Mobile Patient Engagement: Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

At the Becker's Healthcare Digital Innovation, Patient Experience, and Marketing Virtual Event, Gozio Health presented a session that sparked significant interest and positive feedback from attendees. The session, titled “Mobile Patient Engagement: Don’t Reinvent the Wheel,” outlined a practical 80/20 approach to building mobile strategies that engage patients without burdening health system resources.

Why Mobile Matters More Than Ever

Today’s patients expect digital experiences that mirror the convenience and personalization of retail and consumer tech. Consider these statistics:

• 60% of patients want a healthcare experience that mirrors retail
• 90% don’t feel obligated to stay with a provider that lacks strong digital experiences
• 25% would switch providers for better digital tools
• 92% of healthcare consumers say improving the patient experience should be a top strategic priority for providers
• 2/3 of patients want online scheduling
• 68% prefer electronic payment options
• 80% prefer some form of electronic communication with providers

The 80/20 Approach to Mobile Engagement

Rather than starting from scratch, health systems can leverage a proven foundation that handles 80% of their mobile needs—using pre-built integrations, best-in-class features, and user-tested design—so they can focus on the 20% of functionality that’s unique to their organization and patient base.

The Foundational Framework (The First 80%)

A scalable, cloud-based mobile framework can handle:

• Ongoing OS and app store updates
• Compliance with platforms like Amazon and Google
• Built-in content management systems and analytics dashboards
• User experience design grounded in user stories, accessibility, iconography, and more

Common Features Across Health Systems

The CHIME Digital Health Most Wired Survey reveals that most health systems need similar tools, grouped into four key categories:

Orienting

• Mobile check-in
• Click-to-call features
  Introduction to care environment

Enlightening

• Access to education (articles, videos, health libraries)
• Non-English language support
• Health maintenance campaigns
• Symptom checkers

Aligning

• Bill pay
• Appointment check-in
• Patient portal access
  Staff recognition and surveys
• Appointment reminders via email or text

Personalizing

• Self-scheduling
• Virtual visits
  Personal health record access
• Chronic condition management
• Remote patient monitoring
• Personal health trackers

Once these foundational capabilities are in place, health systems can build on them to offer more tailored, strategic solutions that address their unique population or branding needs.

Focus on the 20% That Sets You Apart

The final 20% is where hospitals and health systems can truly differentiate their mobile strategy—through custom workflows, app integrations with local or regional tools, content tailored to community health needs, and features that reflect the institution’s unique care model.

By leveraging a foundational mobile platform for the essentials, health systems avoid unnecessary development work and can focus their efforts where they’ll drive the most value and engagement.

Key Takeaway:

Patients already expect a modern, mobile-first healthcare experience. Health systems don’t need to build everything from scratch to deliver on those expectations. With the right framework and strategy, organizations can stand up a robust, user-friendly mobile solution quickly and efficiently—focusing their energy on the elements that truly make their digital front door stand out.