I don’t do phones. After business hours, I’m not sure I do people, either. I’m not a grump or a misanthrope, I hope. I’m just tired because I’ve talked all day.
Other industries “get” people like me: airlines, banks, retail stores, grocers, and even restaurants. (I never understand how a meal for two costs $90 by the time I place my order on the app, but that’s a different post for a different day.) With a few taps, I can meet my needs without ever having to wait on hold or open my mouth. But in healthcare, that’s not as common as it should be. Online self-scheduling is served up in patchy offerings—some health systems offer it, some offer it for some appointment types or providers, and some offer none at all.
Fortunately, the technology to transition to digital appointment scheduling is already here. What’s the hard part? Driving a mindset change among operational and clinical leaders.
Why Self-Scheduling is a Win for All
Let’s first examine three reasons why transitioning to online self-service is the right thing to do for patients and the health system. These can be summed up in three words: efficiency, demand, and empathy.
Efficiency
Call centers are expensive. One popular study estimates the annual cost of a healthcare organization’s call center at $13.9 million and a cost-per-call around $5. If we factor in the indirect costs of patient dissatisfaction for wait times and call abandonment, the overall cost is likely much higher. All these costs can be avoided if we allow patients to do what they want to do anyway—something better with their time.
I’m not arguing to turn off the lights on call centers. I am, though, arguing that the future of appointment scheduling is digital, and we run the risk of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy if we don’t turn off some of those lights now.
There will always be patients who are unable or unwilling to schedule an appointment online—not to mention complex care needs where the technology is not (yet) able to digitize scheduling or navigation. Certainly, we should look to our 2021 buzzword bingo cards and “meet patients where they are” and “on their terms.” I’m glad healthcare comes with a phone number—we just shouldn’t have to use it unless we need to or want to.
Demand
Research is clear: patients prefer online self-scheduling over making a phone call. That said, I wouldn’t expect operational or clinical leaders to look to national or global research alone to drive their organization’s strategy. The better question is: what do my patients want? What does my community need? To understand these wants and needs, consider doing the following:
- Measure patient portal adoption across demographics and geographies. Even if you don’t have self-scheduling enabled at scale today, high engagement with other activities in the portal is a strong indicator of a smooth path to self-scheduling adoption.
- Ask patients. If you have patient focus groups, consider bringing this topic to upcoming meetings. Partner with your technology teams to provide a demo of how self-scheduling would look in the portal. Use patients’ feedback to prioritize your rollout and guide the design.
- Look to the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Search for the CHNA in your area and identify any data or quotes about your population’s use of technology. These documents often offer statistics on availability of high-speed internet, cell phones, home computers, and more.
Empathy
Far less discussed is the softer benefit to self-scheduling: not having to talk to strangers about your problems. No matter how well trained and professional a call center agent is, I still don’t know them. I don’t want to verbalize why I need an appointment, why I have an order for an MRI, why I need a follow-up visit, or where my rash is. I’m unaware of any public research that has studied the potential adverse effects of verbalizing your diagnoses or conditions on the telephone, but the findings would be fascinating. Imagine having a chronic disease, a cancer, a terminal illness. Now imagine telling someone new about it every time you need a treatment or an appointment. Every. Single. Time. We can do better.
The Roadblocks? Already Handled.
Note: While there are many great options for digital appointment scheduling, the section below applies to organizations that use Epic.
Self-scheduling features have expanded significantly in the past decade, and even more so recently. Organizations that evaluated implementing self-scheduling even a few years ago would benefit from giving the tools another look. In my conversations with healthcare organizations, I typically hear the following concerns about transitioning to self-scheduling. The concerns themselves are valid. Fortunately, technology has matured enough to answer them. Epic MyChart self-scheduling is one tool that provides answers:
“We have specialized providers who only see patients with specific conditions or diagnoses.”
No problem. Decision trees in Epic are intelligent enough to comb the patient chart – or ask the patient during scheduling – to pair the patient with the right provider for the right reason. If the patient has chosen an inappropriate provider, the system can prevent scheduling and recommend the appropriate providers.
“We only want to make a certain number of new patient appointments available online.”
No problem. Epic gives system administrators full control over the number and duration of new- and existing-patient appointments.
“We want to guide a patient to booking an appointment with someone in the same department to preserve continuity of care.”
No problem. The team scheduling feature makes it easy.
“We schedule a high number of imaging exams. Some of these exams require authorizations and screening forms.”
No problem. MyChart Ticket Scheduling and adjacent features allow you to digitize most imaging orders. When an order is placed, the patient receives a ping on the MyChart app (or based on their communication preferences) and can schedule online.
“We employ providers that are renowned in their field. It’s only appropriate for a patient to see them after appointments with residents and other providers first.”
No problem. Let’s go for the 90/10 rule here. In this circumstance, you can simply not activate those providers for online scheduling. If you want to use your providers’ reputation to grow your new patient volume, you could always recommend a nursing visit to at least get that patient in the door.
We’re Here to Help with Digital Scheduling
Transitioning to digital appointment scheduling is not just a technological upgrade; it’s a necessary evolution to meet the demands and preferences of today’s patients. By embracing online self-scheduling, healthcare organizations can enhance efficiency, cater to patient demand, and demonstrate empathy towards those who prefer not to verbalize their health concerns.
At Divurgent, we’re committed to guiding you as you explore digital scheduling implementation or upgrades. Our expertise in this area can be a resource to help you navigate this transition smoothly and effectively – and continue on your journey to improved patient care and satisfaction.
Let’s partner on a digital appointment scheduling solution that meets the demands of your patients.
About the Author
Pete Wiley | Principal
Pete Wiley is Principal at Divurgent. He focuses on EMR implementations, optimizations, and leadership in healthcare. He is an expert in digital transformation and healthcare program management. Pete is a Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) and recently worked at a large academic health system. Visit Pete on LinkedIn.
