Task

A medical clinic’s patient portal app used lengthy appointment reminders, which led to low readership and increased support desk calls as patients sought information that was already provided in the email.

Challenges

• Diverging content from two clinics
• A requirement to add bulky COVID-19 safety requirements
• Plain text email platform without hyperlink capability

Process

• Collaborated with clinicians, customer service staff, and technical staff to define content requirements and technical limitations.
• Audited content and identified where critical appointment scheduling information was merged with less critical tips on how to prepare for an appointment.
• Developed a microsite to house the tips and ancillary info.
• Created an email and a text that contained only the essential appointment information (date, time, location, provider) and a link to the new microsite.

Results

My new content strategy took us from a 475-word email stuffed with links that no one clicked on to a simple reminder of 75 words and only one lengthy URL. We even had space to promote a new mental health app. Analytics showed that patients are clicking not only on the new “Prepare for Your Appointment” webpage but also the mental health app, which was an added bonus no one had planned on.

You have an appointment on $AppointmentDateTime$ with $Clinic.

See our “Prepare for Your Appointment” webpage at [URL] to learn about:

*late fees

*rescheduling

*pre-visit forms

*arrival times

*parking

*when to expect Zoom links

*COVID-19 testing processes (remember to show your clearance badge)

Get free mental health self-help apps at [URL].

We look forward to seeing you soon! 

Takeaway

Make it easy for customers to find the essential information in their crowded inbox, and then shift the details to a web page.