How to Engage Patients to Use the Patient Portal to Meet Meaningful Use

Brandi MusgraveBusiness Development DirectorFast Track Marketing

Ophthalmology consulting and marketing since 2001

Defining the Patient Portal

Patient Portal Value Added Propositions

Why Patients Don’t Use The Portal

Enlisting Patient

Engagement

Engaging New vs. Existing

Patients

Defining the Patient Portal

Definition of a Patient Portal

Online website for two-way communication Doctors to patients Patients to doctors

Secure

Patient Portal Value Added Propositions

It’s a Value Added Proposition

Helps patients better manage their relationship with your practice

Patient feels in control of their health care

Immediate, 24/7 access Frees up staff time

It’s a Must for Meaningful Use

Stage 2 focuses on patient engagement and education

40% are unaware of patient portals (Technology Advice)

Online Patient Portal Value Propositions

Online bill pay Access to medical records

Appointment scheduling Doctor communication E-visits or E-consultations

Bilingual capabilities

Won’t Patients Be Leary of

Online Access?

People are accustomed to accessing information online

Why Won’t Patients Use The Portal

If you build it, they will MAY NOT come

Why? Practice doesn’t educate of the benefits Portal is cumbersome to use Lack of patient engagement within the portal

Not mobile friendly Information isn’t “pushed” to patient to encourage engagement

More than 30% of patients listed “unresponsive staff” and “confusing interfaces” as reasons for not using the portal.

Less than 50% of patients received post-appointment follow-up communications from physicians.

Among those that did, less than 10% were contacted through patient portals.

(Technology Advice and Software Advice)

How? When? Test different methods to find the best formula

Communicating the Benefits of The Patient Portal

Face-to-Face Communication

Online registration in-office using a tablet

Use downtime during appointments for education

Decide whether education should be before or after the appointment

Enlisting Patient Engagement

Engaging the Whole Staff

Appointment Scheduling Can be done through the portal

Checking Out Alert to online bill pay through

portal Technicians & Doctors

Test results, prescription requests, etc

Email-Based Communication: Advantages

Easy to set up and convenient for all Consistency of information Great for any volume practices

Email-Based Communications: Disadvantages

Need to gather all patients email addresses

Not all communications are delivered or opened

Email Strategies Clear and concise subject line

Make Sure It’s Set Up Properly Bad

From: “Your Provider” Subject Line: “Your Provider – Patient Portal”

Good From: “Dr. Smith’s Office” Subject Line: “Important News From Your Doctor”

Email Strategies Identify your purpose to avoid

spam intentions Registration link Eye-catching graphics Professionally-written, concise

copy Responsive design81% of emails are read on a mobile device Personalize

Sample email to promote portal

Subject Line: Access Your Patient Records Online

More Education Methods

Brochures Posters Looping educational video

Flyers

External Promotion

On-hold messages

Bills Newsletters Social Media posts

Website Placement

Make the portal link highly visible, easy to access

Position the online portal as a practice differentiator

Open the portal in a new tab to make it easy to go back to your website

Make sure it is designed responsive

Best Solution: Use Multiple Points of Contact

Don’t Forget Your Staff!Educate staff on benefits and features

Create registration goals to incentivize staff

Weekly reports on sign-ups for encouragement

Express the Benefits

Explain how it benefits them Don’t talk about features

Engaging New vs Existing Patients

Sample Existing Patient Strategy

Introduction Email Expect 10-15% sign-up

Education in promotional emails and newsletters Automatic post-appointment emails In-office posters Staff training to position the portal as an upgrade and value added proposition

Sample New Patient Strategy Position the online portal as the standard strategy

Pre-appointment email encourages them to register and fill any forms in advance

Offer printed information during the appointment

Follow-up email after the appointment

Reconnecting with Non-engaged Patients

Bulk enrollment Continued prompting from staff about benefits

Patient incentive for signing up 5% off 1st Online Bill Pay

Monthly drawing entry

Don’t Assume Age = Technology Illiteracy

56% of people age 55-64 still want access to online health information54% of adults age 65+ AND 77% of adults age 50-64 use the internet(Nextech and Pew Research Center)

Don’t Make It Sound Like More Work

Make it a benefit, not a burden

Recap Educate through face to face, email, printed and video communications

Educate your staff to “sell” the portal Make the portal visible on your website Make sure the portal is easy-to-use and incorporates responsive design

Advertise the portal as a value added proposition to differentiate your practice

Thank YouBrandi Musgrave

brandi@fast-trackmarketing.com

303-731-2634

Fast Track Marketingwww.fast-trackmarketing.com