The patient portal concept as we know it has evolved into something much greater. Mobile-first digital front doors are undoubtedly a step in the right direction, but we can do more.
Think beyond the portal. We need to shift the paradigm from how digital front doors deliver discrete capabilities to how they enable end-to-end clinical, financial, and holistic wellness journeys.
As we all know, patient care needs are not linear. We need a more dynamic way of stitching together relevant engagement solutions and forming a true journey. Closed-loop patient experiences that are intuitive and take the friction out of common patient journeys can unlock tremendous consumer value.
Over the next couple of years, the demands practices face will only increase—staff shortages, financial struggles, technology burnout, administrative burdens, and lower patient trust. A patient experience that functions like this closed loop; tying pre-visit, visit, post-visit, and beyond together benefits patients; but also, benefits practices by addressing these pain points. Patients will enjoy reduced time to appointments, simplified intake, price transparency, the ability to finance care, and clear payment statements.
But: design thinking matters. Patient experience technology can foster access and improve equity, but if it is not user-friendly and all-encompassing, how much good does it do? As these journeys become more complex for patients, particularly those with chronic care management needs, the ability to incorporate new technologies and orchestrate multi-channel handoffs will determine which practices achieve sustainability and growth, and which struggle.
Demonstrating this closed-loop patient experience, NextGen Healthcare solutions powered by Luma result in increased patient retention, digital intake, and referral management. For example, a large allergy practice’s abandoned call rate dropped over 50%, a mid-size ophthalmology practice saw 60% of referrals converted into appointments, and a multi-specialty practice achieved a 93% digital intake completion rate [View Infographic]. These truly seamless journeys boost patient lifetime value (PLV) for the practice and support better outcomes.
Soon, it will no longer be good enough for practices to open the digital front door for their patients and leave them to wander. The evolution of digital front doors to support end-to-end patient journeys is here—from access, to intake, to the visit, to care coordination and ongoing health management. Connecting each and every one of those dots with the patient at the center is an achievable goal.
I encourage you to examine the current patient experience technology at your practice and think critically: is your digital front door enough?
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