The following is a guest article by Sandro Stupar, Product Management Director at Mitto.
Navigating the healthcare system in America can be byzantine and time-consuming. Despite the many advances in telehealth, mobile apps and walk-in health clinics, patients and caregivers frequently find themselves waiting (often impatiently) in long phone queues to make an appointment, renew a prescription or obtain lab results. There should be a better way.
There is. Increasingly, medical providers are borrowing from the classical marketing playbook and weaving omnichannel messaging into their communications. And, just as it has in other industries, this strategy can not only streamline exchanges between providers and patients but can also lead to a customized patient experience and maximize the time spent in the examining room.
Timely Reminders
Using multiple channels to communicate appointment reminders, confirmation requests and prescription alerts has become commonplace for many health providers. This approach enables the provider to send these notices via email, SMS text and other channels that the patient has opted into, giving the provider multiple ways to get in front of the patient and giving the patient the ability to respond in the channel she prefers.
By automating appointment reminders, medical providers can reduce the likelihood of missed appointments or offer the option of rescheduling. This not only helps maximize staff time but also increases the probability that a patient will follow through on care programs.
Providers could take this a step further, however. If an airline can alert passengers when a flight is delayed, why can’t a physician’s office text patients when the doctor is running behind schedule? This would serve a number of purposes, from reducing frustration on the patient’s part to alleviating the stress of medical staff hustling to get back on schedule (and potentially making hasty errors) to lowering the possibility that waiting patients and caregivers will unwittingly transmit a disease such as the flu or COVID-19.
Omnichannel messaging can also serve a role in post-appointment follow-up. Many patients (and their caregivers) struggle to recall all the details from their appointment, and omnichannel messaging enables medical staff to document care instructions and other important information, such as potential side effects of a prescription or potential signs of a condition worsening.
Group Communications
While most healthcare-related communication is highly personal and protected, there are some occasions in which a provider might need to send out group communications. For example, sending a text to inform patients eligible for a new vaccine that it’s time to make an appointment (with a one-click link to schedule it), to introduce a new member of the practice or inform patients of new service offerings.
Monthly or quarterly newsletters also can be an effective way for healthcare providers to communicate with their subscriber base. This format is successful for non-urgent matters such as tips for avoiding seasonal allergies, information about a new wellness program or staff interviews. Newsletters can be a powerful education platform for patients managing health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Patient Feedback
Omnichannel messaging also offers patients a forum in which to provide feedback about their provider and recent experiences. These surveys can be as simple as a text message asking how they would rate their appointment to a more elaborate email questionnaire that provides an opportunity to grade every part of the interaction, from check-in to billing.
It’s also valuable to monitor social media and review sites such as Zocdoc or Healthgrades and to engage with patient posts to address both positive and negative feedback. Engaging with patients is key to building a strong relationship, ensuring they feel listened to and that they are more than “just a number.” Over time, this feedback, combined with other patient information from in-person interactions, gives the practice insights that enable providers to recommend preventive measures such as cancer screenings.
Omnichannel messaging gives medical providers many opportunities to reach out to current and potential patients across multiple touch points. When done well, this strategy strengthens the doctor-patient relationship via two-way communication and can result not only in better patient outcomes, but a healthier medical practice as well.
About Sandro Stupar
Sandro Stupar is Mitto’s Product Management Director where he leads product innovation and focuses on launching new solutions. Sandro boasts a decade-long career in product development and marketing, with a background in business informatics. He is a dedicated researcher, always learning new things and staying on the cutting edge of technology.
