Consumers increasingly expect to have user-friendly digital interactions with their healthcare providers, so it’s imperative to ensure your organization’s digital front door is strong and engaging. Otherwise, your organization may not be meeting consumers’ needs.
During a May 5 webinar hosted by Becker's Hospital Review and sponsored by Change Healthcare, industry leaders discussed key strategies healthcare providers should use when creating a digital front door.
The speakers were:
- Patrick Leonpacher. Business Development and Operations Executive at Change Healthcare
- Natalie Lawrence. Director of Business Development at Change Healthcare
Six tips for building your organization's digital front door:
- Make it easy for consumers to understand what you offer. This means making sure it is easy for them to find specific information about providers, locations, which services are offered and which specialties are available. You can facilitate this by installing a chatbot that answers routine requests and frequently asked questions.
- Establish a symptom triage tool. Consumers immediately turn to the web when they develop symptoms, so there is an opportunity to meet patients where they are by keeping them on your website. Symptom triage tools should drive volume to your providers and service lines and qualify patient needs to improve scheduling compatibility.
- Offer online self-scheduling. Online scheduling portals can reduce unfilled time slots (and therefore optimize revenue) by promoting availability and leveraging wait-listing to capture same day booking. They also meet the demands of digital consumers and give patients 24/7 access to appointment booking.
- Incorporate online payment tools. Such tools reduce payment collection timelines, improve risk management and decrease time spent on back-office tasks. They also help providers collect payment at the time of booking.
- Offer digital check-in. Having patients check in and fill out their forms online keeps them and healthcare staff safer by enabling touchless processes. It also reduces healthcare staff's administrative burden and optimizes patient throughput.
- Establish online referrals management. Creating a digital system improves referral compliance by facilitating administrative and patient workflows. It can also reduce patient leakage and increase revenue.
To learn more about Change Healthcare, click here.