Due to the necessity for virtual care, digital patient engagement was essential during COVID-19. Even though we are now on the other side, digital patient engagement tools continue to be essential for healthcare providers. You risk losing patients who wish to receive their care online.
Digital patient engagement tools can increase your revenue and improve patient activation. If optimized and used properly, they will also give you a higher return on your investment.
We can help small- to medium-sized practice owners who want to improve their use of digital patient engagement tools. However, they may not know which software to use. This guide will help you find the right software for your new practice, whether you are looking to switch to new technology or increase patient engagement.
What is digital patient engagement?
Digital patient engagement is more than traditional patient interaction. It incorporates technology or a tool to enable physicians or healthcare organizations communicate with patients, manage patient-provider relationships, and offer educational and medical resources.
Why is digital patient engagement important?
First, many software solutions allow patients to access your services via mobile devices. Your patients will be able to communicate with you from any device, regardless of whether they need access to their health plan or scheduling.
Digital patient engagement software solutions are essential from an administrative perspective. They automate consistent, reliable data input and/or patient interaction via automated emails or reminders. Even for a small practice it can be difficult to call, email or text each patient regarding appointments.
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Software to automate communications allows you to communicate with patients in the way they prefer (phone, email or text). It can also reduce the amount of staff that you need and allow you to assign more important tasks to the staff.
Digital patient engagement solutions are more than just scheduling and communication automation. When used properly, this software can help you educate patients and improve patient experiences.
Software allows you to send check-in and registration forms ahead of time so that they can be completed at the patient's convenience. This will reduce the waiting time in your office, and allow you to spend more time talking with patients about important information.
Digital patient engagement technologies can help you kill two birds: It improves patient satisfaction and the overall experience for patients. You also save money on administrative overhead and patient acquisition costs because you won’t lose as many patients to other practices.
How using digital patient engagement can help increase your ROI?
Digital patient engagement software can be a boon for many practices. These are the key benefits:
1. Quality of care is improved with fewer readmissions
Patients who can access educational materials online quickly and easily are more likely to engage with their education and have better health outcomes. This is especially true when digital patient engagement software includes educational materials in video or other interactive media. This can make it easier to use healthcare technology like remote patient monitoring devices. A higher level of compliance with the health plan will result in fewer readmissions.
2. Better decision-making
Digital patient engagement allows for better collaboration between doctor and patient as well as between physician staff and physicians since scheduling and patient registration can be automated. Patients who are more involved with the software will be able to communicate more easily with their providers, which results in better decision-making.
3. Minimizes patient no shows
Patients are much more likely to remember their appointments if they receive reminders via the communication channel that they most frequently use (e.g. phone, email, or text).
4. Care gaps are reduced
You can automate patient outreach with digital patient engagement software. This is especially useful for patients who are late in scheduling appointments and to educate them about any new services, texts or vaccines.
5. Attract New Patients
Patients want the best for their money. Having an easy-to use digital patient engagement suite of tools will give them the feeling that they are being taken care of. It also shows that your practice is current with the latest technology.
6. Improves Patient Access
Patients will have more access to their health records and education, and can be involved in their healthcare in a way that is better for them. Patients can bring a conversation about their health to their appointments, rather than just getting their care plans.
7. Simplifies Patient Billing
The digital patient engagement software makes billing easier by giving patients and their care providers more transparency and access to bills. Patients can access their statements and payment plans 24/7. They also have the option to pay bills online. Patients can also receive text messages with balances and a link to a detailed bill that includes all charges.
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Healthcare organizations find billing easier as patients pay their bills faster, it lowers the cost of printing paper bills and it eliminates the need to hire outside billing services if there is enough patient use.
8. It is Easier to Collect Feedback
Digital patient engagement is closely tied to patient experience. It's crucial to gather feedback frequently. These software solutions can send messages directly to patients. It's also a good idea to send a survey to patients within 24 hours of each appointment to gather data and get feedback from them. This will help you to adjust your processes so that you can ensure a high level of patient satisfaction.
9. Get More Reviews Online
Our 2020 Master Patient Experience Survey [ *] shows that almost three quarters of all surveyed patients use online reviews to find a doctor. Your online reputation can often be the first impression many patients make.
Similar to the patient satisfaction survey it may be a good idea for you to send a link directly to your preferred review site after each appointment to generate more reviews.
Digital patient engagement software: Obstacles
Patients may need coaching.Patients may not want to use expensive software because of a few factors.
- They lack digital and health literacy
- The benefits are not being recognized.
