EVIDENCE BASED BEST PRACTICES FOR PATIENT ENGAGEMENT USING DIGITAL NAVIGATION PATHWAYS: INSIGHTS FROM OVER 800,000 DIGITAL PRESCRIPTIONS

Abstract

BackgroundAutomated messages that are delivered by patient engagement systems called Digital Navigation Pathways (DNPs) have emerged as an innovative strategy to leverage automation to enhance patient-provider communication and bolster patient engagement across the care continuum with little human effort. Such messages can include patient education content, peri-procedural instructions, appointment reminders, driving directions, etc. There is a lack of sufficient evidence-based practices for best design, implementation, and optimization of these digital health tools.ObjectiveThe study draws insights for best practices garnered from sending over 800,000 DNP messages to patients’ smartphones, using varying communication channels, with intent of achieving specific clinical outcomes.MethodsOver a fifteen-month period, 803,860 DNP messages were sent to 345,025 patients via SMS, interactive voice response (IVR), and/or e-mail. DNP engagement was measured via two major categories: “digital front door” type (i.e., DNP service type, intent, etc.) and DNP mechanics (message length, timing, etc.). Descriptive analysis was conducted to show emerging trends in message engagement.ResultsHighest engagement was noted for DNPs with two or less segments (30%); when sent between 5-11 P.M. (16 – 19%); and if sent on Sundays (16%). DNPs types showing highest engagement were research (80%), peri-procedural (64%) and chronic disease management (62%) DNPs. Lowest engagement was seen with DNPs with eight or more segments; when sent between 12 A.M. and 6 A.M.; and if sent on a Friday.ConclusionView Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT) BackgroundAutomated messages that are delivered by patient engagement systems called Digital Navigation Pathways (DNPs) have emerged as an innovative strategy to leverage automation to enhance patient-provider communication and bolster patient engagement across the care continuum with little human effort. Such messages can include patient education content, peri-procedural instructions, appointment reminders, driving directions, etc. There is a lack of sufficient evidence-based practices for best design, implementation, and optimization of these digital health tools. Automated messages that are delivered by patient engagement systems called Digital Navigation Pathways (DNPs) have emerged as an innovative strategy to leverage automation to enhance patient-provider communication and bolster patient engagement across the care continuum with little human effort. Such messages can include patient education content, peri-procedural instructions, appointment reminders, driving directions, etc. There is a lack of sufficient evidence-based practices for best design, implementation, and optimization of these digital health tools. ObjectiveThe study draws insights for best practices garnered from sending over 800,000 DNP messages to patients’ smartphones, using varying communication channels, with intent of achieving specific clinical outcomes. The study draws insights for best practices garnered from sending over 800,000 DNP messages to patients’ smartphones, using varying communication channels, with intent of achieving specific clinical outcomes. MethodsOver a fifteen-month period, 803,860 DNP messages were sent to 345,025 patients via SMS, interactive voice response (IVR), and/or e-mail. DNP engagement was measured via two major categories: “digital front door” type (i.e., DNP service type, intent, etc.) and DNP mechanics (message length, timing, etc.). Descriptive analysis was conducted to show emerging trends in message engagement. Over a fifteen-month period, 803,860 DNP messages were sent to 345,025 patients via SMS, interactive voice response (IVR), and/or e-mail. DNP engagement was measured via two major categories: “digital front door” type (i.e., DNP service type, intent, etc.) and DNP mechanics (message length, timing, etc.). Descriptive analysis was conducted to show emerging trends in message engagement. ResultsHighest engagement was noted for DNPs with two or less segments (30%); when sent between 5-11 P.M. (16 – 19%); and if sent on Sundays (16%). DNPs types showing highest engagement were research (80%), peri-procedural (64%) and chronic disease management (62%) DNPs. Lowest engagement was seen with DNPs with eight or more segments; when sent between 12 A.M. and 6 A.M.; and if sent on a Friday. Highest engagement was noted for DNPs with two or less segments (30%); when sent between 5-11 P.M. (16 – 19%); and if sent on Sundays (16%). DNPs types showing highest engagement were research (80%), peri-procedural (64%) and chronic disease management (62%) DNPs. Lowest engagement was seen with DNPs with eight or more segments; when sent between 12 A.M. and 6 A.M.; and if sent on a Friday. Conclusion