Similar to other industries, today’s patients expect seamless, convenient digital access to healthcare services. This means more than just finding a doctor online; it means having the ability to book appointments with ease, anywhere, anytime. With over a third of patients indicating that they are willing to switch providers for the ability to book appointments online, implementing robust patient scheduling software is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.
The demand for patient self-scheduling is soaring, with patients increasingly preferring to manage their healthcare on their own terms. Prepare for a smooth patient scheduling software launch by considering these five essential steps for digital transformation.Â
1. Establish a Single Source of Truth for Provider, Service, and Location Data
The cornerstone of any effective patient scheduling software is accurate and up-to-date provider data. Patients need to be confident that they are booking appointments with the right provider, at the right location, and for the appropriate service. This requires establishing a “single source of truth” for your data, a centralized repository that houses comprehensive information on providers, services, and locations.
This database should include information on:
- Specialty / area of expertiseÂ
- Biography / treatment philosophy
- Patient ratings and reviews
- Appointment availabilityÂ
- Accepted insurances
- Video
- Languages spoken
- LGBTQIA+ acceptance
- Gender
- Training, education and credentials
Maintaining data integrity is crucial. Implement regular data audits and validation processes to ensure that provider data remains accurate and consistent. This will prevent scheduling errors, improve patient satisfaction, and enhance operational efficiency.
Real-World Spotlight: Geisinger Health System understood the importance of getting their provider data in place before they could reap the benefits of online scheduling. After establishing a single source of truth and ongoing validation processes, they saw a 30% increase in their provider data accuracy.
2. Engage Cross-Functional Stakeholders Across Your Organization for Patient Self Scheduling
Implementing patient scheduling software impacts various departments and stakeholders within your organization. From clinical staff to IT and marketing teams, everyone plays a role in ensuring a successful launch. Engage these stakeholders early in the process to gather their insights, address their concerns, and foster collaboration.
By involving stakeholders from the outset, you can:
- Identify potential challenges and develop proactive solutions.
- Ensure that the patient scheduling software aligns with the needs of all departments.
- Gather buy-in and support for the project.
- Create a collaborative environment that promotes effective communication.
A cross-functional team ensures that all aspects of the implementation are considered, leading to a more seamless and successful launch.
Real-World Spotlight: In order to meet their goal of enhancing the digital patient experience, Inspira Health aligned a cross-functional team consisting of leaders from marketing, IT, clinical, and administration. Establishing this partnership early-on enabled them to successfully collaborate in order to meet and exceed their goals.
3. Create a Standardized, Repeatable Patient Self Scheduling Launch Plan
A phased approach to launching your patient scheduling software is essential for minimizing disruptions and maximizing success. Start with a pilot program involving a small group of providers or locations. This allows you to test the system, identify any issues, and gather valuable feedback.
Once you have refined your approach, develop a standardized launch plan that can be replicated across your organization. This plan should include:
- A detailed timeline with clear milestones.
- Defined roles and responsibilities.
- Training materials for staff and patients.
- A communication strategy to announce the launch.
- A plan for ongoing monitoring, and improvement.
Documenting what works well during the initial phase will create a blueprint for future expansion.
Real-World Spotlight: Banner Health chose to launch patient online scheduling as part of a phased rollout—scaling within six months to eventually offer online scheduling for more than 300 primary care physicians resulting in over 4,000 online bookings. These results allowed them to make a case for further expansion within primary care as well as amongst specialists.
4. Broaden Patient Online Booking Options Across Specialties, Appointment Types, and Services
After successfully launching your patient scheduling software in a limited capacity, expand its functionality to include a wider range of specialties, appointment types, and services. This will enhance patient access and convenience, driving greater adoption of patient self-scheduling.
Consider offering:
- Specialty appointments, such as cardiology, dermatology, and orthopedics.
- Various appointment types, such as virtual visits, in-person consultations, and follow-up appointments.
- Additional services, such as lab tests, imaging, and preventive screenings.
Showcasing the success of your initial launch will help to gain support for further expansion and secure funding for future initiatives.
Real-World Spotlight: Northeast Georgia Health System went live with patient online scheduling, initially for primary care, and later expanded to include both cardiology and preventive gynecology. In less than a year, they have been able to demonstrate ROI, which has in turn allowed them to develop plans to further expand their online scheduling to additional specialties as well as mammograms.
5. Optimize and Expand Upon Online Appointment Booking Capabilities
To truly maximize the benefits of patient scheduling software, optimize and expand upon the availability of your self-service capabilities. Patients increasingly expect to manage their healthcare through digital channels, including health plans sites, mobile apps and other third-party websites that they frequent often.
Consider:
- Integrating your online patient scheduling system with your mobile app.
- Offering patient self-scheduling through your website and virtual assistants.
- Syndicating your provider data and scheduling capabilities to health plans and other third party sites to expand your reach and eliminate the need for manual updates across channels
By providing convenient and accessible self-service options, you can improve patient satisfaction, reduce administrative burden, and drive greater efficiency.
Real-World Spotlight: Legacy SCL Health (now Intermountain) is leveraging Kyruus Health APIs to power provider search, match, and scheduling in their mobile app as well as a virtual assistant on the main Legacy SCL Health website, allowing them to extend the consumer friendly experience to additional channels.
By following these five key steps, you can ensure a successful launch of your patient scheduling software and enhance the patient experience while streamlining your operations.
Ready to see it in action? Request a demo of Kyruus Health’s patient scheduling software.