Client Story: Tufts Melrose Wakefield Medical Center

client Story

Tufts Melrose-Wakefield Medical Center

Tufts Medical Center transforms patient engagement and reduces no-shows by 60% with Zappix Digital Patient Engagement.

About The Client

Tufts Medical Center Melrose Wakefield Hospital is a community hospital located in Melrose, Massachusetts, and part of the Tufts Medicine system. Known for delivering high-quality, compassionate care, the hospital serves a diverse patient population in the greater Boston area. Committed to innovation and operational efficiency, MelroseWakefield Hospital sought a modern, scalable solution to enhance patient engagement, improve satisfaction, and optimize their workflows.

Problem

Tufts Melrose Wakefield faced several challenges that were impacting their patient engagement and operational efficiency:

High No-Show Rates: Missed appointments disrupted schedules, wasted valuable resources, and affected patient outcomes.
Inefficient Manual Communication: Staff spent significant time managing appointment confirmations, pre-appointment instructions, and follow-ups, often resulting in delays and inconsistencies.
Negative Impact on Scheduling and Outcomes: Patients were often unprepared for their procedures, which led to rescheduled appointments and suboptimal care experiences.

Tufts needed a solution that could automate these processes, improve communication, and reduce the administrative burden on their staff.

"Zappix has been fantastic in coming up with whatever we need to get the patients the information they need. Moving forward we plan on using Zappix to its fullest potential."

- Jonathan LaRosa, Practice Manager

Solution

To tackle these issues, Tufts Medical Center partnered with Zappix Digital Patient Engagement to deploy a comprehensive, technology-driven solution. The implementation focused on automating patient communication and streamlining appointment management.

Zappix introduced:

On-Demand App: A mobile-first, user-friendly platform providing personalized healthcare navigation for appointment management and engagement.
Digital Outreach : Timely and automated outreach ensured patients were well-informed about their appointments and post-care requirements. Patients could also seamlessly confirm, cancel, or reschedule appointments directly from their mobile devices, providing flexibility and reducing the burden on staff.

This multifaceted approach ensured that patients were informed, engaged, and empowered throughout their care journey.

Results

Reduced No-Show Rates by 60%

By automating appointment reminders and offering flexible rescheduling options, Tufts achieved a dramatic decrease in no-shows:

April 2023: 28% → April 2024: 15%

May 2023: 39% → May 2024: 10%

Enhanced Patient Preparedness

Automated pre-procedure instructions ensured patients arrived ready for appointments, improving care delivery. These timely texts provided clear, procedure-specific steps, helping patients feel confident and well-prepared.

Streamlined Staff Operations

Staff workloads decreased significantly as automated tools handled appointment confirmations, rescheduling, and follow-ups.

Improved Patient Experience

With seamless communication and easy-to-use tools, patients felt more engaged and supported throughout their care journey.

Key Features

Automated Pre-Procedure Instructions
Patients received detailed, easy-to-follow instructions via SMS, reducing confusion and ensuring they arrived prepared for their appointments.

Post-Procedure Surveys
Automated surveys collected real-time feedback from patients, providing Tufts with actionable insights to enhance the patient experience.

Digital Outreach via SMS
Timely and proactive communication ensured patients were well-informed about their appointments and post-care requirements.

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