Insight
- 150% appointment growth- Online scheduling increased annual heart scan appointments from 5,215 to nearly 13,000.
- New patient acquisition- 36% of patients booking online were new to the health system.
- 90% patient satisfaction- Retail-like scheduling experience boosted convenience, satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
The Big Picture
As one of the largest health systems in the Midwest, this organization is known for redefining patient access and convenience while delivering exceptional clinical outcomes. A national leader in heart health, the system’s 350 heart specialists perform more than 20,000 heart procedures annually.
Yet beyond treatment, the organization’s broader mission is prevention. With heart disease remaining the leading cause of death among adults in the United States, the health system launched a low-cost, non-invasive heart scan designed to detect coronary artery calcification and identify patients at risk before a cardiac event occurs.
The program’s clinical value was clear, but its success depended on making scheduling fast, simple, and convenient for consumers statewide.
Challenge
Initially, consumers could schedule a heart scan by calling the contact center or submitting an online form for a callback. However, this process often led to repeated missed connections between agents and consumers.
Call center representatives frequently found themselves in prolonged “telephone tag,” resulting in approximately one-third of consumer inquiries failing to convert into appointments. This created lost acquisition opportunities, operational inefficiencies, and frustration for both patients and staff.
The health system needed a frictionless, immediate scheduling solution aligned with modern consumer expectations.
“More often than not, call center agents would end up in a cycle of telephone tag with the consumer that could go on for days. This failure to connect resulted in approximately one-third of consumer requests not turning into appointments. We were losing too many potential patients. We needed a better way to make it fast, easy, and instant for consumers to get an appointment.”
Key Challenges
- One-third of leads lost
- Delayed callback scheduling model
- Consumer frustration & friction
- Inefficient call center utilization
- Limited appointment conversion
Solution
The health system partnered with Carenet to implement Intelligent Scheduling, a cloud-based online scheduling platform designed to deliver a modern, consumer-first experience.
Immediate online booking
Consumers could now schedule heart scans instantly — anytime, anywhere, on any device — eliminating the need for callback coordination.
Retail-like guest experience
The intuitive platform delivered a seamless digital interface consistent with consumer expectations shaped by retail and hospitality industries.
Integrated analytics & ROI tracking
Comprehensive reporting capabilities enabled the health system to track appointment growth, new patient acquisition, and return on investment.
Digital marketing lift
Optimized scheduling landing pages improved search engine rankings, driving additional website traffic and increasing program visibility.
Results
The implementation of Intelligent Scheduling drove significant growth and performance improvements:
- Nearly 150% increase in heart scan appointments
- 13,000 heart scans scheduled in 2018 (up from 5,215 the previous year)
- 36% of online-scheduled patients were new to the health system
- Recaptured approximately one-third of previously lost potential patients
- 90% patient satisfaction among online schedulers
- Improved operational efficiency by freeing call center agents to focus on higher-value inquiries
The platform not only improved patient acquisition and satisfaction but also aligned the organization’s digital access strategy with evolving consumer expectations.
