Main image courtesy of Palm Primary Care Texas. 

Gone are the days of interacting with your patients outside of office appointments by only phone calls and mail. In the digital age, it’s essential for any healthcare facility to employ patient engagement software solutions to ensure that not only patients are more engaged in their own care, but so medical providers can keep in better contact with existing and potential patients at any time. This service is only expected to grow as more and more establishments start to see the real benefits of better care and increased revenue. In fact, the patient engagement market is expected to grow by 19.77% from 2025-2030

What we’re covering in this article:

• What patient engagement software is
• The benefits of patient engagement (and how to keep them engaged)
• The patient engagement software you need

But what are some of the ways your healthcare team can better engage with patients, and what are some of the tangible benefits of doing so?

What is patient engagement software?

Engagement platforms are one of the best ways to stay in communication with your patients

Patient engagement software are technology solutions such as electronic systems that include emails and text messages designed to keep patients involved in their own care--as well as up to date with information regarding their medical providers. It is designed to keep patients engaged when they are not in an encounter with a clinician, so they can interact with it anytime they need to. Traditionally this type of engagement was done with phone calls or mailings, however practices of all kinds of specialities have moved into a digital solution to this important part of patient care. 

While providers strive to give patients the best possible care along their health journey, there are also things they can do to provide patients with solutions outside of visiting the doctor. That’s where patient engagement software really shines, and there are a variety of options out there-- many of which can interact with your EHR system. In addition to separate software platforms specifically designed for patient engagement, a lot of AI medical scribes offer helpful patient engagement options like automated patient journeys as well as email/text appointment reminders. 

Depending on how much engagement you’re looking for, you may want to see what your ambient medical scribe already offers, and determine whether or not you want to employ a new software solution. 

Benefits of patient engagement

If you think patient engagement software isn’t something you need, you may want to rethink that when you see some of the real benefits of using this type of application. 

• Enhanced communication. Patients want to feel like they have access to their medical providers outside of making an appointment. Many times patients feel like they don’t know how to interact with their clinicians outside of an encounter, and having patient engagement software makes it very convenient for patients to create messages for providers to review and respond to. When they know there is an easy way to quickly ask questions or follow up on an encounter, it continues to build patient trust in their doctor and their relationship. This type of personalized experience demonstrates a commitment to helping patients stay involved in their care.

• Better patient experience. Technology helps us manage so much of our lives, so why should healthcare be any different? With this type of technology, patients can easily book or cancel appointments, check in, or make payments at their convenience. When it’s not a hassle to get a hold of someone at the office, patients tend to have a better experience overall, and are more likely to stay on top of appointments or even recommend the facility to other people. 

• Increased revenue. In order to grow, healthcare establishments need to ensure that existing patients make timely appointments, as well as draw new patients to the facility. Engaging patient software can do both of these tasks. Automated reminders to pay bills are easy to do with this type of software, and patients can pay online in the patient portal at their convenience. Having dedicated engagement software also can provide tailored emails to patients ensuring follow up visits or highlighting additional services your practice provides.

• Improved efficiency. Office efficiency is key to a well-run healthcare facility, and staff shouldn’t need to waste time making phone call reminders or drafting emails to multiple patients. Patient engagement software can help streamline office workflow, automating reminders and check in procedures, and freeing up more time for office staff.

• Use data for feedback. It’s hard to tell what patient engagement strategies are working (and which ones aren’t) when you don’t have a standardized digital center for all that information. With a patient engagement platform, you can measure the impact your emails/texts are having, and if you’re providing patients with information they want and can use. You can easily generate reports about what patients are engaging with, and what they want to see more of. This way, you’re meeting your patients’ needs as well as making data-driven decisions for optimal growth.

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There are all kinds of benefits to making the switch to using a digital data-focused patient engagement software solution for your facility. But what are some examples of how the software will really make an impact on the relationship between the provider and the patient for the better? 

Popular ways to keep patients engaged

Manage appointments

Having a streamlined way to manage appointments (for both the practice and for the patients) is to have an online way to manage appointments. After all, this is the best way to ensure your practice thrives, and that you’re providing the quality care your patients expect. There is a lot of lost revenue, as well as wasted resources, that develop when patients miss their appointments. Most of the time this isn’t something that’s intentional, but rather they didn’t get a reminder, or it didn’t make it onto their calendar. Having a software system that automatically sends reminders for appointments via text or email is one of the best ways patients stay on top of their care.

