Enhanced Patient Experience Through Modernization of Legacy Systems in Healthcare

Challenges

• Fragmented Patient Experience
• Deficient Care Plan Personalization
• Inefficient Scheduling Workflows
• Lack of Integration with Wearable and Remote Monitoring Devices
• Patient Dissatisfaction and Low Portal Adoption

Fragmented Patient Experience

• Patients experienced difficulties in accessing longitudinal health records, including diagnostic imaging results, pathology reports, and immunization histories, due to the disjointed design of the legacy patient portal. 
• Absence of telehealth capabilities limited continuity of care, particularly for patients requiring routine management of chronic conditions

Deficient Care Plan Personalization

• The system failed to deliver tailored care reminders for follow-ups, medication reconciliation, or preventive health screenings, such as colorectal cancer screening or mammography. 
• Care gaps, such as missed screenings or delays in chronic disease management, were common

Inefficient Scheduling Workflows

Patients faced prolonged wait times and inefficiencies in scheduling appointments for primary care providers (PCPs) or specialty consultations, often leading to no-shows and disrupted care coordination

Lack of Integration with Wearable and Remote Monitoring Devices

The legacy system did not support data ingestion from continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), blood pressure monitors, or fitness trackers, limiting real-time clinical decision-making for patients with conditions like diabetes or hypertension

Patient Dissatisfaction and Low Portal Adoption

Patient satisfaction surveys indicated dissatisfaction with the portal’s limited functionality, with 65% preferring in-person interactions over the cumbersome online system

Solution Approach

• Redesigning the Patient-Centered Portal
  • • Conducted focus groups involving patients with chronic illnesses, caregivers, and healthcare providers to identify key requirements. 
    • Revamped the portal to provide an intuitive interface supporting health record access, medication management, and personalized care plans. 
    • Video section which contains a repository of short videos pertaining to daily healthcare and lifestyle. 
    • Chatbots to address FAQs & generic issues
• Integration of Telehealth Services
  • • Embedded telehealth functionality within the EHR to enable seamless virtual consultations for chronic disease management, medication adjustments, and post-discharge follow-ups. 
    • Allowed secure, HIPAA-compliant video and audio interactions, with options for real-time documentation and care plan updates
• Tailored Health Reminders and Population Health Tools
  • • Utilized AI algorithms to generate patient-specific reminders for preventive care, such as HbA1c testing for diabetics, lipid panels for patients with cardiovascular risk, and immunization updates for pediatric and geriatric populations. 
    • Implemented population health analytics to identify at-risk cohorts and proactively schedule outreach campaigns
• Interoperability and Wearable Integration
  • • Transitioned to FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources)-compliant, cloud-based EHR platform that supported bi-directional exchange of clinical data with HIEs, pharmacies, and diagnostic labs
    • Enabled integration with wearable devices, allowing continuous monitoring of key metrics such as blood glucose levels, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen saturation
• Advanced Scheduling and Patient Navigation Tools
  • • Introduced self-service scheduling capabilities, enabling patients to book, reschedule, or join waitlists for available appointments
    • Deployed smart navigation tools that addressed patient needs to appropriate care settings, such as urgent care, PCP visits, or specialist referrals

Results