Patient engagement is a key consideration for healthcare organizations today, and most are exploring ways their electronic health records (EHR) systems can support their efforts. There are many features in today’s EHRs, such as eClinicalWorks, that are designed for patient engagement. However, it takes more than simply enabling features to be successful. It takes the technology itself, plus the implementation of carefully developed processes and goals to achieve efficient and effective patient engagement.
Why Patient Engagement is Important
Every patient is a consumer, conditioned to interact via apps and texting. This is the case for all businesses they patronize, and they expect to do the same when it comes to their healthcare. It’s been reported that:
- 90% of customers prefer to receive a text message over an email or phone call
- 68% of consumers would contact a company with billing questions via text
- 97% of companies say texts are more effective in communicating with customers
The list goes on. Healthcare organizations must meet their consumers – the patients – where they are. From an operational perspective, proper patient engagement tools and processes help healthcare organizations be more efficient.
The Roadmap for Successful Patient Engagement
While larger healthcare organizations are early adopters of patient engagement technology and workflows in their operations, scores of others have only dipped their toes in the water. The primary hesitation is the perceived complexity of transitioning to a patient-centric operation. Partnering with Ero Health demystifies the process. We work with each client to develop a patient engagement roadmap to meet their needs.
Patient Engagement Strategy
There are many tools available in eClinicalWorks for patient engagement. Before enabling them, a clear strategy must be in place. That strategy should include:
- Current state of the practice. What tools and processes are you using now, who is responsible for each, and what is effective (or not).
- Vision. What are you hoping to improve upon? What will staff, providers, and patients experience? How will the business side of your organization improve?
- Goals. Be specific. Typical goals for patient engagement campaigns can include:
- Number of patient sign-ups / patient adoption rate
- Reduction in appointment no-shows
- Number of phone calls for scheduling
- Average days in A/R
- Rollout plan. What are the eClinicalWorks features that will help you achieve your goals? How will we phase them?
- Workflow development. Implementing new features in eClinicalWorks requires new workflows. These are built into the plan to ensure a smooth transition.
Goals may be driven by specialty or type of practice. For example, in specialties where high balances are present, prompt payments may be a priority. In Primary Care, your goals may include reduction in no-shows.
Appoint a Patient Engagement Champion
Your Patient Engagement Champion should be a member of your team who can embrace the strategy and goals, monitor and report on key metrics, and drive the initiatives. This person should be from the operations side of the business because they understand how the practice works. This perspective also allows them the insight to interpret the performance data to seize on opportunities for improvement. Empower them to do so.
Develop an Internal and External Communications Strategy
Healthcare organizations who succeed with patient engagement are active communicators. They have ongoing strategies to ensure that patients are informed and encouraged to use patient engagement tools. They share the benefits of using these tools and provide a clear path for them to sign up and stay engaged. They also communicate internally to staff and providers to celebrate successes and report on progress. Your Patient Engagement Champion will play a key role in your communications strategy.
Important eClinicalWorks Patient Engagement Features
Your strategy and goal setting work will uncover the eClinicalWorks patient engagement features that will have the greatest impact. That list will include some combination of the following items, phased in based on priorities. These features offer a great starting point for patient engagement. Healthcare organizations who are further in their journey may also opt for next-level capabilities to enhance patient engagement initiatives.
Healow Patient Portal
The Healow Patient Portal is the online and mobile hub for a patient’s information. Here, patients can access their records and test results, review appointment information and notes, communicate with providers, and more. It is available through a web portal, or via app on a patient’s mobile device.
Successful adoption of the Healow Patient Portal requires more than just turning it on. Although patient portals are widely used, that use was largely driven in the days of meaningful use and MIPS. Today, it’s critical for healthcare organizations to actively improve patient adoption and engagement.
Healow Pay
The easier a healthcare organization makes it for patients to view balances and make payments online or via a mobile app, the more likely they are to pay. Paper statements slow down the payment process. Online capabilities, along with a well-developed series of email or text reminders, can expedite the receipt of payments and improve cash flow.
Healow Pay provides electronic invoicing, online payment, and incremental notifications of open balances. The system is specific to a single organization, however, so patients will need to login separately to view balances and make payments to different organizations.
For healthcare organizations who are advanced in their journey, Ero Health provides a digital-first, patient-centric solution called PayGround. This provides a central hub, integrating patient accounts across multiple healthcare organizations involved in a patient’s care. Patients can view and pay their balances through one platform.
Healow Open Access
Healow Open Access is an excellent starter solution for scheduling. Implementation is straightforward but planning is important, as the healthcare organization’s scheduling rules must be accounted for. For example, an organization must consider the hours of all providers, types of appointments that are scheduled on specific days (or at specific times of the day), and what the routing to the appropriate location and provider entails.
Larger organizations may have more sophisticated scheduling needs and require integration with third-party apps to accomplish their goals. Ero Health works with these organizations to develop the strategy, workflows and technical interface.
While patient engagement must have clear strategy and goals, as well as a champion driving its success, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Ero Health has the strategic expertise, technical skills and practical experience to develop and support your patient engagement initiatives. Connect with the Ero Health team today to get the process started, regardless of where you are in your journey.
