SSM Health: Transforming Online Scheduling for Improved Patient Experience
SSM Health, a prominent health system based in St. Louis, Missouri, is dedicated to continuous improvement in healthcare delivery. With 23 hospitals and over 650 physician offices across Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, SSM Health is committed to providing quality care to its communities.
The Challenge
Recognizing the importance of enhancing online scheduling for patients, SSM Health embarked on a journey to improve the digital patient experience. Geoff Wester, director of digital patient engagement strategy at SSM Health, emphasized the need for an enterprise-level online scheduling strategy to meet evolving consumer expectations. With the majority of website traffic coming from mobile users, the health system aimed to streamline the scheduling process and make it more user-friendly.
Proposal
To address these challenges, SSM Health partnered with DexCare to implement a digital patient engagement strategy. The primary goal was to leverage e-commerce best practices in healthcare and make scheduling care a quick and easy process for patients. By creating clear call-to-action buttons for primary care, pediatrics, OB-GYN, urgent care, and express virtual care services, SSM Health aimed to provide patients with easy access to the care they need.
Meeting the Challenge
By integrating technology that offers real-time availability, a full range of care options, and relevant providers, SSM Health succeeded in creating a seamless and intuitive online scheduling experience. The platform is connected to SSM Health’s provider and location data management system, as well as the Epic EHR, ensuring accurate availability for locations and providers.
Results
The implementation of the new technology resulted in a 19% increase in new patient acquisition via the website. Additionally, SSM Health saw improvements in mobile and desktop click-through rates, quadrupled online booking completion rates, and increased engagement with alternative care options. These achievements have led to a significant boost in organic traffic from Google and a higher conversion rate from consideration to scheduling.
Advice for Others
Geoff Wester highlights the importance of adapting to evolving patient expectations for speed, convenience, and choice in healthcare. Collaboration among various stakeholders, including operations, marketing, analytics, and technical teams, is crucial for the success of digital patient engagement strategies. By aligning strategy and goals across departments, healthcare organizations can enhance the patient experience and drive better outcomes.
In conclusion, SSM Health’s innovative approach to online scheduling has not only improved patient access to care but also increased patient engagement and satisfaction. By prioritizing the patient experience and leveraging technology to streamline the scheduling process, SSM Health is setting a new standard for digital patient engagement in healthcare.
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Email him: bsiwicki@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.
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