Healthcare loyalty is the real deal for businesses that want to stay in the game for a long time and earn greater revenues. The pandemic has changed the way patients approach healthcare. We’re living in a hybrid age where patients want the comfort of digital solutions and prime experience at medical facilities. By streamlining online appointments, at-home lab testing, video consultations, and much more, you can earn patient loyalty. Patient loyalty programs are an effective way to engage and retain them for a long time.
This blog will discuss proven strategies for building patient loyalty through reward programs.
Innovation in Healthcare Models
Whether it is Teladoc’s telemedicine services or Kaiser’s integrated care models, healthcare worldwide is on an innovation spree. When CVS MinuteClinic started to offer walk-in consultations to patients in retail stores, they started a new revolution in the patient loyalty sphere. Pioneers like MedRec are leveraging the power of blockchain for managing electronic medical records (EMRs), with a focus on security, privacy, and interoperability.
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All these innovations are directed toward acquiring customers and engaging them with the class-best experience. Patient loyalty programs are the frontrunners in driving customer loyalty in the healthcare domain.
Importance of Patient Loyalty Programs
Patient loyalty programs help businesses in more than one way. The healthcare sector struggles with market dynamics due to the hom*ogeneity of services and tight competition. That’s why the need for healthcare loyalty software is altogether greater.
- Enhanced Patient Engagement
Reward Programs make patients even more proactive about their health. Geisinger Health System’s ProvenHealth Navigator program offers incentives for participating in wellness activities and managing chronic diseases.
By encouraging regular check-ups and follow-up appointments, these programs help patients stay on top of their health, which in turn reduces long-term healthcare costs and improves overall health statistics.
- Improved Patient Retention
Loyalty programs build a sense of belonging and trust among patients. Patients are more likely to return to providers who recognize and reward their loyalty.
Cleveland Clinic, for example, uses a digital portal called MyChart, which gives patients access to their health information, allows them to schedule appointments, and enables direct communication with their healthcare providers. This approach has significantly boosted patient retention rates, as it makes patients feel more connected and valued.
- Increased Revenue
Loyal patients tend to use a wider range of services offered by their healthcare providers, leading to increased revenue. Kaiser Permanente demonstrates this through its integrated care model and comprehensive loyalty programs.
By building strong relationships with patients and encouraging the use of multiple healthcare services, Kaiser Permanente has seen significant growth in patient loyalty and financial stability. Patients are more inclined to stay within the same healthcare network, thus increasing revenue.
Proven Strategies for Building Patient Loyalty
Many healthcare businesses are relying on enterprise loyalty software to streamline their patient loyalty programs. Here are some of the successful strategies to build patient loyalty:
- Hyper-Personalization
From diet plans to fitness regimes, customers want everything personalized. Offering discounts on their appointments, medicines, and tests must be customized. Businesses can use data to gather insights on customer preferences. This will help them offer deals on their frequently used services. Patient history can help you understand what the pain points are and how to cash in on those using personalized patient loyalty programs. For example, a fitness center can roll out personalized wellness plans and incentives using individual health profiles.
- Technology Adoption
Healthcare loyalty software has gained massive popularity over a short period of time. By integrating technology into your loyalty framework, you can make your patient loyalty programs more accessible and convenient. With mobile apps becoming the primary mode of browsing, patients can easily book appointments, access their medical records, and manage their reward points. They can also redeem these points to get personalized discounts and offers.
For example, well-developed healthcare loyalty software allows patients to access their medical reports, seek customer support, and book appointments. This leads to greater patient engagement and retention.
- Educate, Endorse, and Support
If patients aren’t aware of patient loyalty, chances are they won’t participate in these programs. You can use content marketing to educate patients about the benefits of patient loyalty programs. Giving them detailed guides on how patient loyalty works, how to earn reward points, and how to redeem them will double their participation.
You can make instructional videos, answer frequently asked questions, and offer personalized support to educate the customers.
- Omni-Channel Communication
Approaching patients on different platforms to keep them informed and engaged is a great idea. You can reach out to the target audiences through email newsletters, SMS reminders, and social media updates.
Using a mix of all communication channels keeps patients engaged in patient loyalty programs and enhances the chances of participation.
- Coalition Loyalty Programs
Partnering with a complimentary brand can boost patient engagement greatly. A wellness center can partner with gyms, pharmacies, testing labs, and retail chains to offer added incentives to patients.
A healthcare provider might partner with various wellness providers to offer discounts and rewards for activities such as gym memberships and healthy food purchases, enhancing the value of their loyalty programs.
Empower Your Business with Enterprise Loyalty Software
Upgrading your loyalty framework is the only way to survive in a highly competitive market. Technology can help you manage patient loyalty programs efficiently with tangible benefits. Partnering with an experienced loyalty partner is the first step toward success. A technologically sound healthcare loyalty software like Novus Loyalty can help you take your patient engagement to the next level while reducing patient attrition significantly. Our enterprise loyalty software is easily integrated with your other tools and systems.
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