In a recent AHA executive dialog, healthcare leaders discussed how to define the digital front door and create a frictionless patient experience. With 90% of patients saying they don't feel obligated to stay with a provider that doesn't provide a great digital experience, health systems are under more pressure than ever to deliver a better experience.
Out of that conversation came seven strategies that health systems could use to create a more seamless, consumer friendly experience.
1. Expand consumer-facing digital health access points and features to improve personalization, convenience, access to care and responsiveness with a mix of technology and people so that it is efficient and still feels human.
"I think with COVID-19, we’ve seen a lot of change in consumer preferences Many access points are now available, and consumers have choices. That’s a good thing. We need to be equally as nimble in providing those access points."
Matt Casselton, Trinity Health
2. Create clear “front doors” and guidance for customers across channels for a seamless and effortless, high-quality customer experience and equitable access.
3. Look beyond the digital front door at the functionalities required to make the entire patient experience consistent and aligned with expectations and needs.
"We’re looking to provide patients’ access through any door, whether it’s the front door, side door or the back door, to provide equitable access to those we serve. We already have online access for many, but not all, services. Every care point needs be simple for patients to access with their own technology that is also easy to manage. We have pulled together information technology (IT), marketing, operations and our clinicians into project teams to organize and attack this from all angles."
Toni Donovan, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
4. Move to a stickier, digital relationship and increase patient engagement with asynchronous touch points.
5. Build your health system brand by prioritizing and test-driving new digital solutions with input from consumer online feedback, Net Promoter Score (NPS), surveys and focus groups.
"The digital front door is not a single platform. It’s the spirit of meeting people where they are today. That is the main goal.The demand is there in a certain area. How do we meet it? It’s not just virtual, it’s not just a portal, it’s not just text. It’s a combination of those things."
Joshua Titus, Gozio Health
6. Align organizational goals and results with a culture of innovation in the digital space by working with clinical and operational partners to build integrated solutions and deliver world-class customer experiences.
7. Navigate the change-management challenges of using digital mechanisms to automate processes and reduce staff burnout.
Read the complete executive insights report to discover more about how hospitals and health systems are digitally engaging consumers, patients and families in their health journeys and advancing new ideas and initiatives that transform the way patients access and experience care.
