Health plans and providers have faced new challenges in attracting and retaining patients in recent years. According to a 2023 report, 30% of patients changed providers in 2021, up from 26% in 2017. Patients cited frustration, lack of digital tools, and difficulty communicating with providers as their impetus for leaving.
The same report notes that the patients also look for strong customer service, convenience, and access to good digital tools when shopping for health plans. These trends in patient priorities point to an opportunity for plans and providers to rethink their strategies for patient acquisition and retention.
This article explores innovative strategies for attracting and engaging new patients, examining how to combine emerging technology and behavioral science to establish lifelong patient relationships.
The Changing Landscape of Patient Acquisition & Retention
One of the top trends in 2025 is the increase in personalization across industries that deliver direct customer service. Consumers are drawn to tools like responsive chatbots and AI-driven customization options, and for good reason. Individualized attention and targeted responses give people the exact information and support they need when they need it, engendering lasting, positive impressions of the service provider.
Healthcare plans can learn from these trends as they refine their patient acquisition strategies. Patient acquisition can cost five times as much as patient retention. As a result, the goal should be to build long-term relationships to justify that initial investment. Marketing strategies need to evolve beyond outbound messaging designed to showcase a service. To maximize their return on investment, they need to incorporate internal messaging that provides patients with compelling reasons to stay.
Rethinking Patient Acquisition: Why It's More Than Just Marketing
Traditional marketing tactics have always been a fundamental building block of patient acquisition strategy. Targeted ad placements, inviting websites, and industry networking remain effective strategies. However, patients nowadays want a more customer-centric approach that addresses their needs and concerns.
Regardless of marketing strategy, patient acquisition should be the first step in the holistic process of patient retention. Health plans can begin by identifying their target audience and reaching them at the right moment to attract them. This requires an omni-platform approach that leverages every opportunity to reach prospective patients.
Health plans can build on traditional patient engagement strategies by demonstrating how they deliver the personalized care that patients expect. In addition to access to a strong provider network and comprehensive medical care, prospective patients value clear communication, frictionless administrative processes, and ongoing support during treatment protocols.
Incentives for patients to stay with a new health plan or provider should be presented in tandem with initial marketing strategies. Let prospective patients see your robust menu of digital tools, such as patient portals and apps that deliver customized healthcare solutions.
These tools enhance your medical care by creating multiple channels that patients can use to connect with healthcare providers, thereby fostering seamless provider-health plan relationships.
Smart Strategies for Attracting and Engaging New Patients
Patient retention begins with new patient acquisition. Attracting new patients to your health plan is the first step in establishing a relationship. Once they are enrolled, you need to remain attentive. Digital engagement is a key tool in building patient loyalty.
Over 60% of adults use online tools when looking for medical information. Increasing your digital footprint and expanding your library of online patient tools helps you put healthcare answers at your patients' fingertips.
Digital-First Acquisition: Reaching Patients Where They Are
Web searches are often the first step for people proactively seeking healthcare services. Investing in search engine-optimized content can increase the likelihood of appearing on the critical first page of search results. Integrating trending search terms can boost your ranking and drive more potential patients to your site.
Additionally, promoted social media posts put your plan in front of potential patients. Let the "for you" page deliver ads and subsequent name recognition to people searching for a healthcare plan. Invest in advertising that targets specific geographic areas and further refine results.
Beyond Ads: Building Trust & Reputation to Win Patients
Online tools can also help you increase patient acquisition and retention. Patients particularly appreciate online tools for finding in-network providers and setting up care.
Providing patients with information resources is also valuable. Blog posts that explain common tests, procedures, and diagnoses allow patients to "do their own research" using resources that meet your stringent quality standards.
Behavioral Science: The Secret in Patient Acquisition
A foundational understanding of behavioral health is that people pursue actions and relationships that are rewarding in some way. In healthcare, the ultimate (though often nebulous) reward is better health and well-being. Finding ways to offer tangible rewards can lead to better care and improved health outcomes, particularly among populations with historically low engagement.
Incentive-based apps, such as the Wellth app, reach and motivate individuals who might not respond to conventional health coaching programs. Instead of virtual rewards, Wellth capitalizes on the appeal of material rewards in exchange for prescribed actions.
The Wellth app uses principles of behavioral economics to drive incentive framing, the timing of rewards, and the amount awarded. This data-driven approach enhances care plan adherence and improves health outcomes while reducing costs.
From First Visit to Lifelong Patient: Retention Strategies That Work
The initial visit between patient and provider is the first step in building a two-way relationship. Providers can nurture that relationship by implementing strategies to actively connect with patients between appointments.
Videos on social media or live online sessions where providers answer questions can foster a sense of connection between the patient and the provider. Newsletters with helpful tips and explanations about common health concerns are valuable tools in maintaining patient relationships.
For more personalized connections, consider health apps and wearable devices. Smartphone apps like Wellth syncs with a patient's personal care plan, along with helpful reminder systems, and rewards in a patient's pocket. The combination of daily prompts and rewards can effectively establish and sustain positive health behaviors. These quantifiable results, in turn, create loyal patients.
How To Measure & Optimize Your Patient Acquisition Strategy
As you consider initiatives to attract and engage patients, ensure they offer reporting functions that allow you to measure their effectiveness. Social media platforms may allow you to track views, clicks, and demographics of people who engage with posts. Newsletter tools provide information on open rates and interaction with embedded links. You can also maximize value with member surveys to track where new patients learn about your services. This data allows you to tailor your approach over time.
Wellth: Revolutionizing Patient Acquisition & Retention
Wellth is a data-driven program that improves engagement with some of the hardest-to-reach patient populations. Wellth uses behavioral economics principles to create individualized, motivating, and rewarding experiences that encourage patients to follow their doctor's instructions and improve their health. Better health outcomes reduce the need for escalating care and lower per-patient costs.
Wellth is a smartphone-based app that offers concrete incentives for patients to complete prescribed actions each day, such as taking medication or testing their blood glucose. The platform combines automated reminders with reward systems that encourage patients to complete and record tasks rather than figuratively hitting the snooze button on the reminder.
Discover our health solutions and learn more about Wellth's behavioral economics system for attracting and retaining patients.
