Commonly Asked Questions with Dr. Austin, Chief Innovation Officer at Digital Conversation

Question: I’m so overwhelmed with CMRs. I’m spending a ton of time on the phone getting voicemails, no answers, or my patient doesn’t have time when I do reach them. How can I reach the patients that need a CMR more efficiently?

Dr. Austin: The two easiest and most effective ways to deal with this issue are the following:

1.    Send your patients a personalized text asking when they are available for a 30-minute call to review their medications. Craft the message clearly and concisely so they understand the importance of these encounters. Then you can simple manually add them to your schedule via DC Scheduler.
2.    Send your patients an automated, self-scheduling link via DC Scheduler to a calendar. The patient selects a time on the calendar, and the appointment is then available on your dashboard. When the patient can self-schedule, it helps manage their time and your time.

I cannot stress the importance of this feature enough for optimizing workflow for CMRs – let’s face it, no one likes making awkward, cold calls. DC Scheduler gives you a way to organize your day between all the fills and other counseling and minimizes abrasion.

Bonus: When you craft the medication action plan for your patient, send it through secure messaging using SecureHub. That way the patient gets it quickly and can retrieve or print it from their phone. This has been very helpful for my patients and their caregivers as well.

Question: Okay, I get the idea about using texting to more efficiently getting CMRs done, what about TIPS? Is there a play for texting for those?

Dr. Austin: Yes, there are multiple ways that Digital Conversation can help with TIPs. Take an Adherence TIP for example:

1.    Identify the patient and medication.
2.    Craft a customizable text or secure message to patient to inquire about adherence and refills.
3.    Once the patient responds, send another to provide education to enhance adherence or solution any barriers to adherence.
4.    Refill the prescription.
5.    Bill the claim.

Boom! Easy and quick and respond at your convenience! And the patient has something to reference in the future if they are wondering about the benefits of the medications they are taking.

Bottom line, in today’s environment, voice calls are incredibly inefficient and many times, awkward. With a digital approach, messages can be sent individually or in bulk, freeing you up to continue to task on other jobs.

The statistics behind texting tells the story – 81% of all patients text regularly, 78% of patients wish they could text with their provider. Over half of customers would rather text a customer support agent instead of using other available options. Response rates from text are 209% higher than those from phone calls.

See why so many healthcare facilities are turning to Digital Conversation for their communication needs.