Case Study
Patient-focused technology improves practice efficiency at Peachtree Park Pediatrics
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Established in the early 1940s, Peachtree Park Pediatrics is Atlanta’s oldest pediatric practice. From the start, the practice has been innovative and patient-centered — it was one of the first practices in the Southeast with a drive-in pediatrics office.
In the late 1990s, Peachtree Park Pediatrics became an early adopter in exchanging electronic data with the Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services (GRITS). Thanks to this data exchange, the practice saved valuable time with billing data entry and writing out immunization forms for patients and parents.
Between the addition of an EHR system in 2008 and the state adding connectivity for EHRs to the immunization registry, it became viable to exchange data in real-time.
According to Donna Scowden, MA, practice administrator, Peachtree Park Pediatrics, eliminating paper forms not only saved the practice time but also improved the patient/parent experience. “Pediatrics forms are a nightmare in volume because kids have to have them for day care, they have to have them for school, for camp and for sports. They are all often different forms, so that was one of the ways the practice tried to be innovative early on,” says Scowden.
With an EHR system in place, the practice was also able to set up exchanges with two labs, which made it feasible to receive lab results via the EHR. The results could then be forwarded to physicians for review and placed in patients’ charts.
When the technology became available, the practice also took advantage of e-prescribing. As Scowden relays, “Any technology and exchanges that have been available to use through the EHR and practice management system, we’ve tried to take advantage of.” All of these innovations helped make the practice more efficient.
Beyond efficiency, the movement toward automation and adopting new technology was driven by the practice’s desire to meet the needs of their patients’ parents. “We use technology to try to improve the patient experience,” states Scowden. “Our parents are busy. They have a hard time keeping up with when their kids’ need to have appointments [and] what forms they need for school.”
Most of the patients’ parents are Millennials/Gen-Yers (primarily 25 to 40 years old), so they prefer using online technology. “They want to be texted. They want to be emailed. They do not want to use the phone,” says Scowden. “We hope this builds loyalty to our practice by having those things available to our patients.”
Scowden notes that the practice’s physicians, who average 28 patient encounters per day, were initially apprehensive about the number of messages they might receive each day through the portal. However, even though parents prefer electronic communication, the number of messages the physicians receive on a daily basis has been manageable.
“The ability to email parents information has been a request for a long time and it was part of the impetus for starting the portal,” says Scowden. She adds that it’s important for parents “to send a message to the clinical staff, to the doctor, to the appointment staff to make an appointment, to get advice, and to have the ability to get it back in an email or electronic-type format.”
More recently, the practice has used text messaging to send out reminders to parents when they make an appointment, two days before their child’s appointment and the day of the appointment. They also use text messaging to remind parents about annual checkups. “That’s a convenience for parents who get frustrated that they may not remember that their child’s due for a checkup or when they had the last one,” asserts Scowden. “It’s a patient convenience but it’s also a benefit to us by keeping our schedule full.”
In mid-2018, Peachtree Park Pediatrics began to offer parents the option of scheduling sick visits online. However, based on research, the practice chose not to do the same for checkups. “We have chosen not to open it up now to checkups because parents don’t seem to know their insurance rules, they don’t seem to know when their child’s last checkup was, so I think it would create more problems than I think we’re ready to deal with,” says Scowden.
The practice also utilized technology to automate its patient waitlist, which allows the practice to pull information by appointment type. As Scowden indicates, “If you have a cancellation, it can pull another patient who is on your waitlist into an appointment that’s quicker. It texts the parents: ‘Do you want this appointment: yes/no.’ For us, a checkup that is not filled at all or filled with a sick visit is of much less value than a checkup that is filled with another checkup.”
Although Scowden points out that parent demographics play an important role in the practice’s low no-show rate, she believes that appointment scheduling software has also been indispensable in filling available appointments. “For us, the benefit is that we don’t risk having an open slot that’s either not filled or filled with a sick visit that’s less valuable financially than a checkup. The parents have loved that,” states Scowden.
The same holds true for online feedback on Facebook, Yelp and Google. “It’s important to thank people when they’ve done a review because it may encourage them to do it again,” says Scowden. “With negative reviews, my standard response is ‘thank you for telling me, I would like to talk to you personally, would you please call.’ I try to follow the adage of not getting into an argument with someone online.”
The practice also uses Facebook to interact with parents by sharing helpful pediatric information and fun photos. For example, on Halloween, the staff will ask parents if they’d like to share pictures of their children in their costumes.
Peachtree Park Pediatrics, which now has approximately 10,000 patients, has had great success with its patient portal and practice management and EHR systems; however, there have been some challenges along the way. The biggest has been finding the right solutions to meet the practice’s needs.
As Scowden notes, “We look for opportunities when someone we’re already working with has additional services. Would that mean turning it off with another service? We have to weigh whether we want to change what we know works and wait for something or do we want to make a change because this new company can do everything we’ve got plus, etc., etc.”
Implementing the latest technology has been important for Peachtree Park Pediatrics, not just to improve practice efficiency and meet parent demand, but also to differentiate the practice from its competition. “In our case I feel like we’ve had to do a lot of these things to stay competitive, at least in the Atlanta market. With pediatricians, there’s one on every corner,” states Scowden.
In the late 1990s, Peachtree Park Pediatrics became an early adopter in exchanging electronic data with the Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services (GRITS). Thanks to this data exchange, the practice saved valuable time with billing data entry and writing out immunization forms for patients and parents.
