Vendor Sprawl: The Hidden Barrier to Effective Patient Engagement

Patient engagement is a critical priority for modern healthcare organizations. Yet, the path is often obstructed by the unintended consequences of vendor sprawl. A profusion of disparate technology solutions creates a fragmented patient experience, hinders operational efficiency, and can even put patient data at risk. To combat this challenge, healthcare organizations need a unified patient engagement strategy. This strategic approach will help providers streamline their technology stack, create seamless patient journeys, and improve overall outcomes.

As a HIT consultant, do these scenarios sound painfully familiar?

Scenario 1: The Intake Paperwork Nightmare

A new patient arrives for their first appointment and is handed a stack of paper forms to complete. They must provide the same information they already submitted through the online portal, leading to frustration. Meanwhile, a skilled front-desk staff member must spend time manually re-entering all that data into the EHR.

Scenario 2: The Staff Time Sink

After each patient visit, a nurse must manually enter appointment notes and follow-up instructions into three separate platforms: the EHR system, a patient education portal, and a referral management tool. This duplication eats up valuable time that could be spent on patient care.

Scenario 3: Metrics in the Mist

The hospital wants to assess its success with an outreach campaign to improve chronic condition management. Data on email opens, text message engagement, and phone call completion is spread across multiple systems like your CRM, your EHR, and your marketing tools with no easy way to aggregate it. This makes it nearly impossible to get a clear picture of the campaign’s effectiveness.

These frustratingly common situations are a direct consequence of vendor sprawl. While many patient engagement initiatives focus on simply having the right tools in place, 2024 demands a more strategic approach. Organizations must maximize return on investment, streamline their technology stacks, and optimize the customer lifetime value of their patients.

Here are 5 key takeaways for addressing the hurdles of vendor sprawl and unlocking the full potential of patient engagement:

1. Vendor sprawl is a real threat. Healthcare organizations often find themselves using an assortment of patient engagement solutions – appointment reminders, patient portals, virtual care platforms, and more. While each may solve a specific need, the result is a disjointed experience for the patient. Further, this sprawl hinders operational efficiency as staff must navigate multiple systems and juggle data that isn’t seamlessly shared.
2. Maximize customer lifetime value (CLV). A streamlined patient engagement strategy helps facilitate the right care at the right time. This drives patient loyalty, reduces acquisition costs, and improves long-term health outcomes. By understanding and optimizing CLV, healthcare organizations can focus on building lasting patient relationships.
3. Prioritize integration. Any new patient engagement tool must integrate deeply with your existing EHR and other clinical systems. This allows for automatic bi-directional data flow, eliminating manual tasks for staff and ensuring patient information is always up-to-date and consistent. A smoothly integrated system is key to efficiency and a positive patient and provider experience.
4. Seek out flexible platforms. Healthcare needs evolve rapidly. Look for adaptable solutions that can grow with your organization. A platform-based approach provides more flexibility than single-purpose tools. Ideally, you want partners that offer a range of potential modules and can customize features to your specific requirements.
5. Emphasize data security. Patient trust is paramount. Any engagement technology must exceed industry standards for protecting patient health information. Thoroughly vet vendors for their security protocols, including encryption, access controls, and their track record with data safety. This aspect must be non-negotiable.

HIT consultants are pivotal in helping healthcare organizations navigate the complexities of vendor sprawl. By understanding the pitfalls and embracing a strategic outlook, you can guide your clients toward a patient engagement approach that drives positive outcomes.

About Aditya Bansod

Aditya Bansod is the chief technology officer of Luma Health, a company that helps healthcare providers deliver a more coordinated patient experience. Aditya has over 10 years of experience in healthcare IT. Connect with Aditya on LinkedIn.