Want to boost patient retention? Start thinking ahead with predictive analytics

Most physicians, when asked about their motivations for getting into medicine, will cite a desire to help people. While I can't back it up with an AMA survey, I suspect far fewer would say they chose medicine to focus on patient retention.

That's not to say the choice is binary. Patient retention is a consideration for nearly every member of a provider organization, from top docs to front-desk administrators. And it's not just a matter of keeping the lights on or lining shareholders' pockets, either; patients who are engaged and committed to the continuity of their care are more likely to experience improved outcomes.

Keeping patients in-network is largely a matter of delivering the best experience possible-but that goes beyond good bedside manner and effective treatments. To really give patients what they want, providers need to predict and prepare rather than merely react. That's where predictive analytics comes in.

Powered by regression models and machine learning techniques, predictive analytics tools like Market Forecast from Definitive Healthcare deliver projected insights based on historical healthcare data. With these insights, provider users can take the following steps to boost patient retention.

Detect early signs of dissatisfaction

Patients who are likely to cease using healthcare services can often be identified in advance if you know what to look for. Predictive models can analyze patient demographics, medical history, appointment frequency, and outreach engagement data to flag those who may be flight risks.

Some of the warning signs can be spotted manually by an attentive receptionist or doctor-missed appointments, failure to book follow-ups, etc.-but a predictive analytics platform fed by reliable data makes the process easier to implement, especially at scale.

Patient reviews, surveys, and social media interactions can also be fed into certain predictive models, providing a more holistic perspective on patients' satisfaction levels.

The admin at a small-town practice may have the time and wherewithal to keep their ear to the ground for unhappy patients, but larger physician groups, hospitals, and networks will better served using AI, data, and automation to spot those looking for other options.

Create targeted outreach programs

Predictive analytics can also help providers craft more targeted marketing strategies to reach the right patients at the right time. Using historical marketing campaign data, these models can predict which communication methods and messaging will resonate with different patient segments.

Informed by diagnosis and procedure claims data and demographic data, and cross-referenced with individuals' medical history, predictive models can even identify patients' likelihood to develop certain diseases or conditions. This type of propensity modeling-a feature found in our Population Intelligence product-helps providers build personalized communications that feel more meaningful and prompt engagement.

For example, a provider could use predictive analytics to find the patients most likely to benefit from a diabetes screening using a combination of age, weight, race/ethnicity, family history, and other factors. More targeted campaigns have the dual benefits of driving service utilization as well as revenue by bringing in patients who are engaged with their care.

Optimize appointment scheduling and availability

Patients have several convenient options for on-demand primary care services, including retail clinics, 24/7 telehealth providers, and other hybrid care models. With these options available, long wait times and inconvenient scheduling can present points of patient leakage.

Predictive analytics can process data on patient flow, visit duration, appointment history, and even external factors like transportation availability to streamline appointment scheduling at medical practices in a few ways:

• Identify optimal time slots for appointments, simultaneously balancing provider workloads and reducing wait times for patients.
• Match patient needs with the right type of provider to reduce appointment delays, improve care outcomes, and boost satisfaction.
• Forecast patient demand trends to allow for more effective staff allocation, optimizing patient care, operational costs, and appointment access.

Enhance care coordination

About 50% of all U.S. medical visits are made to primary care physicians. While the other half aren't necessarily seeking specialty services (one survey from 2012 found that 2 in 5 Americans were seeing a specialist for primary care services), a significant portion are, which means care handoffs are a common occurrence-and, potentially, a common headache.

Affiliated practices and multi-disciplinary teams can use predictive models built on patients' medical histories and scheduling data not only to identify which patients might need specialized care, but also to generate and prioritize referral recommendations automatically.

Lack of communication is a top complaint among U.S patients, and complicated care journeys involving multiple specialists can compound the issue. With predictive analytics, providers can forecast where communication breakdowns are most likely to occur and focus their efforts to reduce missing documentation, failed follow-ups, and incomplete handoffs. With the right data and tools, you could even set up automatic alerts to inform doctors and patients of upcoming touchpoints and get ahead of potential failures.

Learn more

In the modern healthcare landscape, providers can't afford to simply react to patient needs and market demands. To succeed, providers have to think months and years ahead of the competition.

Definitive Healthcare provides data, analytics, and expertise that help healthcare organizations preempt emerging trends and discover new opportunities for growth in their markets. Strengthen your strategic planning efforts with our predictive Market Forecast product, uncover future population trends with our Population Intelligence, or explore our full line of solutions tailored to specific industries and use cases by signing up for a free trial today.

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