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If President Biden’s two trillion-dollar stimulus package is approved by Congress, support will include funding for a national vaccination program. While the arrival of the vaccine is an immense relief, the logistics for rolling it out across the country present a major challenge. Even at a rate of one million shots administered per day, it could still take 18 months to vaccinate 80% of the population. There are numerous supply, distribution and communication challenges to overcome, both at national and state levels. And for individual healthcare providers, mass vaccine administration calls for a holistic approach, to make sure the right patients get the right dose at the right time and place. Could data analytics and digital automation tools be the key to identifying, engaging and supporting patients as the vaccine program is rolled out? Here are 6 ways digital technology could help your organization improve vaccine management. 6 digital tools to include in your vaccine management plan Segment patient groups with consumer data Deciding who gets the vaccine first is only hurdle number one. Providers must then segment patient populations according to risk categories (such as age or occupation), so they know who should be at the top of the list. Without accurate consumer data, there’s a risk that some vulnerable patients will be missed out. The answer lies in data analytics. By synthesizing thousands of data points for more than 300 million Americans, ConsumerView gives providers the detailed insights needed to segment and target patient populations. At the tap of a button, providers can find out which patients are essential workers or in high-risk groups, so they can be channeled into the vaccine program without delay.  Improve patient access and engagement with data insights According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, six in ten older adults say they don’t know when and where to get the vaccine. Many patients also face access barriers such as lack of transportation or childcare, or poor digital literacy. If providers don’t account for these in their outreach and engagement efforts, their vaccine program will fall flat. Consumer data can again help providers understand who their patients are, to identify those who might have trouble getting the vaccine. Insights on the social determinants of health can point to the best communication channels and support services to offer.  Keep track of patient identities with secure patient portals If providers are reaching out to patients and encouraging them to schedule vaccine appointments through their patient portal, they must have confidence that the person signing up and logging in is who they say they are. The right security protocols can help validate and protect patient information. One example of identity proofing technology is Precise ID®, which uses knowledge-based authentication (questions only the real person would be able to answer) and device recognition to verify patient identities. Prompt patients to book a vaccine appointment with automated outreach Imagine if patients could receive a text or voice message notifying them that it’s time to schedule their vaccine, with a link and simple instructions on how to book. With automated outreach, providers can proactively text or call a segment of patients with self-scheduling options and specific messages about the vaccine and its safety. Not only will this help to increase vaccination rates, it’ll reduce call center volumes at a time when staff are already under pressure. Make it easy for patients to schedule appointments with online self-scheduling In order to meet daily goals for vaccine administration, it has to be easy for patients to book appointments. The last thing any provider wants is no-shows. By deploying scheduling software that ties vaccination qualification rules into the booking process, providers can match patients to a convenient slot, ensure they meet the correct segmentation criteria prior to booking, and confirm whether the appointment is for the first or second dose. And of course, an online self-service scheduling tool such as Patient Schedule allows this part of the patient journey to be completed with minimal face-to-face contact, minimizing risk of infection. Speed up reimbursement with automated coverage discovery Finally, providers must make sure that vaccine-related reimbursements run smoothly. CMS has ruled that every American should have access to the vaccine without incurring any out-of-pocket costs. But although the government may be footing the final bill, providers still need to seek reimbursement by payers, which means they still need a reliable way to check a patient’s coverage status. With Coverage Discovery, providers can run quick, comprehensive checks of commercial and government coverage, and identify the right payer for administrative services. Digital software and analytics can provide efficient, secure and convenient ways for providers to guide patients through the vaccine management process, without delay. Contact us for more information on how Experian Health can support your organization to deliver a vaccine management plan.

