In a notable advancement for patient communication within the healthcare sector, Artera, a frontrunner in software-as-a-service (SaaS) digital health solutions, has unveiled an addition to its widely acclaimed Artera Harmony platform. The new feature, designated as Artera Referrals, introduces enhanced referral capabilities aiming to streamline patient outreach and significantly elevate engagement and loyalty levels. This development arrives at a crucial time, addressing urgent issues in referral management that currently plague the healthcare industry, including high rates of referral loss and inefficient management processes.

The introduction of Artera Referrals is poised to transform the traditional referral process, fostering a more integrated and responsive healthcare ecosystem. According to recent surveys, a staggering 50 percent of patient referrals never culminate in an appointment with a physician, underscoring a substantial gap in patient conversion and continuity of care. Moreover, a significant 61 percent of healthcare providers have voiced the prioritization of retaining patients within their network. Artera Referrals emerges as a solution to these pressing challenges, providing a seamless mechanism to mitigate referral leakage and optimize management efforts.

Artera Referrals encapsulates several innovative features designed to optimize and automate the referral process. Among these, the Configuration and Filtering function enables automated patient outreach by drawing directly on referral information from Electronic Health Records (EHR). This automation extends to scheduling, with patients receiving timely communications that allow them to respond and self-schedule appointments, thereby enhancing the likelihood of swift and efficient patient conversion.

The platform also introduces Throttling Queues, a strategic feature that permits healthcare providers to regulate the timing and rate of referral message dispatch. This capacity ensures that call centers and staff are not overwhelmed, promoting a smoother operational flow and a better patient experience overall. Additionally, Artera Referrals offers Referral Conversation Templates, furnishing staff with pre-built communication workflows adaptable to specific needs, thereby accelerating engagement and conversion rates.

A key aspect of this new platform is its robust Performance Reporting capability. This tool enables providers to track the effectiveness of referral communications, offering valuable insights into conversion opportunities and the potential revenue impact of efficient referral management.

Zach Wood, Senior Vice President of Product and Partner Ecosystem at Artera, articulated the driving force behind this innovation. He emphasized that referral management represents a complex challenge for healthcare providers, one that necessitates sophisticated, automated solutions to enhance patient conversion and facilitate additional revenue streams. With Artera Referrals, healthcare providers are equipped with a potent tool to expedite and refine the quality of patient outreach, promising significant strides toward a more connected and efficient healthcare delivery system.

Artera has established itself as a pivotal player in the realm of digital health, trusted by over 700 healthcare systems and federal agencies to manage approximately 2.2 billion messages annually. Its commitment to improving patient communication is evident in its continuous growth and recognition as an industry leader.

The launch of Artera Referrals heralds a new era in healthcare patient communications, promising increased efficiency, reduced leakage, and heightened patient engagement. As the healthcare landscape evolves, innovations like Artera Referrals are not just beneficial but essential in ensuring that communication barriers are broken down, enabling a more streamlined, patient-centric approach to healthcare delivery.