Written by The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in massive financial losses for hospitals and health systems. According to a new report from the American Hospital Association (AHA), more than a third of hospitals are operating on negative margins. With rising inflation, the labor and supply costs have skyrocketed and demand for healthcare services is facing a decline in the near future. Innovative hospitals and health systems are looking at this scenario as an opportunity to invest in new technologies that enhance patient satisfaction and loyalty to differentiate from their competitors.
Digital patient navigation solution improves loyalty by empowering patients with information, support, and care at every step of their health journey. The main ingredient in patient engagement is personalization. By personalizing the experience to their needs at any point in time in their care journey, across the continuum – providers and health systems can improve patient satisfaction, and outcomes and reduce unnecessary costs.
With Sprite Health’s digital patient navigation solution, health systems and providers are able to provide a branded, consistent and unified experience to their patients directly on their mobile devices. By ensuring a consistent experience across all facilities and providers across the entire continuum, organizations can ensure that patients feel like they’re truly a part of that health system, no matter the location. It enables them to stay connected with the patients outside the four walls – at their homes. Digital engagement also improves health equity by reducing barriers to access.
The patient navigation system creates a personalized portal for each patient that provides timely, contextually-relevant information based on their specific needs. It matches patients to the care they need with an accurate listing of specialists and community partners, and provides tools for scheduling and closing the loop between referring and receiving providers. The solution is embedded with digitally-enabled care pathways that map to patient journeys – for example pre/post surgical procedures or chronic illness across both inpatient and ambulatory settings.
For providers and health systems that are engaging in value-based contracts and assuming financial risk, digital patient navigation provides for longitudinal engagement and activation that brings patients back into the system for new episodes and build long-term relationships.