Clinics and Patients Retention - Strategies for Retaining Patients for Secondary Examinations

Photo: Irwan

When we take a look at today's healthcare landscape, we can see that patients often navigate through multiple clinics and healthcare providers when looking for different services. Whether this is because of the insurance instructing the patients to select specific clinics, or for example, patients not knowing that a clinic they originally had their first exam also offers the additional screenings and tests they need, it can be very hard for clinics to retain patients. Challenges in patient retention are clear, but, what, if anything can be done to tackle these challenges?

The loss of patients for secondary examinations, screenings, and tests

Clinics, in general, struggle to keep patients for secondary examinations and screenings. Patients may choose to have their secondary screenings or tests at different clinics based on their insurance coverage or policy recommendations. This is usually done because certain insurance policies have pre-determined clinics for specific tests and examinations.

In addition to this, a patient may not be informed of the clinic's services well enough and might perceive other clinics to be more accessible or convenient thus choosing to seek additional examinations elsewhere. This leads to patient attrition and also clinics not being able to provide comprehensive care as well as losing out on revenue opportunities associated with providing these secondary exams.

Another contributing factor to the clinic's inability to retain patients is the lack of a proper follow-up mechanism. Therefore, clinics may struggle to engage patients post-check-up. This then automatically means that patients might look for those additional screenings, and tests somewhere else.

Retaining patients with a proactive use of new AI technology

How can new AI technology, in the form of natural language processing AI healthcare assistant help with the issue of patient retention? Well, for starters, AI enables clinics to proactively engage with patients after their initial check-up. An AI virtual health assistant like Patricia by Eniax can reach out via text message, email, or WhatsApp for example, and inquire about any additional screenings recommended by the healthcare provider.

Therefore, beyond simply scheduling the next appointment, AI can also inform patients proactively and on time about relevant screenings or tests available within the same clinic, based on the results and recommendations after the initial check-up. Patricia by Eniax is trained to maintain ongoing communication with patients to ensure they follow through with recommended screenings. In this way, AI eliminates the need for patients to go through different clinics and helps the original clinic proactively retain its patients by converting up to 15 % of patients from the initial check-up to stay at the same clinic and do the additional screenings or tests there. The outcome is comprehensive care provided under the same clinic, improving continuity of care and patient outcomes.

Patients will then have an easier and more accessible means of getting the additional tests they need, and the overall patient experience and satisfaction will increase, fostering loyalty and trust in the clinic. The clinic also benefits from retaining patients by building strong relations and good communication as well as avoiding missed revenue opportunities due to patient attrition.

The Promise of AI-Driven Clinic Retention

Utilizing the full potential of natural language processing AI such as Patricia by Eniax offers numerous benefits including a promise of patient retention. Clinics will be able to enhance patient engagement through personalized recommendations and streamlined appointment scheduling offered by the AI. Proper and timely communication between clinics and patients as well as informing patients proactively about a clinic's services builds stronger relationships and bigger trust, ultimately allowing for greater patient retention not only for regular follow-up exams but also for additional screenings and tests. This way clinics will be able to easily optimize revenue streams and improve overall healthcare outcomes and patient satisfaction.