  Consumers today want more flexible and convenient access to care, preferably through the self-service experience they are accustomed to in other areas of their lives. To answer this call, providers are turning to online self-scheduling, which allows patients to book an appointment with the provider of their choice any time of day or night via the comfort of their own home and on a mobile device. Incorporating a self-scheduling solution that reaps long-term success takes a specific strategy, and with the number self-scheduling vendors growing every day, it can be hard to know what to look for in a self-scheduling solution. How can providers be sure that their solution is scheduling patients effectively? Implement patient self-scheduling the right way. Online self-scheduling that automates scheduling protocols with customized business rules drives efficiency while ensuring bookings are accurate. If calling to schedule an appointment, schedulers will walk patients through a series of questions to determine the best possible provider and appointment time for their specific care need. The right scheduling solution should be able to seamlessly facilitate that question and answer process online. It not only ensures that patients are being matched with the right provider but keeps providers’ scheduling rules in mind throughout the entire process. For example, some providers may only designate certain days and appointment slots throughout the week for new patients. With those protocols included as part of the scheduling solution, providers can maintain control of their calendars while filling existing gaps.This is particularly vital during a pandemic like COVID-19 where to avoid further exposure and spread of the virus providers may only want to see patients experiencing those symptoms at certain times of day. The benefits are three-fold: schedulers, including call center agents and patients, see only appropriate appointment availability for a provider in real-time allowing them to book on the spot, providers can experience a more predictable schedule as they know their rules are being maintained, and patients can be assured that their health and safety is a top priority for in-office visits. Integrate with your EMR/PM system. Direct integration with any EMR/PM system is a key component for any successful scheduling solution as it provides everyone (patients, providers, health plans, and call center agents) with a continually up-to-date, real-time view of appointment availability. These integrations improve workflows behind the scenes while enabling the patient-centered aspect of the technology, which is the ability to book an appointment from a computer, phone, or tablet. Additionally, being able to provide a non-integrated scheduling experience for affiliated providers and other services is a vital additional offering that needs to be available outside the integration so that systems can open scheduling to all services. Having a solution that can do both is ideal. Offer a white-labeled experience. Customers remember and go back to brands they love, and that couldn’t be truer in healthcare. That is why it is important for organizations to deliver a consistent brand experience across the board—even with a self-scheduling solution hosted by an outside vendor. Leveraging a white-labeled scheduling solution promotes a strong brand experience and builds trust while saving patients the hassle and confusion of leaving the organization’s website to schedule via another. Moreover, many scheduling vendors require logins to their system in order to schedule, this is an unnecessary barrier to patient access. While useful for current or existing patients, a log-in may actually be a detriment to acquiring new patients or those who don’t yet have a relationship with your organization. Provide real-time scheduling (not just request an appointment). Unfortunately, many organizations claim to offer online self-scheduling, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. So many times, patients go through the entire online scheduling process to find out that they’ve only requested an appointment, and still have to wait for the provider to confirm and book, more often than not with a phone call which is what the patient was trying to avoid all along. Real-time scheduling means patients have the ability to view and actually choose their preferred appointment day and time and book right there on the spot. This also means that patients can book an appointment any time of day or night, outside of the provider’s business hours. Allow same and next day appointment scheduling. Many providers set aside appointment slots for their patients to schedule same- and next-day appointments for more urgent needs. These slots can be made available to patients online with a scheduling solution’s ability to automate business rules. Offering same- and next-day appointments online holds a few advantages: it’s certainly a competitive advantage against the growing number of standalone urgent care offices, but it also helps mitigate gaps in care as patients are less likely to present elsewhere for care. Send calendar reminders. The act of booking an appointment isn’t always enough to make a patient show up for scheduled care. Automated calendar reminders, specifically, ones that include .ics calendar files, sent to patients immediately after the booking process increase the chances that patients will show for their scheduled appointments. It’s a feature that dramatically reduces patient no-shows, which are often detrimental to the bottom line. Complement with automated outreach. Many health systems send automated phone and text campaigns to patients about their healthcare needs, but all of them still require a patient to call in to schedule an actual appointment. Minimizing the burden on patients could close more gaps in care, improve the patient experience and reduce call center workload at the same time. Automated, targeted outreach campaigns can help you do