Enhancing Patient Engagement in Healthcare: Best Practices for Communication During Flu Season

Healthcare providers see more patients with breathing problems each year during flu season, from October to March. The last bad flu season in the United States caused over 700,000 people to be hospitalized and more than 62,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since COVID-19 is still affecting people, handling both illnesses at once needs careful planning and better ways to talk with patients.

Good patient engagement can help reduce the load on hospitals by making sure patients follow their care plans, show up for appointments, and get flu shots. It means patients understand their health, follow doctors’ instructions, and keep in touch with their care teams.

Best Practices for Patient Communication in Medical Practices

1. Automate Patient Engagement Processes

Automation helps make communication easier during flu season. Using automatic reminders by text, email, or phone lowers the number of missed appointments. For example, a study in the American Journal of Medicine found missed appointments dropped from 23.1% to 17.3% when patients got automated reminders. This helps staff work more smoothly and patients get care on time.

Medical practices should use systems that automate tasks like scheduling, registering patients, and follow-ups. Automation lets staff focus more on patient care and reduces mistakes and extra work. CERTIFY Health’s system for digital check-in cut patient waiting time by up to 20%, showing automation can help both patients and offices.

2. Segment Communications for Personalized Messaging

Dividing patient groups by age, health problems, or language makes messages more useful. For example, sending special flu vaccine and COVID-19 messages to older adults or those with long-term illnesses works better when they are customized.

Personal messages help patients understand their health risks and choices better. This can be done with platforms that send messages through texts, emails, or calls based on what patients like. Personalized messages make patients pay more attention and avoid confusion or too much information.

3. Pre-Visit Engagement Activities

Before visits, patients can fill out forms online, check insurance, and learn what will happen during their visit. Doing this ahead shortens waiting times and keeps waiting rooms less crowded. This is very important during times when diseases spread easily.

Electronic questionnaires let doctors see symptoms or social issues affecting health before patients come in. This helps plan resources and give care faster. It also lowers infection risk by reducing close contact.

4. Use Multiple Communication Channels

Doctors should use many ways to communicate based on what patients prefer. Some like texts, others phone calls or emails. Using many methods, like CERTIFY Health’s platform, helps get better responses by reaching patients on their favorite channels.

Sending reminders, education, vaccine info, and follow-up instructions through different channels increases the chance patients will see and answer messages. This is important in the U.S., where people have different skills with technology and access to devices.

5. Post-Visit Follow-Up and Continuous Care

Talking to patients after visits is important to remind them of care steps, answer questions, and encourage following treatments. Automated check-ins after appointments can lower hospital readmissions by 41%, according to a study in JAMA Network Open.

Keeping in touch after visits helps find problems early, make sure medicines are taken, and remind patients of vaccines like the flu shot. This turns care from only reacting to problems into ongoing health management, leading to better results.

The Role of Technology in Patient Engagement During Flu Season

Technology helps healthcare providers handle busy flu seasons. Tools like patient portals, telehealth, secure texting, and digital forms help patients and care teams connect better. Each tool has an important job:

• Patient Portals: Allow patients to see medical records, lab results, and talk to providers without calling, which eases office work.
• Telehealth: Lets patients have virtual visits to avoid travel and lower exposure to illnesses. Many people, especially in rural areas, use telehealth since it only needs a smartphone or internet.
• Secure Texting and Messaging: HIPAA-compliant platforms send fast, safe messages about appointments, vaccines, and answers to patient questions without needing special apps.
• Educational Waiting and Exam Room Screens: Show patients videos and info to help them understand health issues and care plans during visits.

Medical offices get better results when they add these technologies to everyday work during flu season to keep care steady even when busy.

AI and Workflow Automations: Enhancing Efficiency and Quality of Care

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation change how healthcare handles patient engagement during flu seasons. Systems like Simbo AI automate phone services and patient communication to handle many calls better, lowering staff stress and helping patients get care faster.

How AI Improves Patient Engagement:

• Front-Office Phone Automation: AI answers common questions, books appointments, and gives info all day, easing the load on staff.
• Automated Patient Scheduling: AI manages calendars to avoid overbooking and lets patients book online, cutting down phone calls.
• Chatbots for Patient Interaction: Chatbots give personal help, ask screening questions, and answer vaccine questions any time.
• Data-Driven Patient Outreach: AI checks patient data to send messages about flu shots and COVID-19 that match patient needs, making outreach more effective.
• Efficient Digital Registration and Payments: AI supports contactless check-in and payments, lowering touchpoints and speeding processes.

Victoria Dames from Experian Health says automated workflows help offices work faster and give patients better experiences during busy flu seasons. These workflows also keep patient info safe and meet legal rules.

Challenges and Considerations in Patient Engagement Strategy

Even with technology’s help, healthcare workers face problems in patient engagement:

• Digital Literacy and Access Gaps: Some patients don’t have the tools or skills to use technology well. Providers should still offer phone calls and help patients use digital tools.
• Socioeconomic and Demographic Factors: Lower-income and rural communities may lack internet or transportation. Adjusting outreach to fit local needs prevents making health gaps worse.
• Provider Workload and Burnout: Automation helps some, but staff shortages and stress still cause problems. Technology should support—not replace—human care and kindness.

Case Examples and Practical Insights

Across the U.S., health organizations have used digital tools and automation successfully during flu season:

• Hospice of CNY & Finger Lakes used virtual visits to keep patients safe while still providing care during the pandemic.
• Meadows Regional Medical Center quickly adopted virtual visits in 15 practices, proving that even providers new to technology can use digital communication with support.
• GW Healthcare’s Rural Clinics used digital tools to give more access despite distance, helping virtual care during times when flu and COVID-19 overlapped.
• Internal Medicine Associates, P.C. made telehealth easy for patients by sending simple texts to join visits, avoiding app downloads or logins.

These examples show how AI and digital tools help both city and rural medical offices scale their care.

Measuring Success in Patient Engagement

Watching key numbers helps make patient communication better over time. Important measures include:

• No-Show Rates: Automated reminders and easy scheduling should lower missed visits, making better use of resources.
• Patient Satisfaction Scores: Surveys after appointments check how clear communication was and how patients felt about their visit.
• Response Rates to Outreach: Tracking how many patients open and answer messages shows if engagement is working.
• Administrative Efficiency: Less manual data work and fewer calls show improvements that can save money.

Data from CERTIFY Health says staff can save 30 minutes an hour by using automation. This gives clinical teams more time to care for patients.

By using these communication methods and AI automations, healthcare providers in the U.S. can better manage patient engagement during flu season. Using technology and personal messages improves patient experiences and helps healthcare work well during times with both flu and COVID-19.