How patient engagement solutions benefit physicians and patients — 4 takeaways

Patient engagement solutions help organizations manage many patient interactions more effectively so providers can focus their time on patient care.

During a virtual featured session sponsored by Nuance as part of Becker's 6th Annual Health IT + Revenue Cycle Conference, two executives from Nuance — Tony Oliva, DO, VP and CMO, and Justin Jacobson, general manager of patient engagement solutions — shared insights into the practical benefits of patient engagement tools for patients and physicians. 

Four takeaways:

1. Three elements of a patient engagement strategy build a solid foundation and solve pressing issues for quick results.
   
   
   1. Interactive voice response (IVR) allows callers to use natural language to verbalize their reason for calling rather than navigating a menu tree of options. Natural language processing understands the intent and automatically responds effectively by routing to self-service options or other destinations.
      
      
   2. Appointment management sends automated voice and SMS reminders and prompts the patient to confirm, cancel, or reschedule on the channel of outreach.
      
      
   3. Patient support assists patients with inquiries around patient portal access and telehealth appointment preparation. By automating assistance to common inquiries, organizations can control staffing costs while still meeting patient needs.
      
      
2. Patient engagement solutions improve the physician experience and strengthen their relationship with patients. Administrative demands and lack of autonomy are primary sources of physician burnout. Automated communication like appointment reminders means less work for care teams, more predictable workdays for physicians, and involved patients. “Relying on technology to make things happen, where I don't have to answer or direct or manage is terrific," Dr. Oliva said. “Because the system is not involving me until it gets to the point where it needs me, I have confidence that when it does come to me, it's important for me to respond."
   
   Patient care benefits as well. "Patients who are more engaged are more accountable for what they're doing," Dr. Oliva said. By automating the delivery of consistent messages and frequent reminders, patients can better understand how to help themselves.
   
   
3. An effective patient engagement solution gives a competitive advantage for healthcare practices. Advanced patient engagement technology can distinguish a healthcare practice and improve physician retention. “These tools add another layer of support for a physician who is just trying to get through a day," Dr. Oliva said.
   
   A healthcare organization derives value from a patient management solution in several ways. It grows patient satisfaction when they enjoy efficient, convenient access to information. It preserves revenue when appointment reminders optimize schedule utilization and decrease no-shows. And it controls staffing costs when self-service appointment management and support decrease the number of inquiries handled by humans. "It really allows personnel, whether it's the care team or the broader practice staff, to work at the top of their license," Mr. Jacobson said.
   
   
4. Healthcare organizations should consider several vital factors when choosing a patient engagement solution. First, an omni-channel solution offers patients seamless communication over both voice and digital channels. Second, Mr. Jacobson recommended vetting the technology behind a patient engagement solution. “The natural language processing has to be sophisticated and reliable, based on mountains of data in an AI learning loop that continually improves performance,” he said. Inferior technology will frustrate patients and have no effect on staff and physician workload. Third, it’s important that a patient engagement solution integrate with other core systems, especially the EHR, to maximize functionality and personalize content. Finally, the human element cannot be ignored. When human intervention is required, transferring caller history will ensure live agents have the information they need to provide quick assistance.

Patient engagement solutions can enhance the patient experience and increase patient satisfaction. At the same time, they can increase physician efficiency and allow physicians to use their valuable time on patient care rather than administrative tasks.

To learn more about Nuance Patient Engagement solutions, please visit nuance.com/PES.