exactly this. With a simple text message or voice message, providers can prompt patients to book their next appointment right then and there, on the spot, as part of the text message or voice call.With automation, providers can contact and schedule more patients versus leveraging a call center to contact each person individually. And, when automated patient outreach is paired with digital scheduling, patients are far more likely to show up to appointments. Make referral scheduling easy. Providers can arm referral partners with dedicated scheduling links, making it easier for them to schedule certain services. These links can include a customizable Q&A that walks the scheduler through the booking process and allows them to schedule the referral appointment effortlessly and without a phone call. Internal referrals within a provider organization can be similarly managed with a digital scheduling interface. Where patients traditionally would have left the office with a list of providers to call for a follow-up, provider staff can now locate and book follow-up appointments for patients at the point of care before leaving. This not only improves referral capture rate but offers a better, more connected experience for patients as they can more easily navigate the continuum of care and, ultimately, achieve better health outcomes. Include availability on third-party scheduling sites. As providers open the digital front door to their practice, they will want to meet patients wherever they are online, outside of just the provider’s website. A sophisticated online scheduling solution will enable providers the ability to add scheduling links on third-party websites so that patients searching online for local providers or specialists can immediately see appointment availability down to specific days and times.Also, to ensure accurate bookings, the scheduling solution must be able to ask patients questions to ensure they qualify to book, ensuring that the provider’s calendar is protected while making access easier. Leverage analytics to understand your users. Where are patients dropping off during the scheduling process? What is the conversion rate? How many patients are actually showing up for their scheduled appointments? These are all important questions for providers to ask when gauging the effectiveness of their scheduling solution. The answers to each of these questions can refine and improve the scheduling process, and a sophisticated self-scheduling solution will come with real-time analytics dashboards and data science capabilities to help determine opportunities for improvement.Analytics and reporting can also be used to track capacity and utilization rates to help providers optimize their calendars and referral pathways. Analytics can provide insight into where referrals are being sent so that bottlenecks can be quickly and easily identified, and the behavior modified to better spread referrals across the network. The rise of consumerism in the healthcare industry is no doubt influencing the creation and adoption of self-scheduling solutions, among other digital technologies that improve patient access. As these technologies are more seriously considered, providers need to be aware of what to look for in a self-scheduling solution. Smart technology that incorporates the components above will stand out from the crowd, ready to fit the unique needs of any provider organization. Download our free guide to learn more about online self-scheduling and how it fits within an omni-channel access strategy.

Editor's note: This blog post was updated on October 2, 2023.  In today's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, the need for a standardized approach to patient matching and identification has become crucial. Not having a unique patient identifier (UPI) not only poses challenges to managing patient data but also hampers interoperability between healthcare organizations. A unique patient identifier (UPI) is a method for standardizing patient identification. Individuals are assigned a unique code, and that code, rather than a Social Security Number, name, or address, is what is used by healthcare organizations to identify and manage patient information. A standardized code like this not only protects sensitive health information but supports the exchange of data between healthcare organizations and states as it is a number and format easily read and recognized by all. Advocates for a coordinated approach to patient matching are continuing to make the case for a national unique patient identifier (UPI). In April 2023, healthcare organizations wrote to legislators urging them to reject language in the 2024 Health and Human Services appropriations bill that prohibits the use of federal funding for a national UPI standard. More than 150 healthcare and medical organizations signed the letter, including Experian Health. The coalition argues that a standardized approach to patient matching could save lives, avoid medical errors, reduce unnecessary costs and greatly improve operational efficiency. While federal funding currently remains off-limits, the industry is poised to move forward to develop a national patient identity solution that is cost-effective, scalable, secure and one that protects patient privacy. Let's explore how a UPI can revolutionize the healthcare industry and create a truly connected ecosystem. How a unique patient identifier is used in healthcare UPIs give providers and payers a way to link records for the same patient or member, so they have one complete record. Without a UPI, a provider may inadvertently create a duplicate patient record because a slight variation in the patient's name or address means their original record isn't accurately matched to them. A 2022 survey by Patient ID Now found that 6 in 10 healthcare organizations had estimated duplication rates of 4-8%, while 16% of organizations had more than 15 patients with the same name.  