Between the addition of an EHR system in 2008 and the state adding connectivity for EHRs to the immunization registry, it became viable to exchange data in real-time.
According to Donna Scowden, MA, practice administrator, Peachtree Park Pediatrics, eliminating paper forms not only saved the practice time but also improved the patient/parent experience. “Pediatrics forms are a nightmare in volume because kids have to have them for day care, they have to have them for school, for camp and for sports. They are all often different forms, so that was one of the ways the practice tried to be innovative early on,” says Scowden.
With an EHR system in place, the practice was also able to set up exchanges with two labs, which made it feasible to receive lab results via the EHR. The results could then be forwarded to physicians for review and placed in patients’ charts.
When the technology became available, the practice also took advantage of e-prescribing. As Scowden relays, “Any technology and exchanges that have been available to use through the EHR and practice management system, we’ve tried to take advantage of.” All of these innovations helped make the practice more efficient.
Beyond efficiency, the movement toward automation and adopting new technology was driven by the practice’s desire to meet the needs of their patients’ parents. “We use technology to try to improve the patient experience,” states Scowden. “Our parents are busy. They have a hard time keeping up with when their kids’ need to have appointments [and] what forms they need for school.”
Most of the patients’ parents are Millennials/Gen-Yers (primarily 25 to 40 years old), so they prefer using online technology. “They want to be texted. They want to be emailed. They do not want to use the phone,” says Scowden. “We hope this builds loyalty to our practice by having those things available to our patients.”
Establishing a patient portal
About five years after Peachtree Park Pediatrics implemented its EHR system, the practice established a patient portal. Initially, the practice used the portal to provide online bill-pay options for parents, but then as the technology developed further, it became a tool for parents to access their children’s charts, print forms and communicate with the practice. Having online access to their children’s medical record was an invaluable feature to parents, particularly because it gave them the ability to obtain information after office hours.Scowden notes that the practice’s physicians, who average 28 patient encounters per day, were initially apprehensive about the number of messages they might receive each day through the portal. However, even though parents prefer electronic communication, the number of messages the physicians receive on a daily basis has been manageable.
“The ability to email parents information has been a request for a long time and it was part of the impetus for starting the portal,” says Scowden. She adds that it’s important for parents “to send a message to the clinical staff, to the doctor, to the appointment staff to make an appointment, to get advice, and to have the ability to get it back in an email or electronic-type format.”
More recently, the practice has used text messaging to send out reminders to parents when they make an appointment, two days before their child’s appointment and the day of the appointment. They also use text messaging to remind parents about annual checkups. “That’s a convenience for parents who get frustrated that they may not remember that their child’s due for a checkup or when they had the last one,” asserts Scowden. “It’s a patient convenience but it’s also a benefit to us by keeping our schedule full.”
In mid-2018, Peachtree Park Pediatrics began to offer parents the option of scheduling sick visits online. However, based on research, the practice chose not to do the same for checkups. “We have chosen not to open it up now to checkups because parents don’t seem to know their insurance rules, they don’t seem to know when their child’s last checkup was, so I think it would create more problems than I think we’re ready to deal with,” says Scowden.
The practice also utilized technology to automate its patient waitlist, which allows the practice to pull information by appointment type. As Scowden indicates, “If you have a cancellation, it can pull another patient who is on your waitlist into an appointment that’s quicker. It texts the parents: ‘Do you want this appointment: yes/no.’ For us, a checkup that is not filled at all or filled with a sick visit is of much less value than a checkup that is filled with another checkup.”
Although Scowden points out that parent demographics play an important role in the practice’s low no-show rate, she believes that appointment scheduling software has also been indispensable in filling available appointments. “For us, the benefit is that we don’t risk having an open slot that’s either not filled or filled with a sick visit that’s less valuable financially than a checkup. The parents have loved that,” states Scowden.
The importance of patient feedback
Obtaining feedback is another way for Peachtree Park Pediatrics to improve the patient experience. The practice uses surveys and reviews to determine how staff and physicians are performing. After each appointment, the practice sends out a 10-question survey for parents to answer. If the practice receives negative feedback, the staff uses it as an opportunity to speak directly with the parent(s) to obtain more information and as a teaching tool for staff and doctors.The same holds true for online feedback on Facebook, Yelp and Google. “It’s important to thank people when they’ve done a review because it may encourage them to do it again,” says Scowden. “With negative reviews, my standard response is ‘thank you for telling me, I would like to talk to you personally, would you please call.’ I try to follow the adage of not getting into an argument with someone online.”
The practice also uses Facebook to interact with parents by sharing helpful pediatric information and fun photos. For example, on Halloween, the staff will ask parents if they’d like to share pictures of their children in their costumes.
Peachtree Park Pediatrics, which now has approximately 10,000 patients, has had great success with its patient portal and practice management and EHR systems; however, there have been some challenges along the way. The biggest has been finding the right solutions to meet the practice’s needs.
As Scowden notes, “We look for opportunities when someone we’re already working with has additional services. Would that mean turning it off with another service? We have to weigh whether we want to change what we know works and wait for something or do we want to make a change because this new company can do everything we’ve got plus, etc., etc.”
Implementing the latest technology has been important for Peachtree Park Pediatrics, not just to improve practice efficiency and meet parent demand, but also to differentiate the practice from its competition. “In our case I feel like we’ve had to do a lot of these things to stay competitive, at least in the Atlanta market. With pediatricians, there’s one on every corner,” states Scowden.
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