SHSMD Executive Dialog Looks at ROI from Patient Engagement Programs

“As patients become more consumer minded, marketing leaders are embracing technological and data-driven solutions that prioritize patient experience. Embracing these digital tools means first considering their overall efficacy, ROI and questions around patient data ownership,” according to the introduction to a new paper that provides a recap of a discussion among health system marketing leaders at the 2023 Society for Health Care Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD) Connections annual conference.

There were five key takeaways from the discussion.

1. Leaders are leveling up their patient engagement platforms. Patient engagement impacts cost and revenue, and leaders are advocating for sophisticated, customizable digital tools beyond traditional patient portals. The group discussed the merits of using mobile apps that include portal access but offer broader solutions. Such platforms can deliver wellness content, scheduling tools, payment capabilities, AI assistance, wayfinding and other mechanisms to address patients’ overall health and well-being—not just their immediate clinical care needs.
2. Adaptability matters. There’s a growing need for care platforms to adapt and evolve, offering more than just clinical data. This includes integrating wellness content, scheduling, payment options and other tools to enhance overall patient well-being. Accordinto Tricia Geraghty from Children’s Wisconsin, “We’re integrating our patient education modules through a third-party platform. It helps us understand whether families are actually using the patient education that we’re sending them home with. The ability to track that has been helpful internally to show actual metrics around patient education.”
3. There are new standards for patient experience. Improving customer service and easier access to care is non-negotiable, as service issues can lead to patient attrition. “We have many followers on social media, and we monitor patient feedback through it. People often voice concerns online instead of contacting us directly. We can’t fix everything, but this feedback does give a chance to spot issues and try to resolve them,” said Jamey Shiels of Advocate Health.
4. Patient experience data can guide operational goals. It’s important to use patient data to drive efficiency and better manage physician schedules. This involves balancing clinical and administrative needs with patient care. While traditional EHRs often store data without analyzing it, new apps can provide insight into collected data—including health records and patient interactions—to improve care and inform clinical decision-making. Leaders can track metrics such as wait times and ease of use to show tangible improvements in efficiency—and this can help them to set common goals across departments and measure results.
5. New tools can help measure the ROI of patient experience. Quantifying ROI in patient engagement is complex. Platforms should allow for the customization of metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) and combine various data sources to show true impact on results.

For more detail on these and other insights from this conversation at SHSMD 2023, download the full report, Finding the ROI in Patient Engagement Programs.