Staff no longer need to worry about calling patients for appointment reminders either, as this can take a lot of their time away from engaging with the patients that are already at the practice. Patients should be able to schedule appointments wherever they are, and not just in person or over the phone.

Patient registration/checkout

Automating patient registration and check out procedures is also one of the beneficial ways patient engagement software is making an impression on providers and patients alike. Automated links or prompts can easily be sent out to patients so they can register or check in before their appointment. This gives them the opportunity to confirm that they in fact are coming to their appointment, as well as provide any updated information to the office that is required. This saves time when they arrive at their appointment, as they’re already checked in and have updated any necessary information.

After the appointment automated texts or emails can be sent out with summaries of the encounter, listing any next steps or recommendations. Having this follow up information after they check out is a great way to ensure patients are more likely to adhere to the post-care instructions of clinicians. 

Patient portal

Perhaps one of the most convenient parts of patient engagement software is that it provides a centralized location like a patient portal, where doctors and patients can exchange information. Patients can log into their personalized account and see all their past appointments, tests, prescriptions, procedures, and so much more. It’s also where they can pay outstanding balances, or schedule an appointment.

The patient portal is where they’ll log in to send a message to their provider, giving them a convenient way to discuss non-urgent matters with their practitioner. 

Automated reminders

Having a system that sends out automated reminders via text or email is a fantastic way to decrease no-shows and ensure that your patients are staying on top of their health. It’s easy to forget about appointments in our busy lives, and if a scheduled appointment doesn’t make it onto their calendar, there’s a risk a patient may forget. Keep them constantly in the loop with automated reminders from a patient engagement software. 

Patient surveys/feedback

There’s not a reliable way to find out how patients like what you're doing unless you ask, which can be time consuming to do at each encounter. Instead, automate surveys that gauge how patients are feeling about the level of care they receive. Feedback is also a good way to determine whether or not your engagement and communication strategies are benefiting your patients, as well as helping the healthcare facility thrive. You can also ask patients for suggestions, and what they would like to see more of. 

Patient education and engagement

Open lines of communication make it easy to give patients control over their health journey. When it’s convenient for them to stay engaged with their healthcare providers, they’re going to make it a point to follow their recommendations. This can significantly reduce the chances of developing more chronic conditions or needing more costly procedures. Patients should be educated about their healthcare treatments, as this makes them feel more confident in their care, and strengthens the doctor/patient relationship.

Playback Health: the best patient engagement software you need right now

Try out Playback Health’s ambient AI scribe that automates the patient journey

An easy way to ensure that patients stay on top of information related to their care, as well as move through the check in/check out process, is with an AI scribe like Playback Health. This application is your all in one approach to better patient care, as it not only can transform the way that providers take notes and update EHRs, but it also automates the patient journey. No one wants their patients to be confused or lost about what they’re supposed to do next, which is why having automated alerts like reminders for appointments, prescription refills, and prompts to schedule follow ups are essential. 

The information the AI scribe gets from the encounter is easily transcribed and formatted into a note, and the AI scribe can then use that data to suggest additional insights or suggestions for potential care options for the patient. The clinician can then easily pull up documentation for a referral, prescription, or additional tests during the encounter, so there’s no lag in the care. Check in and check out are made much more simple with the help of automation, ensuring that patients know exactly where they’re supposed to be for their appointments and when.

Some additional benefits of Playback Health’s AI scribe include:

• Mobile and web app
• Free 2 week trial
• Competitively priced at $99/month
• Premium support
• Translations 
• Templates and customization
• EHR integration

Will your healthcare facility employ patient engagement software?

Patient engagement software and platforms are fantastic ways to ensure that patients not only have a say in their treatment, but they are ways to keep patient data organized and secure. Patients who understand and are engaged with their healthcare providers are much more satisfied with the care they receive, and more likely to stay active and provide input going forward. If you’re not already using patient engagement software, now could be the right time!