Patient engagement only improves one way; through effective changes in communication and support for patients between visits. Therefore, we’ve put together a list of strategies for healthcare practices to implement and create an environment where patients stay connected to your practice and engage with your team effectively. 

An aside: If you’re still building your foundational understanding of patient engagement, start with our guide to what patient engagement is and why it matters.

1. Replace Phone Tag With Two-Way Text Messaging

The most impact a practice can have is ensuring patients can communicate their needs without waiting to connect with another person on the phone. This works because:

• 90% of text messages are read within 3 minutes

• Only 20% of calls from unknown numbers are answered

• Patients can text at any time; during a break at work, after putting kids to bed, or while sitting in a waiting room

• Staff can handle multiple text conversations simultaneously (try that with phone calls)

What this looks like in practice:

A busy patient comes out of their visit and doesn’t have time to wait on hold and leave a voicemail to ask a question about their medication dosing that night. Instead they send one text, and a staff member replies. This isn’t just convenient, it makes more sense clinically. Patients who can easily reach their care team are easily able to report any side effects and follow through on next steps.

HIPAA-compliant texting platforms make this secure and scalable. OhMD’s two-way messaging integrates directly with 85+ EHR systems so conversations save to the patient chart automatically.

2. Use AI to Handle Routine Patient Calls

Your front desk team spends hours every day answering the same questions: appointment scheduling, prescription refill requests, office hours, insurance accepted, directions. Every minute on a routine call is a minute not spent on a patient standing at the counter or a complex issue that actually needs human judgment. In that case, AI should handle the predictable to free your team for the meaningful.

AI voice agents like OhMD’s Nia answer routine calls automatically, 24/7. When a patient calls to schedule, Nia handles it. When a patient needs a refill, Nia routes it. When a conversation gets complex, Nia hands off to your team with full context.

The results practices see:

• 50-68% reduction in staff-handled phone calls

• 4+ hours saved per staff member per day

• Calls answered after hours and on weekends (no more Monday morning voicemail avalanche)

• Patients get immediate responses instead of hold music

3. Automate Proactive Outreach With Broadcast Messaging

Most practices only communicate with patients reactively, where the patient calls and the practice responds. Proactive clinics do the opposite by reaching out first. 

Use broadcast messaging for:

• Preventive care reminders (flu shots, mammograms, colonoscopies, annual wellness visits)

• Recall campaigns for patients who are overdue for a visit

• Seasonal health education (allergy season prep, winter respiratory guidance)

• New service announcements (e.g., “We now offer AI-powered phone scheduling”)

• Office updates (holiday hours, new provider introductions, location changes)

Why it matters for outcomes:
Patients who receive proactive outreach about preventive care are significantly more likely to schedule and complete screenings. A simple broadcast message like “You’re due for your annual wellness visit. Reply YES and we’ll find a time that works” converts far better than expecting patients to remember on their own.

Patient engagement software with broadcast capabilities lets you segment by diagnosis, last visit date, age, or any other criteria your EHR tracks.

4. Personalize Communication Based on Patient Preferences

Generic communication is easy to ignore. Personalized communication gets read, gets replied to, and builds trust.

Personalization doesn’t mean writing individual messages to every patient, however. It means:

• Channel preference: Some patients prefer text, while some prefer calls. Knowing which and adhering to it increases response rates.

• Language: Offering communication in the patient’s preferred language directly affects comprehension, adherence, and outcomes.

• Timing: A working parent may not respond to a 10am text but will reply at 7pm. Smart engagement platforms let you schedule outreach at optimal times.

• Content relevance: A diabetic patient gets follow-up content about blood sugar management. A post-surgical patient gets recovery check-ins.

The practices that see the highest engagement rates are the ones that treat communication as a relationship, not a broadcast.

5. Close the Post-Visit Gap

The 24-48 hours after a visit is the most critical window for patient engagement. This is when patients are deciding whether to fill that prescription, schedule that follow-up, or change that behavior, which is usually right when practices are wrapping up. 

Simple, high-impact post-visit actions:

• Same-day visit summary via text. Not a 10-page after-visit summary from the EHR. A brief text: “Here’s what we discussed today and your next steps.” 

• Medication check-in at 48 hours. “You started [medication] two days ago. How are you feeling? Any questions?” This catches side effects and non-adherence early.

• Follow-up scheduling nudge. If the patient was told to return in 4 weeks and hasn’t scheduled by week 2, send a reminder. 

These interactions take seconds of staff time when automated through patient engagement software but have outsized impact on adherence and outcomes.

6. Build Trust Through Continuity and Accessibility

Engagement is key in making sure patients stay involved in their care plan. Building trust is one of the main pillars in building this engagement. 

What builds trust:

• Consistent communication. Patients hear from your practice regularly, not just when they owe money or missed an appointment.

• Accessibility. When patients can reach you easily (via text, web chat, or AI-answered calls), they trust that help is available when they need it.

• Follow-through. If a patient texts a question and gets a response within minutes, that builds trust faster than any marketing campaign.

• Continuity. Seeing the same provider, working with the same team, and having conversation history accessible in the chart all contribute to the relationship.

Practices that invest in accessibility, especially through text-based communication that doesn’t require appointments or phone tag, see higher patient loyalty and more referrals.

7. Measure What Matters

Patient engagement strategies will only work if you measure them and visualize the changes they’re making. Tracking these metrics and looking for trends is key in deciding whether or not to adjust your approach. 

Patient engagement software with built-in reporting makes this practical. OhMD provides custom reporting on communication volume, response rates, and AI agent performance so you can see exactly what’s working.

Making These Strategies Work Together

While these strategies provide benefits, they do not work in isolation. The biggest improvement can be seen by combining them into a coordinated system:

1. Patients call -> AI handles routine calls, staff handles complex ones

2. Between visits -> Two-way texting for questions, automated reminders for follow-ups

3. Proactive outreach -> Broadcast messages for preventive care and recalls

4. After visits -> Automated summaries and check-ins during the critical 48-hour window

5. Always -> Track metrics, adjust, improve

For a detailed comparison of the tools that support these strategies, see our guide to the best patient engagement software.

Ready to put these strategies into practice? OhMD gives your team the tools to communicate with patients, automate routine outreach, and reduce phone calls by up to 68% without adding staff. Schedule a demo and see how it works.

Sources

Accenture. The Health Provider Loyalty Imperative. Accenture, 2022, https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/accenture-com/document-2/Health-Provider-Loyalty-Accenture.pdf.

Deloitte. Health Care Outlook 2023: Digital Transformation. Deloitte Global, 2023.

McKinsey & Company. Telehealth: A Quarter-Trillion-Dollar Post-COVID-19 Reality. McKinsey & Company, 2021, https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/telehealth-a-quarter-trillion-dollar-post-covid-19-reality.

Georgetown Health Policy Institute. “Cultural Competence in Health Care: Is it Important for People with Chronic Conditions?” Health Policy Institute, Georgetown University, https://hpi.georgetown.edu/cultural/.