Ease of Access: Applying the “911” Principle Across Healthcare

Accessing byzantine online portals, calling for referrals, manually asking to refill prescriptions, waiting seemingly forever in waiting rooms—they’re all tasks that can feel onerous and run the risk of putting up unnecessary obstacles to care, particularly for vulnerable populations. Admittedly, it isn’t practical or necessary or even really desirable for every interaction patients have with their healthcare providers to be done with the same speed and responsiveness of emergency 911 calls. So how can providers optimize and ensure that patients not only have easier paths to care? Self-service tools that allow patients to bypass manual steps in the engagement process are key to easing friction, but when done incorrectly, self-service can feel even more onerous to patients. Reminders at the right time: Automated appointment reminders don’t just prevent no-shows—retaining key revenue in a difficult time—they also improve patient experience and create backfill opportunities, opening another path for patients to access care easily.