Editor’s Note: This is the second post in our three-part series on the enterprise engagement platform and patient-centricity, co-authored by Jessica Friedeman and Gary Druckenmiller.
With a single source of truth in place, the traditionally provider-centric PRM system is leveraged to further support patient-centric care and communications throughout a healthcare system.
The healthcare system is on the cusp of a tectonic shift from volume-to value-based care. The attributes of the US healthcare system that emerge from this long process are the stuff of great debate. Nonetheless, policies have been put in place that are fundamentally shifting the ownership models of physician practices. Faced with Medicare payment reductions, payment reforms, and costs associated with adopting certified EHR technologies, providers in practices of all sizes are feeling the pressure to join or align with health systems. Physicians are simply finding it too expensive and too time-consuming to operate their practices. This realignment is changing the relationship between doctors and their local hospitals and health systems.
Traditionally, PRM system tools were used by the strategy and business development teams at health systems to stratify local providers looking at:
– Volume and value of referrals received and generated influence
– Percentage of referrals retained in network v. lost out-of-network (leakage)
– Percentage of business lost to competing sites (loyalty)
A robust PRM system can also help identify the relationships between primary care doctors and specialists and can track referral patterns to the competition as well as to owned facilities. This intelligence is utilized by physician liaisons to identify trends, focus outreach efforts, and address issues with the goal of increasing referrals and driving patients to in-network facilities.
Leveraging PRM & CRM Systems for a Patient-Centric Experience
As the healthcare system is still in the early stages of transition, fee-for-service (FFS) is still very much in play. (In fact, FFS is still the primary payment schema utilized in the CMS Medicare Shared Savings ACO program). Because revenues still need to flow in the face of high costs and increasing competition, the traditional PRM activities driving volume do not stop. However, with the new alignment of hospitals and physicians, there are opportunities to leverage the PRM system in concert with an integrated CRM system to facilitate a patient-centric care experience, improving communication today and providing a solid foundation for the value based system being created. This is where the idea of a Unified Engagement Strategy leveraging co-branded campaigns will be a strategic asset to all stakeholders.
By launching co-branded campaigns into the community under the individual providers’ brands, –i.e. health care retail marketing, featuring agency quality creative and supported by physician outreach – health systems can leverage the intelligence in the Enterprise Engagement Platform to create strong connections between consumers and providers, the foundation for patient-centric care.
The reasoning behind this is simple: consumers trust their doctors. Although the Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that over 85% of US adults go online to search for health information, it also reports that when faced with a serious concern, 70% of U.S. adults get information, care, or support from a doctor or other healthcare professional. Another study reported that while a majority of adults want to email their providers and see the value of virtual visits, they also want access via office visits.
Hospitals, on the other hand, are viewed largely as places to be avoided. People know and like the doctor they have personally chosen. The same dynamic does not exist with the hospital that is selected largely based on a provider’s recommendation. The reality is that the doctor is the front door to the health system. Therefore, it is logical, for a hospital wanting to build brand equity and consumer connections, to introduce their services through the local providers. To be effective, the conversation needs to be patient-centric, meaning initial and ongoing communications will leverage CRM data about consumer preferences, attitudes, and past behaviors. Upon analysis, the program results will feed back into the Engagement Platform, creating a reciprocal, learning process – a virtuous circle.
Example: Cancer Center Serving a Tri-State Area
Consider the example of the cancer center covered in the last post. Part of a larger health system with employed physicians; the facility strives to be the provider of choice in the tri-state area. Key to their strategy is to ensure aligned primary care providers send patients to the employed oncologists and surgeons. Utilizing the PRM system, the business development and marketing teams can use detailed data on encounter volumes and referral patterns at the sub-service level to locate physicians in the primary service area most likely to refer patients for oncology consultations – thereby identifying the providers and groups to be included in a co-branded marketing campaign.
Working through physician liaisons, outreach is conducted to targeted physicians for the campaign. Getting physicians to agree to have the hospital market on their behalf can be a tough sell. While retail health care makes a lot of sense in an environment of growing consumerism, it may still be a foreign concept for the physicians who sometimes do not want to muddy their hands with marketing activities. In addition to outlining for the provider the WIIFM (what’s in it for me), in order to maintain patient-centricity, liaisons should also provide the physicians with the same CRM-sourced intelligence that has been gathered by the marketing team. In the case of the oncology campaign, the physicians should know:
– Patients are seeking information on therapies more so than on the epidemiology of the disease
– Head/neck patients will need more hand-holding
– The patients are internet savvy but not necessarily living the mobile life so email communications may be well received
– Personal attributes to help guide the consult – e.g. “sick and savvy” are well-educated and prefer treatments with documented success rates ahead of more experimental therapies
By providing the doctors with intelligence on how to better communicate with campaign respondents, the first encounter is much more likely to be patient-centric as opposed to service-centric, increasing the likelihood the patient will follow a referral recommendation and/or continue receiving care from ‘in-network’ providers/facilities. Additionally, the stage has been set for communication based on patient preferences, which is the foundation of participatory medicine. For oncology, this helps patients and doctors get on the same page more quickly regarding treatment decisions and is likely to positively impact satisfaction scores. Before the campaign is launched, samples of the creative, along with a profile of the target audience, should be shared with the participating physicians such as:
– CPC Campaigns for Colon Cancer, Colonoscopy Keywords
– Display Ad – Head & Neck Cancer – Latest Therapies Alert
– Email Campaign to Newsletter Subs for Special Consult
Conclusion
When these integrated, co-branded campaigns are working, everyone benefits; patients benefit from more relevant and effective communications while the featured physicians and sponsoring hospital benefit from increased brand recognition, patient satisfaction, and, oftentimes, growth in targeted service areas. Most beneficial, patients and providers will share their experiences with others functioning as advocates for the patient-centric care delivered across all touch points throughout the system. In order to achieve such “net promoters,” the same strategies and tactics must extend beyond the physician’s office and into the hospital setting and beyond.
Stay tuned for part three in our three-part series, where my colleague Jessica Friedeman will address strategies for creating access to the Enterprise Engagement Platform throughout a healthcare system to drive maximum value from the investment while facilitating patient-centric care at every encounter.
Gary Druckenmiller, Jr. functions as lead strategist, digital marketing thought leader and C-level executive sponsor for all of Evariant’s enterprise clients, primarily focused on advising health system leadership of opportunistic methods to improve their digital presence and interactive growth potential. Prior to Evariant, Gary served as Vice-President for Harte-Hanks, responsible for healthcare digital strategy and deliverables including multi-channel campaigns, paid digital media, social media, CRM and analytics. Gary has been with Evariant for 5 years and can be heard often on the hospital marketing speaking circuit. Gary has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Bentley University.
Jessica Friedeman serves Evariant as Director, Presales Engineer, providing technical and industry support in the sales process. Leveraging over a decade of experience in the healthcare industry, Jessica works closely with the sales team to mold customer requirements to Evariant’s offering and acts as a key connection between Evariant’s product development and organization’s customers.
The views, opinions and positions expressed within these guest posts are those of the author alone and do not represent those of Becker’s Hospital Review/Becker’s Healthcare. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them.
