Providers retool their communication skills
By Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
Updated Fri February 21, 2020
YARMOUTH, Maine - A majority of HME providers (70%) plan to shake up their patient engagement efforts in 2020 to incorporate new technology, according to the most recent HME Newspoll.
Those providers say they will try and shift their efforts away from more tried-and-true methods like live calls as a way to follow up with their patients to ensure compliance or automate order refills.
“(We'll still do) live calls periodically, but (we're) evolving to email correspondence for most patients,” wrote one poll respondent.
Echoes another provider: “We're adding a platform to support testing email communication with our patients.”
Thirteen percent of respondents say they plan to embrace mobile apps like Brightree's PatientHub and McKesson's VerbalCare, with other respondents are looking at social media to help them stay in front of patients.
“Social media, emails (and we) want to look at a texting app,” writes one poll respondent.
Other respondents say they are taking advantage of outside help.
“For generalized communication, we now have a dedicated social media person who will coordinate with VGM's social media program,” says one respondent.
Right now, most providers (67%) are focusing their patient engagement efforts on live calls, with some not planning to change.
“Our individual communications are always live phone calls and will be for the foreseeable future,” wrote one respondent. “Having a real and caring person for our customers to talk to sets us apart from many national platforms.”
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