solution to your organization’s needs and continue optimizing it as those needs evolve?
• Updates. How often does the vendor release product enhancements and updates? How are they performed?
• Adoption. What is the adoption rate of the vendor’s mobile, desktop, and other options?
• Simplicity. Can patients easily move through the entire intake experience without multiple logins and passwords? How many steps does it take for patients to schedule an appointment, contact their provider and complete registration and check-in?
• Self-service. What patient self-service tools does the solution provide?
• Targeted outreach. Does the solution allow you to create targeted campaigns to engage patients between appointments?
• Patient satisfaction surveys. Does the solution offer automated post-visit surveys?
• Automation. Does the solution offer automated appointment reminders and check-in? Does it allow patients to easily cancel or change appointments or convert an in-person appointment to telehealth? What other actions does it automate?
• Integration. Does the solution integrate with your revenue cycle, telehealth, practice management, EHR and scheduling systems?
• Security. Does the solution safeguard patient communications and protected health information (PHI)?
• Inclusivity. For equitable patient access, does the solution provide engagement in multiple languages and options for people with disabilities, such as vision impairment?

Common digital patient engagement myths debunked

Most healthcare organizations already have some pieces of a digital front door in place. Still, concerns about how patients and staff will respond can make organizations hesitant to add new tools. Here are three common misconceptions worth reconsidering:

• Older adults won’t use it. Age alone doesn’t determine whether someone will use digital healthcare tools. In one survey, about 80% of adults aged 65 and older researched Medicare options online. A Phreesia survey also found that 52% of older adults would pay their medical bills online. Offering multiple ways to complete common healthcare tasks can help organizations meet patients where they are, regardless of age or digital comfort.
• Staff won’t want to change workflows. New technology can be disruptive when staff don’t understand why it’s being introduced or how it will affect their work. Involving employees in the planning process, providing adequate training and communicating throughout implementation can help build buy-in. The goal is to simplify everyday work, not add another layer of complexity.
• You’ll lose the human touch. Digital tools can take repetitive administrative work off staff members’ plates, leaving more time for conversations and other interactions that benefit from a human touch. Giving patients options also allows them to choose how they want to handle different parts of their healthcare experience.

“People like options. Patients are thrilled when they have options,” says Geni Patterson of Midwest Center for Women’s Healthcare, Ltd. “Ultimately, we want to make the patient feel comfortable and we want it to be an easy process.”

That’s also where a multi-modal approach can help. Offering options such as mobile and in-office self-service gives patients more than one way to complete routine tasks, so they can use the method that works best for them.

How to get started with digital patient engagement tools

Building a digital front door with patient engagement requires a significant investment of time and capital. Consider these best practices to find a solution that meets your needs:

• Identify your business goals. List the primary challenges you’d like to resolve through digital technology. Pair those challenges with measurable goals and outcomes. For example, if your patients are waiting too long for their appointments, set a goal to reduce waiting room time by 40% and identify how technology can help you get there.
• Talk to your peers. Ask healthcare IT leaders who have implemented patient engagement tools about their experience. What worked and what didn’t? How are your patients using the tools? Are you meeting your key performance indicators?
• Review product demos. Once you’ve compiled a short list of vendors, request demos. Discuss your requirements and goals with vendors. Experience the product from multiple perspectives: administrative staff members, IT, physicians, clinicians, existing patients and new patients. Make sure the product is easy to use from all perspectives and helps you achieve your goals.
• Get stakeholder buy-in. With all research complete, you may have selected a winner. To move to the implementation stage, develop a winning presentation for the executive team. Key components include the following:
  • Identify the business problem(s)
  • Provide an evaluation of the vendors considered and reasoning behind your selection
  • Detail the risks and how you plan to overcome them
  • Outline the capital investment, the expected ROI and the value proposition

Start small and build. Trying to create an entire digital front door or patient engagement strategy at once can overwhelm your staff and your budget. Instead, identify your highest-priority tools and introduce them in one department. Measure the results, gather feedback and adjust as needed. Then, gradually expand to other departments and add new tools based on what you learn.

In conclusion

Digital patient engagement tools are a must for any healthcare practice that wants to gain and keep a competitive edge. While implementing these tools will require some training and a shift in process, the operational savings and productivity gains more than make up for time spent learning new technology and adjusting to new workflows. Evaluate vendors closely to find a partner that meets your organization’s specific needs.