If there's more than one record for a patient, providers may miss important medical information that's not carried through to the version of the record they're looking at. Unreliable records can also lead to misidentification, where patients with a similar name may have their records incorrectly matched. According to the ECRI Institute, misidentification is one of the top ten threats to patient safety. Patients could be given the wrong treatment or medication, with life-altering or fatal consequences.  While patient safety is the top concern for providers, efficiency is another driver of attempts to improve records management. Organizations report spending $1.3 million per year on patient identity resolution, as resources must be redirected to figuring out who patients are and fixing errors. Being able to correctly link records for a complete view of an individual's identity can help circumvent these challenges.  A unique patient identifier is the key to interoperability Managing patient data across the entire healthcare ecosystem is a long-standing challenge. Many organizations rely on master patient indexes to match patients using demographic data. But these single-source databases are rife with gaps, overlaps, and outdated patient information. They can't keep up with simple name and address changes or easily identify and fix data entry errors.   A more effective solution involves combining data sets to create complete identities and profiles, where every piece of new data is instantly updated and verified. Experian Health uses referential matching technology to achieve a fuller picture of each patient's identity. The UPI then acts as a golden thread, linking each patient record correctly within and between systems.  For example, if a provider has a patient in their EHR twice under two spellings of the patient's name, a UPI would link those two profiles, creating a singular view of the patient. If a pharmacy has a patient listed under a birth name but the doctor has them listed under their married name, a UPI can ensure both systems match the patient correctly.  When combined with other patient engagement solutions, data and identity management tools  create the infrastructure needed for healthcare to truly become one cohesive, patient- and member-centric network.  It is important to note that the UPI is not a patient-facing number and is not known to the patient or provider. It does not collect or share any clinical claims or diagnostic information; its purpose is simply to link records together giving providers and payers a complete view of someone's identity.  Improving the patient experience with a unique patient identifier  Healthcare consumers are increasingly seeking digital-first, efficient processes, and they're sensitive to the need for robust data security. Healthcare organizations must demonstrate their ability to manage patient data properly from the patient's first interaction. If data management is inefficient, patients will find themselves being forced to fill out forms they've already filled out multiple times or undergo duplicate tests as they travel between facilities. Patients with similar names may be confused if they're shown someone else's details during the identification process.  In an ecosystem built around a strong healthcare network, these discrepancies can be avoided. The patient's unique identifier remains consistent across every healthcare facility they visit – including physicians' offices, hospitals, pharmacies, specialists and long-term care facilities – so all providers know exactly who they are.   While patients welcome a more convenient, coordinated experience, they'll also be reassured by the reduced risk of medical errors that comes with a well-connected healthcare network.   Efforts to improve patient identity resolution in healthcare  While there may not be a national UPI yet, the industry is trying to find workaround solutions. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid replaced Social Security Numbers with Medicare Beneficiary Numbers as the primary means of identifying Medicare beneficiaries. But while this addresses the risk of data breaches, it doesn't resolve the interoperability challenge.   Another initiative is Project US@ (Project USA), run by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). This aims to create a consistent healthcare industry-wide specification for representing patient addresses, to improve address accuracy. This would ensure that, for example, the same street name written as “road” and “Rd.” is not mistakenly viewed as two different addresses by the software.   To support efforts to integrate disparate software solutions, Experian Health announced in 2019 that every person in the United States had successfully been assigned a unique UPI, powered by Experian Health Universal Identity Manager (UIM) and NCPDP Standards™ (the “UPI”).  Combining Experian's expansive data assets and innovative UIM technology along with NCPDP standards, each person who has received medical care or used a pharmacy has been assigned a UPI. As new patients enter the healthcare ecosystem, this number will continue to grow.  Dave Roberts, VP of Platform Products at Experian Health, says that “the technological foundation is already in place for data interoperability through the creation of UPIs that are maintained in a master person index. These solutions are vendor-neutral, meaning data can flow freely between disparate electronic health systems, regardless of size or location.” Utilizing Experian Health's Patient Identity Solutions The implementation of unique patient identifiers holds immense potential for creating a connected healthcare ecosystem. By standardizing patient identification and enhancing data management, a unique patient identifier can improve patient safety, reduce costs, and streamline processes across the entire healthcare industry. Find out more about how Experian Health's patient identity solutions serve as stepping stones towards a more efficient and patient-centric healthcare network.