CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nationwide averages suggest patients fail to show up or “late cancel” nearly 20 percent of all appointments and, of those, 50 percent are not re-booked. The impact on general wellness when patients miss necessary screenings and treatments is well documented and the approximately $150 billion financial impact to providers in lost visit volume is staggering.
Upfront’s industry-leading patient engagement and communication platform demonstrably increases visit adherence in patient populations of all ages and demographics. Upfront clients report engagement as high as 67% and, among engaged patients, conversion rates upwards of 85%, both substantially well above industry averages. Using health communications and behavior change principles, Upfront’s Visit Adherence educates patients on the importance of their visit and nudges patients to re-schedule rather than cancel visits critical to their health. There is no portal to log into or app to download. Instead, Upfront proactively communicates with patients across text, email and digital voice, directing patients to a personalized landing page designed to enable the completion of key health actions.
DuPage Medical Group (DMG), an independent medical group in Illinois with more than 750 primary care and specialty physicians, is leveraging Upfront to provide patients with a simplified, direct appointment scheduling and re-booking experience. DMG patients needing to reschedule can do so directly through the appointment reminder they receive. Upfront’s real-time integration with MyChart, enabled through Epic’s App Orchard, ensures that patients can view a calendar of available appointments and efficiently rebook themselves, all through their own personalized landing page.
“Upfront’s platform guides our patients to necessary care, consistently delivers personalized information designed to encourage action, and drives efficiency for our care teams,” said Joel Nelson, senior vice president of clinical innovation and patient experience for DMG. “Rescheduling an appointment with one, self-driven interaction reduces frustration for patients and saves time for our team.”
Visit adherence implementation is another in a long line of Upfront programs deployed at DMG. DMG leverages the Upfront platform to ensure patients complete necessary care from Annual Wellness to COVID vaccines while creating a differentiated patient experience for every patient from the underinsured to Medicare Advantage.
“Making healthcare easier for patients positively impacts visit adherence, patient loyalty and overall wellness,” said Ben Albert, Upfront’s CEO and co-founder. “We are grateful to support DMG and all our clients in this important effort to ensure every patient receives the care they need through proactive and personalized communication and frictionless self-serve scheduling.”
About Upfront
Upfront’s Care Traffic Control platform proactively reassures and directs patients to the safest and most relevant care options within the health system. Using advanced analytics, personalized content and strategic calls-to-action, Upfront aligns patient care needs with health system resources through a 1:1 digital experience based on deep healthcare operations and patient engagement experience. With Upfront, more patients will book and complete necessary care, use the most appropriate site of care, enroll in care coordination services, successfully navigate a care journey or transition, and understand how to stay safe in unusual conditions. To learn more, visit UpfrontHealthcare.com.