Effective patient communication is at the heart of modern healthcare. With increasing demand for connected and efficient healthcare solutions, Expanse Patient Connect, Powered by Artera, has quickly become an essential tool for MEDITECH customers looking to bridge the gap between staff and patients. But how can you scale this tool effectively within your organization?
This post explores what Expanse Patient Connect is, how MEDITECH customers can strategically scale it across service lines and where you can learn more to maximize its benefits.
What is Expanse Patient Connect, Powered by Artera?
MEDITECH’s communication hub – Expanse Patient Connect, Powered by Artera – enables conversational SMS messaging between healthcare organizations and their patients. Expanse Patient Connect, the only fully integrated solution with MEDITECH’s MyHealth patient portal, is leveraged by customers to:
- Keep patients and their families connected to their care
- Improve provider efficiency
- Reduce staff workload
In addition to secure two-way messaging, some key features within Expanse Patient Connect include broadcast and campaign messaging, virtual waiting rooms, multilingual translations and reminders in over 100+ languages, pre-registration and portal reminders, instant booking automations, AI Virtual Agents and more.
By connecting your organization and patients seamlessly, Expanse Patient Connect not only builds patient loyalty but also improves internal workflows, reduces appointment no-shows and ultimately enhances your bottom line.
Why Should You Scale Expanse Patient Connect?
Effective patient engagement begins and ends with seamless communication, extending across every aspect of an organization and every stage of the patient journey. If you’ve already implemented Expanse Patient Connect for a specific use case, now is the time to maximize your investment. By fully leveraging the platform, you can enhance your return on investment while driving meaningful improvements in patient engagement and overall patient experience.
Scaling Expanse Patient Connect across an organization allows for a seamless and consistent communication strategy that improves patient experiences and operational efficiency. By expanding its use, organizations can unify messaging, reduce manual administrative tasks and ensure that every service line leverages the full potential of automated communication tools. This holistic adoption fosters better engagement at every stage of the patient journey, from appointment reminders to post-care follow-ups, ultimately driving satisfaction and loyalty while optimizing internal workflows.
Our team of experts and customer service teams stand ready to help MEDITECH customers scale and deploy Expanse Patient Connect. To this day, we have helped over 100 organizations go live with Expanse Patient Connect…and we have learned some lessons from a variety of customer deployments along the way.
How to Effectively Scale Expanse Patient Connect at Your Organization
Scaling a powerful solution like Expanse Patient Connect requires thoughtful planning and a phased approach. Here’s how MEDITECH customers can effectively scale it across their organization:
1. Start with a Single Service Line (Pilot)
Rather than overwhelming your team with a full-scale rollout, begin with a single service line to understand the platform’s functionalities better. This allows for identifying and addressing challenges before scaling further.
2. Customize Communication
One of the unique advantages of Expanse Patient Connect is its flexibility. Healthcare providers can tailor workflows and communication styles to meet the unique needs of each service line. Consider standardizing operational workflows while customizing patient-facing communication, such as:
- Imaging Services: Include referral status updates and pre-authorization details, ensuring patients are informed from the start.
- Endoscopy Services: Deliver detailed, specialty-specific preparatory instructions two days before the procedure.
Customizing content this way not only improves patient satisfaction but also ensures operational efficiency.
3. Prepare to Deploy Across New Service Lines
a. Build a Strong Training Program
Effective scaling requires buy-in from staff, and a robust training program plays a critical role. Develop a preceptor program within your clinics to empower team members with technical training. Many of our customers ensure each specialty has at least one lead scheduler trained on Expanse Patient Connect. These lead schedulers served as in-house experts, cascading knowledge to their teams.
Consistent check-ins with staff are equally important. Encourage input and feedback to constantly refine and optimize platform use.
b. Standardize While Allowing for Adaptability
A balanced approach to standardization ensures that processes are consistent while leaving room to address the unique needs of various departments. For example:
- Standardize IT workflows for platform integration across all service lines.
- Customize messaging frequency based on the specific requirements of a department or specialty.
This approach avoids one-size-fits-all solutions and allows departments to operate efficiently while still catering to their unique challenges.
4. Deploy Across New Service Lines
You are now well-positioned to deploy Expanse Patient Connect across new service lines. With proven success in the pilot and current operations, the foundation has been set to scale and adapt to other areas, bringing the same level of innovation and efficiency.
5. Expand to Additional Use Cases Gradually
Once you’ve successfully implemented the system for various service lines, consider expanding to additional use cases:
- Enhance referral communication for external facilities.
- Leverage patient surveys for marketing insights to understand patient preferences.
- Provide real-time facility maps for larger campuses to improve navigation.
- Conduct targeted population health & preventative care outreach to close gaps in care
- Follow up with patients who have outstanding balances to recoup revenue
This gradual expansion ensures sustainable growth while maintaining system performance and employee confidence.
6. Use Feedback to Continuously Improve
The success of Expanse Patient Connect relies on iterative improvements. Regularly collect feedback from staff and patients to identify areas for optimization, whether it’s improving user-friendliness, enhancing communication templates, or introducing new functionalities.
MEDITECH customers have found immense value in soliciting feedback through regular check-ins with staff. This ensures the system evolves to meet the needs of both users and patients effectively.
Unlock the Full Potential of Expanse Patient Connect
Scaling Expanse Patient Connect is a process that requires strategy, training and customization. By adopting a phased approach, you can successfully integrate this platform across your organization, ensuring both patient and staff satisfaction.
Scaling patient communication tools like Expanse Patient Connect is more than just an operational improvement; it’s an investment in better healthcare experiences for everyone.
To get started and take your patient communication strategy to the next level, visit MEDITECH’s Expanse Patient Connect. You’ll find resources, examples and guidance to help make your rollout smooth and impactful.
