Artera Heartbeat, our annual customer conference, has once again brought together healthcare professionals, thought leaders and innovators from across the country to explore the future of patient communication – only this year, we took it down south to Austin, Texas!
With nearly 300 healthcare leaders and 100+ health systems represented, this year’s event was another huge success, and focused largely on enhancing the patient experience and breaking down barriers in healthcare.
The gathering was filled with valuable insights, groundbreaking ideas and innovative solutions that all professionals could take home with them. Explore the top five takeaways from Artera Heartbeat’24 below to gain a deeper understanding of the key themes presented at the event.
Artera Heartbeat’24: More than Just a Customer Conference
Artera Heartbeat’24 is more than just a customer conference; it’s a connection point for our 800+ customers, designed to deliver an immersive experience for strategic leaders and power-users from health systems, FQHCs, specialty practices, physician practices and clinics.
At the event, attendees enjoyed a rich variety of experiences designed to foster meaningful connections and drive actionable patient communications insights. Based on feedback from Heartbeat’23, this year’s event delivered new and exciting experiences, including:
Educational Workshops & Affinity Discussions: Health system leaders had the opportunity to network, connect and learn from other like-minded organizations through five tailored affinity sessions, hosted by Artera customers. These included hands-on product trainings and tips from Artera power-users and product leaders on various patient experience topics such as referrals, intake, payments, scheduling and more.
Marketplace Lounge: An educational experience that showcased a carefully curated selection of third-party HIT vendors from the Artera Marketplace (Health iPass, RevSpring, Flywire, Hyro, Tonic and Blockit) to highlight how collaborative innovation across the digital health ecosystem can create more connected and enriching patient experiences.
Inspiring Keynotes: Featuring the Ninth Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin, and an inspirational session from four-time Olympian, medalist and cancer survivor Chaunté Lowe.
As always, the event included some fun as well, kicking off in true Texas fashion at Austin Garden & Studio with a live country band, delicious offerings from some of Austin’s best food trucks and plenty of networking!
The Top 5 Themes from Artera Heartbeat’24
This year’s conference shed light on several critical aspects within the patient experience and healthcare industry at large, offering valuable insights and takeaways for professionals. Here are the top five themes covered:
1. All healthcare organizations face similar challenges.
No matter the type of organization you work for—be it an FQHC, a large health system, an academic medical center, or a small clinic—we consistently heard of similar challenges you’re facing, including:
Staff Burnout: Most organizations are looking to improve staff efficiency, reduce as many manual tasks as possible and streamline workflows to improve both the staff and patient experience. At the event, organizations discussed various ways to automate redundant tasks and improve the staff experience.
Over-Messaging Patients: Over-messaging is another challenge that can lead to patient disengagement. Heartbeat sessions emphasized the importance of strategic communication—sending relevant, timely and concise messages that add value to the patient.
Lack of Standardization and Scalability: A lack of standardization and scalability can hinder the efficiency and effectiveness of operations. Many organizations highlighted the need for standardized processes and implementing technology to scale operations, ensuring consistency in terms of care delivery and communication.
What does this mean? Obstacles are inevitable, but ultimately, we’re all on the same team and have similar goals that we can work toward together.
2. The patient journey is not linear.
Patients have unique experiences and needs that require customized pathways. Healthcare providers must invest time and effort in understanding these journeys and designing tailored care plans that address individual patient requirements.
Customized Pathways: Customized pathways involve a holistic approach to patient care, considering factors such as medical history, personal preferences, and social determinants of health. By creating more personalized, tailored communication that touches every part of the patient journey, providers can enhance patient engagement, improve adherence to treatment, and achieve better health outcomes.
Practical Applications: To create and implement customized pathways, healthcare organizations can use data and analytics to gain insights into patient behavior and preferences. By identifying how specific populations respond to certain communication, providers can make adjustments to align better to the patient’s unique needs and improve overall engagement.
3. Effective patient communication is simple and consistent.
Simplicity is key: Simplifying patient messages is crucial for effective communication. The conference underscored the importance of clear, concise and straightforward messaging that resonates with patients. Avoiding jargon and using plain language can make information more accessible and understandable.
Consistency and Branding: Consistency in messaging and branding helps build trust and familiarity with patients. By maintaining a consistent tone and style across all communications, healthcare providers can reinforce their brand identity and create a cohesive patient experience. This consistency also extends to visual elements, such as logos and color schemes, which contribute to brand recognition. Many of our customers are now looking forward to our new product, Artera Branded Messaging, which helps deliver a more personalized experience to patients.
4. AI can be a valuable ally if we choose to embrace it.
It’s no surprise that Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform healthcare, offering new ways to tackle challenges and improve patient care. Several Artera leaders, such as CEO and Co-Founder Guillaume de Zwirek, and Ashu Agte, Chief Technology Officer, discussed the significant potential of AI in patient communications, unveiling an in-depth look into the company’s ambitious AI strategy and new products available.
Over the past few years, investments in AI in health care have been soaring; while we can’t necessarily predict the future, we do know that AI has the ability to help healthcare providers optimize operations, reduce administrative burdens, enhance the patient experience and reduce spend. In order keep up with the technology, we must embrace it moving forward.
5. The collective goal is bigger — let’s work together.
As noted above, all providers face similar challenges, despite how different they can be in terms of size or the patients they serve. Ultimately, we share a common path, have the same goals and each make up a part of the greater U.S. healthcare system. To that end: we’re on the same team.
Keynote speaker Chaunté Lowe left us with a positive message to ponder about this concept: “We are so much stronger together. When we work together, we can get to where we’re going way faster.”
Define what success means to you: Success can hold different meanings to different people. Take the time to define what success means to you – or your organization. Set goals that align with you, but also take you outside of your comfort zone. Work together with others within your organization to define your goals, analyze failures and revise and try again.
Commit to Excellence: Continuous learning and improvement are essential for achieving excellence in one’s career or in the healthcare industry at large. Providers must stay updated with the latest trends, best practices and technological advancements. Engaging in professional development, attending conferences and participating in training programs can help healthcare professionals stay at the forefront of their field.
That’s a Wrap on Artera Heartbeat’24…Stay tuned for Heartbeat’25 Updates!
The Artera Heartbeat’24 conference provided invaluable insights into the future of patient communications. By addressing common challenges, understanding the non-linear patient journey, enhancing patient engagement through effective messaging, fostering collaboration and continuous learning, and embracing AI, healthcare professionals can drive innovation and improve patient care.
Through this, we can continue to transform healthcare together. What did you learn at Artera Heartbeat’24? Let us know!
