Building the Digital Healthcare Consumer Experience to Meet Patients Where They Are
increase in provider searches
of chatbot conversions led to an action
of CTA completions are patient-portal-related, including Schedule Appointment and Account Login
Frederick Health provides comprehensive healthcare services to residents of Frederick County, MD. The system includes Frederick Health Hospital (founded in 1902), Frederick Health Medical Group, Frederick Health Employer Solutions, Frederick Health Home Care, and Frederick Health Hospice. The system has a 269-bed hospital, several ambulatory care locations, a freestanding cancer institute, and two urgent care locations. Frederick Health Medical Group is a multi-specialty practice with more than 100 providers, 17 specialties, and multiple locations across the county. With over 3,000 employees, Frederick Health provides a full spectrum of healthcare and wellness services to support its mission to positively impact the well-being of every individual in our community.
In realizing the value of a seamless digital experience for their patients, Frederick Health wanted the right digital technology to meet users where they are: online. First, the team focused on provider data management, a cornerstone of their digital front door strategy. Understanding the importance of clean, organized, and aggregated provider data meant they could next make their provider search capabilities more accessible and accurate for patients. Finally, the team layered in Loyal’s chatbot, offering consumers an engaging way to get accurate and timely answers while using the health system’s website.
The Frederick Health team’s existing website initially lacked robust provider search capabilities and was limited to only a static listing of credentialed providers with minimal filtering options. This legacy technology made it difficult for the Frederick team to update provider data, limiting the health system’s ability to offer a dynamic care search experience to patients, which would aid in improving their overall healthcare journey. In fact, one study found that 55% of respondents said if providers did not meet their communication channel preferences, they’d consider moving to a different health system.
Provider data that needed to be cleaned, organized, and aggregated effectively
Provider search with limited filtering options, which was difficult to update and maintain
Limited digital communication options for user questions on their website
In an effort to meet the rapidly evolving needs of their consumers, Frederick Health sought a more dynamic approach to sharing content and information with users. To achieve their goal, they required a flexible solution that could be easily and quickly adjusted to meet their objectives.
While Frederick Health evaluated several vendors that offered data management and provider search capabilities, their team ultimately selected Loyal. Loyal’s solution proved to be more comprehensive, offering its users communication tools across their entire healthcare journey. So, in an effort to continue building on data management, provider search, and chatbot capabilities, Loyal was the ideal choice. For the Frederick team, working with Loyal meant an expansion of their digital consumer healthcare platform, offering more opportunities to serve consumers’ needs and effectively capture the end-to-end patient journey.
Provider Data Management
Provider Search Capabilities
Chatbot and Chatbot Support
After implementing Loyal’s solution in March 2020, Frederick Health experienced significant improvements with respect to patient access and engagement.
Average provider searches grew 83%, and Frederick Health patients completed a call to action (CTA) 47% of the time when presented by the Loyal chatbot.
Additionally, patient-portal-related topics, including account login and schedule appointment, make up over 30% of those actions, thanks to the guidance of Loyal’s chatbot.
increase in provider searches
total searches led to
CTA completions, including Request Appointment clicks, Provider Phone click-to-call, Location click-to-call.
Frederick Health is now able to offer a more dynamic, enriching experience to patients, providing visibility and guidance spanning the entire patient journey. Through Loyal’s deeply integrated product suite, Frederick Health has established a robust foundation which allows for a more strategic approach to clinical content management. The ultimate success of the health system’s website is now attributed to how the data is utilized and nurtured both into and throughout the customer journey.
Through more accessible and meaningful content in the chatbot, the team was able to elevate timely messages to consumers, and as a result, guide them to specific information on pertinent subjects like breast cancer awareness. Frederick Health plans to continue adding dialog sequences in the chatbot specific to even more timely, relevant healthcare topics, including a focus on screenings and prevention.
The Frederick Health team recognizes that patient engagement and acquisition is a journey. These initial steps of implementing search capabilities along with Loyal’s chatbot, while also establishing data management procedures, are already making a difference for their patients.
The chatbot handled over 15,000 messages from patients and consumers over a 12-month period, and in 47% of cases, encounters with the chatbot led to further action by users. Patients are seeking information about appointment scheduling, patient portal account login, and how to contact various departments within the health system.
patient messages
of chatbot conversations led to an action (CTA Completion)
CTA completions are patient-portal-related, including Schedule Appointment and Account Login
From here, Frederick Health will continue monitoring and leveraging their data to better understand how to continue serving their patients’ needs effectively. The health system’s continued focus on digital expansion meets consumers and patients where they are and where they want to communicate, as a recent survey found 60% of patients feel virtual care and digital tools are more convenient than in-person care.
Next steps include implementing a scheduling component, providing patients with more access than ever to selfservice solutions. Over time, the Frederick Health team expects to see patient acquisition and engagement continue to grow through the chatbot, scheduling, and overall care guidance.
Loyal is the leading end-to-end digital healthcare platform that unifies care touchpoints for patients and providers alike.