The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digitalization across all industries. For healthcare – the most critical sector during this time – finding ways to provide remote care became essential. This necessity gave rise to the “digital front door” in healthcare.
Under construction for years, the digital front door in healthcare opened a world of seamless and accessible care, from the comfort of one’s home.
Unlike a simple patient portal or mobile app, the digital front door offers multiple digital touchpoints throughout the entire patient journey.
It gives patients convenient access through various digital channels. This creates an omnichannel experience that meets patients where they are – from initial search and appointment scheduling to treatment and follow-up care. These solutions integrate with existing systems like EHRs, MRs, and other legacy platforms to build a patient-centric strategy while helping organizations remain competitive.
The evolution of the Digital Front Door in healthcare has been a dynamic journey spanning over two decades. It has come a long way from basic online portals and web forms. Today, the digital front door in healthcare represents a connected ecosystem built for personalized experiences.
HIPAA’s Privacy Rule is established in 2003, creating Standards for Protected Health Information. The introduction of such guidelines during the rise of the digital age led to widespread adoption of EHRs (Electronic Health Records) and basic patient portals.
The HITECH Act of 2009 incentivized health systems to adopt EHRs and set standards for secure electronic transmission of health information, leading to rising customer expectations.
Patient portals became more advanced and authenticated, growing to include patient-focused features such as appointment scheduling, messaging and health resource access. As smartphones became the new norm, mobile health apps emerged – giving patients remote access to their health information, the ability to book appointments online and receive automated text reminders. This era also marked the first use of the term “Digital Front Door” in healthcare.
As time progressed, policies such as the 21st Century Cures Act were released, promoting information interoperability and popularizing specific point solutions. By 2017, more than 325,000 health-related mobile applications had been created – offering personalized communication, tailored recommendations, and improved patient engagement. These apps also began integrating with health systems to improve efficiency and service quality. Around this time, early AI and ML models were also introduced into healthcare workflows, supporting smarter data-driven decision-making.
Perhaps the biggest catalyst to the adoption of the digital front door in healthcare was the COVID-19 pandemic – this survey report states that two years of healthcare digital transformation was accomplished within the first two months of the pandemic. Telehealth and online consultations exploded, with utilization levels 38 times higher than before the pandemic.
The CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Rule (2020) was released, incentivizing portable health information and the growth of digital front doors in healthcare. Patients could now schedule online appointments, book tests, complete pre-registration processes and even chat with a symptom-checker chatbot – all through a few clicks on their screens.
Fast forward to today – the digital front door in healthcare has reached a new level of maturity. The widespread adoption of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI (GenAI) is driving rapid innovation across the industry. A truly integrated digital front door is now within reach, enabling personalized care plans, proactive health management and a more holistic approach to patient wellness.
Digital front doors have become essential for healthcare organizations seeking to become leaders in innovative, patient-centered care. The primary importance of a digital front door in healthcare lies in its:
The numbers don’t lie – 68% of people are more likely to choose a medical provider who offers online flexibility to edit appointments and 81% of leading health system executives plan to increase digital front door spending in the next 2 years, according to Accenture research.
A comprehensive digital front door strategy includes several
interconnected technologies and solutions:
Online appointment booking has become a patient expectation. Research by GetApp states that 67% of patients prefer booking appointments online. Moreover, patients who self-book appointments online are less likely to miss appointments. Self-scheduling enables patients to book, cancel and reschedule online appointments anytime and anywhere.
Key benefits include:
Moreover, the advent and integration of AI/ML allows the use of algorithms, which can suggest appropriate providers and time slots. This boosts patient access and autonomy and reduces call center and staffing load, while integrations with EHRs ensure real-time data availability and accuracy.
Missed appointments cost the U.S healthcare system more than $150 billion annually, according to Forbes. Digital appointment reminders sent via the patients’ preferred mode of communication – text, email, call or app notifications – have been shown to increase kept appointments and reduce missed appointments. Such tools increase digital convenience and patient engagement, driving organizational efficiency.
The pandemic permanently changed patient expectations about virtual care. Studies show that 96.2% of healthcare professionals preferred video consultation platforms such as Zoom as an adequate option for delivering care during the pandemic.
Telehealth components include:
Beyond convenience, virtual care options can lower the cost of healthcare delivery and improve access for patients with mobility challenges or those living in remote locations.
Artificial intelligence-powered conversational tools provide unlimited 24/7 access to patient support and guidance options. Many healthcare institutions have also started adopting AI chatbots, which can:
These chatbots use Natural Language Processing techniques to understand the patient’s needs.
As high-deductible health plans become more common, patients are exercising ‘consumerism’ – their personal choice and responsibility in paying for and managing their care. With rising costs, patients are increasingly seeking flexi-pay options. Providers must adapt by offering convenient payment options, like online bill pay and digital wallets.
