Digitize and Centralize Physician Communications

Executive Summary

Improve physician engagement with health-system communications by creating a centralized, mobile-first information hub and platform for all communications to and among employed and affiliated physicians. The platform, which we named Maestro to reflect the seamless orchestration of care within the HMH system, integrates with HMH’s secure texting application, on-call schedules, internal directory and features a responsive information hub that houses all relevant information and communications for physicians.

100% Pilot users who installed Maestro

1,200 Physicians who activated Maestro system-wide within the first two weeks

A+ Feedback from physicians who overwhelmingly praised and utilized Maestro

The Challenge

Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH), the largest, most comprehensive integrated healthcare network in New Jersey, includes 17 hospitals and 7,000 physicians at more than 500 patient care locations across the state.

HMH sought Digital Health Strategies’ expertise to help digitize and centralize communications for all employed and affiliated physicians. Historically, these communications were fragmented, consisting of emails, printed letters, intranet sites and e-newsletters. As a result, physicians often missed important information that impacted their daily practice and/or HMH’s operations.

The Solution

Understand physicians’ communication needs

We facilitated focus groups with physicians to understand how they wanted to receive information and to identify best practices for communicating with them.

Person interacting with Hackensack Meridian Health Maestro app

Build Maestro, a one-stop digital hub where physicians can access relevant information by location, specialty and topic

Using information gleaned from our focus groups, physician communications best practices and mature models, we developed Maestro, a branded digital platform that provides one centralized location where physicians can access tools, updates and resources, including a secure texting app, on-call schedules, CME calendars, department directories, EHR access, billing tools and medical and clinical information resources.

Target physician communications by specialty, location and affiliation

We shifted HMH’s approach from a “spray and pray” method to a highly segmented communications strategy. Physicians now receive only the most relevant system, clinical, legal and regulatory news based on their location, specialty and affiliated status.

Hackensack Meridian Health Maestro App tour

Architect the Maestro communications rollout

We developed a system-wide marketing campaign to build awareness and understanding of Maestro’s benefits, including customized education and messaging from leadership; a step-by-step training video on using Maestro’s secure texting app; a short, illustrated instruction booklet; announcement emails; follow-up emails to educate physicians about the benefits of Maestro; onsite training and education in physician lounges.

Hackensack Meridian Health physician communication flow charts

Design a new communications workflow for CathLab delay notifications

Cardiovascular physicians were particularly dissatisfied with the lack of communication around CathLab delays and often weren’t aware of delays until arriving on-site to treat patients, resulting in wasted time and decreased volume. Working with the CathLab team at several pilot locations, we developed a simple communications workflow that required nurse managers to use Maestro to proactively send secure delay notifications to scheduled cardiologists. These messages included the length of the delay, the new start time and the location.

Hackensack Meridian Health physician communications

Modernize physician communications content

Using interactive digital formats such as infographics, videos, slideshows and quizzes, we transformed clinical, IT, quality, safety, legal and regulatory news and information into short, skimmable content that engages and informs physicians.

Create ongoing communications content

We provide HMH with premier access to our exclusive Physician News Bureau, which provides physician communications and transforms clinical content into interactive formats that boost engagement.

The Results

100% Pilot users who installed Maestro

1,200 Physicians who activated Maestro system-wide within the first two weeks

A+ Feedback from physicians who overwhelmingly praised and utilized Maestro

New CathLab HMH invested in building a new CathLab after our research and communications tool revealed the extent of the delays and lost revenue