As healthcare consumerism increases, it’s more important than ever to have a strong patient engagement strategy. A critical success factor in this extremely competitive market is service differentiation.
As care pathways become more complex and more patients become actively engaged in their care journey, it’s not just the traditional provider-centered data that will be important. The need of the hour is not just tools for getting closer to the patient and gaining their confidence but also designing effective engagement strategies.
The pandemic was a silver lining for digital health–especially for the evolution of patient engagement. The year 2020, through 2021, and now even beyond were stellar years for the growth of patient engagement solutions like online scheduling, virtual waiting rooms, and telehealth solutions to promote social distancing during the pandemic.
With more patients starting their journey online, digital front doors for providers are becoming immensely critical. Even more, a key concern in healthcare today is access. Many patients do not receive the right care at the right time as they cannot find healthcare providers.
Stericycle Communication Solutions realized the need to increase activation and promote positive patient behavior while ensuring patients get an engaging and frictionless experience across the care continuum for a positive health outcome. Its solutions such as Intelligent Scheduling, Communication & Reminders, Referral Management, Reputation Management, Post-Discharge Services, and Health & Wellness Campaigns ensure connections between patients and healthcare providers.
However, what truly differentiates Stericycle from its competitors is its seamless combination of digital and live voice solutions. Stericycle Intelligent Scheduling allows patients to schedule appointments in their preferred channel of communication. For example, patients who still prefer to make appointments by phone can connect with a highly-trained, empathetic agent reducing scheduling errors and alleviating hospital staff – thereby increasing efficiency.
Another unique Stericycle value proposition is the seamless integration with existing HCPs’ IT systems. In the live voice scheduling solution, the agent is trained in the health system’s EHR and inputs the scheduling information directly into their system. For Stericycle’s digital solutions, the company incorporates proprietary technology such as Sync Bridge, allowing them to extract data from existing databases and transfer it wherever needed. This technology is a critical differentiator contributing to Stericycle Communications Solutions’ success in expanding its already diverse portfolio of clients.
Beyond its solutions, Stericycle’s strategic partnerships extend its patient engagement platform to provide best-in-class patient experiences. Its partnership with Yext helps make providers more discoverable in search while also providing the ability to schedule an appointment on search-ready landing pages. Additionally, their partnership with Symplr improves provider directory searches by matching patients to the most suitable medical practitioner according to their health concerns, insurance, and location– gaining increasing access and helping HCPs gain visibility.
Conclusion
Patient engagement goes beyond basic patient-provider interactions to solve real issues all stakeholders face. Stericycle Communication Solutions offers comprehensive solutions that solve patient access, action, and adherence while maintaining provider metrics such as quality of outcomes and operational efficiency. We are witnessing a magnificent swing in healthcare delivery and services where the center shifts from the hospital’s four walls into the palm of the patient, and Stericycle has proven to be a partner of choice for HCPs in this paradigm shift.