While revenue collection is arguably one of the most difficult parts of the healthcare processes, a digital front door can help. While the No Surprises Act has reduced the likelihood of patients receiving an unmanageable bill, healthcare organizations can include customizable payment plans to ease financial stress. A 2019 US Healthcare Consumer Experience Study found that one in three Americans believe providers can “do more” to improve patient billing and payment processes.
With over 320 million people using health apps, mobile health applications have become a key entry point for digital front door users. These apps function as central hubs connecting various components of the digital front door, such as:
Healthcare organizations with robust mobile applications see higher patient engagement and adherence to care plans.
For patients with chronic or continuous care programs, the digital front door is a huge advantage. The digital front door allows connections to medical data through a variety of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Examples include smart medical devices, wearable devices such as watches or rings and even smart home sensors. Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) solutions can integrate with EMR, EHR and Telehealth platforms for unified patient data access.
While patient portals have existed for years, the digital front door provides patients with a secure online platform to access health records. It functions as a patient-facing webpage and can help patients self-schedule appointments as well. Patient portals can be made secure through two-factor authentication, encryption and HIPAA-compliancy. These portals can also facilitate direct communication with care teams and help patients follow care plans.
Modern patient portals offer:
Healthcare organizations that successfully utilize digital front door strategies
experience a wide range of benefits:
A scoping review of 377 studies found that 80% reported improvements in patient experiences and 75% in service delivery aspects, following digital front door implementation.
While 40-60% of consumers express interest in a “digital front door” , implementation does not
come without challenges. Here’s how you can address them:
Many healthcare institutions still operate on legacy systems, not optimized for modern digital experiences. Solutions include:
The digital divide represents a significant consideration in healthcare. Organizations implementing a digital front door must consider:
A truly effective digital front door strategy should maintain alternative pathways for patients unable to use digital channels.
Implementing new processes requires significant cultural and operational shifts, such as:
Healthcare data will always demand high levels of protection. Keep the following considerations in mind:
Digital front door strategies are sure to bring benefits, but they can be hard to measure directly. You can work around this by following the below strategies:
The digital front door is set to expand and evolve rapidly, with the market valued at USD 17.68 billion. Several key trends are shaping its future:
The rise of artificial intelligence and technology integration will increasingly power personalized healthcare experiences. Some use cases we can expect are:
The proliferation of consumer health devices creates new opportunities:
Integration of genomics, wearables and digital therapeutics will enable personalized treatments. This will be particularly useful for chronic conditions, which require continuous health monitoring. Other use cases include:
With the women’s health technology market projected to reach $21 Billion by 2034, we can expect the following changes:
A recent BCG survey found that 59% of women (globally) believe there are insufficient innovations to address their health concerns. Future trends in digital healthcare will aim at providing solutions to women and underserved communities.
A digital front door realizes its true value when it makes an impact. Healthcare leaders are increasingly recognizing the difference between digital interaction and impact. It’s what evolves patient engagement from one-time to long-term. To achieve meaningful digital impact through their digital front door, organizations must:
AmI devices are environment-adaptive computing systems that can interact with and respond to human stimuli. Digital front doors will integrate with physical environments to enable smarter and more connected experiences, such as:
If you’re looking to implement a digital front door for your organization, here
are some quick steps to help you get started:
What are the challenges of implementing a digital front door?
Major challenges of implementing a digital front door include integrating with legacy systems, ensuring equity and access for all patients, maintaining privacy and security of information, managing organizational change and create a cohesive experience across all touchpoints.
What is a digital front door in healthcare?
A digital front door in healthcare is a comprehensive strategy that supports multiple touchpoints to create seamless digital pathways for patients. It comprises of technologies such as online scheduling, telehealth, patient portals, mobile apps, conversational AI and more.
What are the benefits of a digital front door?
A digital front door improves patient experience by offering convenience, reducing wait times, providing round-the-clock access to services and information, personalizing interactions and increasing transparency to empower patients to take a more active role in managing their health.
How is a digital front door different from a patient portal?
A patient portal is just one part of the digital front door strategy. A true digital front door creates multiple entry points from care to treatment. It connects various tools to a cohesive ecosystem while focusing on the entire journey.
What ROI can organizations expect from digital front door investments?
Healthcare organizations typically see returns through reduced no-show rates (20-40% improvement), decreased call center staffing (20-50% automation), improved operational efficiencies (20-30% gains), accelerated revenue collection (15-25% faster) and enhanced patient acquisition and retention (10-20% improvement.)
How should healthcare organizations measure the success of their digital front door?
By setting key metrics such as patient engagement rates, satisfaction scores etc. organizations can measure success. Other metrics include operational efficiency improvements, financial metrics like days in A/R and collection rates, and digital adoption rates across patient demographics.
What are the elements of a digital front door?
A digital front door includes (but is not limited to):
