Putting patients first with Methodist Health System’s Digital Transformation Initiative
Methodist Health System engaged Oracle Health to help deliver an end-to-end, patient-centric experience. One patient shares how our Consumer Framework breaks down barriers to care.
“Let’s face it, when a person or family faces medical issues, it can be troubling. Having the right options improves efficiency and communication of the healthcare process—and that offers comfort.”
Todd Banchor is a member of Methodist Health patient and family advisory council, a committee of patients who meet quarterly to provide feedback and guidance on inpatient and outpatient engagement. In June 2021, when Methodist Health System launched its Accelerating Digital Transformation initiative, the organization knew that strategizing around the patient’s first-hand consumer experience would yield the most meaningful results.
Methodist partnered with Oracle Health to implement Cerner Consumer Framework, an open ecosystem offering elevated patient support through high-touch, end-to-end care. Michael Ortmeier, senior director of clinical operations at Methodist Physicians Clinic, oversaw implementation across primary care operations and urgent care extensions, closely engaging with patient experience teams along the way.
We want to place choices and control into a patient's hands. We want them to lead their healthcare, make their own decisions, and advocate for where and when they want to be seen
The Cerner Consumer Framework enables a comprehensive set of digital tools that encompass each touchstone of a patient’s journey. Methodist is able to embed Oracle Health’s strategic third-party capabilities for a customized, holistic experience: provider match and direct booking in collaboration with Kyruus, appointment reminders with Unified Consumer Communications (UCC), digital patient intake and check-in with Tonic, and unique patient portal integration through Methodist’s MyCare app.
Provider match functionality helps pair patients with the right healthcare systems, working in tandem with direct book, a scheduling tool embedded straight into a patient’s electronic health record (EHR). These features bring all Methodist patients access to tailored provider information, facility literature, and scheduling options.
“We have the biggest NICU in the state. Pediatrics all the way to internal medicine is pretty robust. We need tools that address the needs of each of those market segments, whether it's transportation issues or helping somebody find the right provider through a referral channel,” says Ortmeier.
“We ask ourselves, what is the most important use of technology to help close health equity gaps?”
Increased accessibility also means an expanded clinical footprint. Since its initial roll out, the total number of new appointments scheduled has reached 10,506 across 73 provider and urgent care locations.1
Once an appointment has been booked, patients can communicate with providers in near real-time via text, voice, email, or live chat. With enhanced and streamlined communication, Methodist was able to reduce no-show rates by 22% following implementation.2 Additionally, secure, centralized channels deliver appointment reminders and alerts from one trusted source—the provider—helping protect patient privacy.
With their appointments easily scheduled and kept, patients can then use digital intake to complete necessary forms, assessments, and consents ahead of their visit. This allows patients to input health history and upload insurance cards from their personal device, eliminating paper forms and waiting room delays.
“Some of biggest gaps in our household experience have to do with knowing where to go and minimizing the wait. Also, ease of creating an account on the patient portal allows access to records and the doctor. We can ask detailed questions after the initial discussion,” says Banchor.
Methodist’s goal was to proactively address these barriers for Todd and all patients. When surveyed on ease of completion across 82,768 patient respondents, the average satisfaction score was 8.0 of 10.3
Understanding that quality care extends beyond appointment times, Methodist also developed the MyCare app, bringing patients direct access to their integrated EHR. The MyCare app serves as an extension of Cerner Consumer Framework’s customized portal, helping patients to stay engaged with providers to ask questions, review lab results, pay bills, and manage their health proactively.
By leading change through technological innovation, Methodist and Oracle Health aim to always keep the patient, the most reliable source of truth, at the center of the consumer experience.
The personalized touch that comes along with innovative technology is exactly why patients continue to choose Methodist.
1 Based on Methodist data pulled from Kyruus dashboard on March 6, 2023.
2 Data sourced from Lights On Network. Comparing the month of January 2022 (the first month for which data is available) against January 2023, the average no show rate went from 4.5 percent to 3.5 percent, generating a 22 percent decrease.
3 Patients surveyed received direct links within Tonic after check-in. Survey data generated between August 2022 and December 2022.