What is the digital front door?

In healthcare, the digital front door refers to the collection of technologies that healthcare providers use to manage and improve the patient experience. Elements of a digital front door may vary from one organization to another, but they often include tools like online appointment scheduling, mobile check-in, flexible payment options and automated surveys, among others.

While the digital front door was a priority long before COVID-19, the pandemic solidified its importance. During that time, many healthcare organizations digitized the patient intake process, giving patients the option to check in from their mobile phone before arriving for their visit. They also transitioned in-person visits to telehealth, implemented online appointment scheduling and began offering digital payment options to give patients a contactless, convenient healthcare experience.

And now, these organizations are continuing to expand their efforts to engage patients throughout their healthcare journey. Read on to learn how a digital front door strategy can help your organization improve access, efficiency and revenue.

 How the digital front door improves patient access

Every healthcare organization strives to deliver proactive, patient-centered care, but many patients still face access barriers. Lack of transportation or childcare, inconvenient scheduling times and financial issues are just a few factors that can inhibit access, causing patients to avoid or postpone getting the care they need.

Fortunately, provider groups can improve patient access by building a robust digital front door that makes healthcare more accessible and inclusive.

Digital tools like online appointment scheduling allow patients to schedule a visit from their own device—anytime, anywhere. Patients who work long or atypical hours can self-schedule a visit when it’s most convenient for them, even outside of business hours. And if self-scheduling isn’t an option, healthcare organizations can offer online appointment requests that allow patients to specify their preferred appointment times and receive a follow-up message from staff when their appointment is confirmed.

How the digital front door improves staff efficiency

Traditional intake processes are time-consuming and labor-intensive, which makes it even harder for short-staffed teams to manage their daily workloads. By automating manual tasks, staff can spend less time on repetitive work and more time on complex, patient-facing responsibilities.

A digital check-in platform is one way to automate and digitize registration paperwork. By letting patients check in, sign consents and complete clinical screenings in advance, they spend less time in the waiting room filling out forms. And because most digital intake tools integrate with PM and EHR systems, front-office staff don’t have to manually enter handwritten information into patients’ records.

Tools like online self-scheduling and mobile check-in help lean teams to do more with less by reducing call volume and eliminating manual intake tasks. Other automated solutions, like eligibility and benefits verification, allow providers to capture insurance information directly from the patient. Patients can upload copies of their insurance card and photo ID using their mobile device or personal computers—or scan them into an in-office kiosk.

Automation can also boost patient engagement, which may lead to better outcomes. Tools like two-way text messaging are particularly good for engagement. The reason? Patients notice them. Only two in 10 Americans answer calls from unrecognized phone numbers, according to Pew Research, whereas text messages have an approximate 98% open rate.

Consider this: A healthcare system in northern California implemented online scheduling, digital intake and other digital front-door tools, according to MGMA. Within six months, the organization reduced its call volume by nearly 5%, and the amount of time its employees spent on the phone dropped by 5.2%.

How the digital front door helps increase revenue

For most healthcare organizations, maintaining financial health is a top priority—not only to keep the lights on, but also to ensure patients can access the services they need. But determining patients’ financial responsibility—and collecting it at the time of service—has never been easy.

Technology can help. By automating tasks like insurance verification, healthcare organizations can give patients greater visibility into what they owe. Pairing automation with flexible payment options—such as payment plans, online payments and mobile wallets—also helps provider groups improve their likelihood of getting paid in full.

Indeed, inflation and rising labor costs are making it far more difficult for healthcare organizations to control costs. But by digitizing your billing and collections processes, you can

increase revenue, enhance your reputation and improve your relationships with patients.

 The bottom line on the digital front door 

As healthcare moves away from manual processes in favor of more digital, tech-enabled channels, the digital front door has become more important than ever. Patients want to use technology to manage their care—and healthcare organizations that don’t align with patients’ evolving expectations will struggle to compete. By investing in automated tools for registration, scheduling, payments and more, healthcare organizations will gain a competitive advantage, boost productivity and revenue and deliver the modern, convenient experience their patients and staff expect.

Learn how Phreesia can support your organization’s digital front-door strategy.