- Internet access
- Privacy concerns
- Preference for in-person communication
Enrollment in your system should be one of the first things you do when speaking with new patients. Automate enrollment by syncing it to scheduling services and then offer rewards to patients and staff for improving enrollment
Interoperability between software: It's often hard to find a one-size-fits-all digital patient engagement platform that has everything you need while also integrating with your preferred EMR solution, so you might have to juggle multiple different software accounts.
You should ensure that your digital patient engagement software integrates with your existing systems when you search. Otherwise, it could be difficult to manage multiple software solutions.
Different Types of Digital Patient Engagement Software
The digital patient engagement tool allows secure communication between patient and provider. It provides access to financial, clinical, and administrative functionality. They can also share important information regarding care plans and instructions on how to use remote monitoring devices.
It is important to understand the features that your practice requires in order to be successful when researching software. While some EMR systems are more robust than others, they may not offer the same level of digital patient engagement tools. You might also be paying for features your practice does not need.
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Depending on the needs of your business, certain features may be "required" and others may be "nice-to-have." This will help you narrow down potential vendors and create a shortlist that only includes vendors who offer your desired features.
What to look out for when looking for digital patient engagement software?
It can be difficult and time-consuming to choose the right software. There are many factors to consider. Before you implement digital patient engagement software, here are some important features to be aware of.
System Integrations: It's important to understand how new digital patient engagement technologies will integrate with existing tools, as we mentioned briefly above. Your technologies should work together in order to make sharing patient data easier.
You might also consider searching for all-in one software solutions if your practice is new. These can be more expensive, but they are usually worth it to avoid future headaches.
Ask vendors about the integration of their tool with your current software.
Cloud deployment or on-premise deployment
Before you can move on to the next step in your software selection process, you need to decide whether cloud or on-premise deployment is best for you. On-premise software is usually hosted locally and maintained by the IT department of a business. This deployment option lends itself to a greater degree of ownership--and therefore customization--making it an attractive method for established businesses with the resources to handle such an undertaking. This can slow down implementation and make it difficult to update critical software. Businesses that want future agility will be left behind.
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A cloud-based deployment can be hosted by the vendor, outsourced to a third-party or managed internally. The system is accessible from any device that has a web browser. Cloud-based software is less customizable but offers more stability and security, especially for small businesses who lack the staff to manage their data internally. It is also more flexible than traditional on-premise software, so it takes less time to install. Cloud-based software is easy to use because it's so simple to look at the vendor's website.
Easy of Use: The ease of use is a key consideration when selecting digital patient engagement software. It's important to remember that if the software is difficult to use, patients and staff will not want it. This can negate any potential benefits and waste your money. Look for software with high ease-of-use reviews on FindEMR. Ask vendors for free trials and to show you their typical workflow before making any purchase.
Mobile support: It was mentioned earlier but it is worth repeating again. You should search for software that is both mobile-friendly and optimized for mobile use via a website and an app. Some patients may be reluctant to download specific applications.
Simply browsing the vendor website can tell you a lot about whether or not a software application is mobile-friendly. After narrowing down your options and talking to vendors, it is important to have specific demonstrations and experience with the application to determine how mobile-friendly it is.
The Ultimate Software Vendor Evaluation Manual provides a general guideline on what to look out for in vendor selection. It provides guidance about the importance of software evaluation, key software characteristics to be evaluated, and pricing models you should watch out for.
What HealthCare Organizations Require Digital Patient Engagement?
In an effort to increase their patient base, small practices (one to five doctors) will likely look to implement digital patient engagement software. You can use most cloud-based digital patient engagement systems. They often offer subscriptions that are per-user. You should look for platforms that allow you to fill out online forms for new patients. This will make it easier for you to manage your practice.
Midsize practices (6 to 25 doctors) should be open to adding value to existing patients and attracting new patients. Most cloud-based systems can meet your basic requirements. To improve patient experience, look for features like online appointment scheduling and reminders.
Here are some other important things to consider when looking for digital patient engagement software.
It is vital to improve your digital patient engagement for the future of Medicine
The modern healthcare organization must have digital patient engagement software in order to offer a great patient experience. The first step to a more profitable practice is understanding the benefits of digital patient engagement and how you can evaluate which features are necessary when choosing software.
Now that you are familiar with the key features of digital patient engagement software, it is time to start your software search. Software Advice is here for you.
FindEMR has helped thousands of medical professionals find the right software to support their practices. We can help you find the right solution for your budget and needs.
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