In a world of digital care and consumerism, the power is in the hands of the patient. Consumers have become accustomed to choosing brands by comparing prices, accessibility, convenience, and good (and bad) reviews, and they expect the same experience when it comes to selecting their healthcare provider.
The healthcare industry’s digital front door has become a strategic approach for bridging the gap between healthcare operations and consumer expectations. Meeting patients with a seamless technical experience at each point of their healthcare journey is now an integral part of the overall care experience and a vital component of bettering patient care, improving patient retention, and increasing revenue.
At KMS Technology, we have over a decade of experience in providing innovative software solutions to the healthcare space. We’ve broken down the building blocks of what creates a powerful digital front door strategy and why your hospital system needs to adjust its strategy accordingly.
What is a digital front door?
To put it simply, the digital front door is a patient’s primary virtual access point.
However, a hospital’s digital front door strategy goes beyond the website and patient portal. It’s offering patients convenience and accessibility at every touchpoint of the patient journey by incorporating the technology that they are already using everyday. This means creating the shortest distance for a patient to go from a quick Google search to scheduling an appointment at a facility.
Patients want a seamless tech-enabled experience. As a provider with a robust digital front door strategy in place, this means a variety of accessible touchpoints including:
- Online scheduling
- Online billing and payment solutions
- Text reminders to set appointments and remember them
- Mobile check-in and registration without having to download another app
- Customer surveys following appointments
- Strong online reviews
- 24/7 patient access with self-service convenience
- Virtual care strategy
What does the digital front door mean for Payers and Providers?
From receiving care to paying for it, building a seamless technical experience involves both healthcare providers and payers from start to finish.
Providers
Providers want to improve productivity while delivering better quality of care to their patients. Offering navigable self-service options means that less time is spent reminding patients of appointments and processing check-in papers so that the focus can shift towards efficiently routing patients to the right care based on their symptoms.
An example is the difference between a patient having to call multiple times to schedule an appointment versus having the ability to set one up at their own convenience.
Cutting out manual hours with easily automated tasks translates to optimized schedules, maximizing revenues to meet financial goals, and reducing inefficiencies throughout the care process.
Payers
Patients are increasingly looking for more transparency when it comes to making informed decisions about their care options, payments, and billing plans.
Questions such as “Is my doctor in-network?”, “Is this surgery covered?”, and “Is it cheaper to go to the emergency room or urgent care?” are becoming increasingly common.
When it comes to interacting with members to answer their questions, payers are looking to engagement platforms. If patients know that they can easily find and answer these questions online without having to call their primary care provider and wait on hold for hours before they receive an answer, they are more likely to digitally engage for future inquiries and requests.
Offering a trusted, healthcare information platform guides patients to make better decisions for their health and finances, while maximizing operations and efficiencies for payers.
Investing in Technology
A digital front door strategy requires consistency found through automation and differentiation achieved through innovation. Both providers and payers are looking to automated, cloud-based solutions that are accessible, responsive to patient needs, and easy to use.
It’s also important to invest in the integrations of your hospital to create a cohesive solution allowing for better customization and support, helping hospitals to deliver on their promise of personalized care.
As patients have more access to care options, payers and providers who adopt will have a competitive edge over those who don’t.
If you’re ready to improve productivity, increase revenue, and increase patient satisfaction, contact KMS Technology today.
