BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—The Virtual Influence Planning group, an independent consulting firm of MEDSEEK, announced today an expansion of its services to include patient portal adoption and marketing plans for healthcare organizations. These new services are designed to help hospitals and health systems collect Meaningful Use incentive payments by ensuring they meet the objectives for engaging patients and families in their health.

CIOs are under tremendous pressure to make low risk technology buying decisions. Given the tight timeframe to attest for Stage 2, many feel forced to make near term patient portal decisions that don’t always align well with consumer expectations or the organization’s long term goals. Portals that offer a subpar user experience are likely to become shelf ware, failing to meet the minimum patient adoption thresholds outlined by CMS’s EHR Incentive Program. Given the size of these financial investments and the disruptive effect changing portals will have on the patient experience, choosing the right, dynamic patient portal and determining a plan to effectively engage and influence patients to utilize it are assessments not to be taken lightly.

The Virtual Influence Planning group is comprised of industry expert consultants that can help guide healthcare organizations in developing and strengthening their digital patient acquisition, engagement and population health strategies. “Achieving Meaningful Use is a step in the right direction, but ultimately we also want to help hospitals leverage their IT investments to meet their consumers’ expectations, improve their patient’s health-related behaviors and manage risk,” states Bob Cushman, Managing Consultant of Strategy.

If a healthcare organization already has a patient portal in place, the Virtual Influence Planning consultants can develop a starter set specific to the organization’s needs to help optimize its patient portal adoption efforts now and provide a continuous learning plan for the future. If a hospital is still in the patient portal buying process or has just started down the discovery path, the unbiased consultants can help executives choose the right patient portal and the key process, workflow and strategic marketing elements needed to maximize patient portal adoption.

“Regardless of the challenges, a clearly communicated patient adoption vision, structure and continuous learning strategy will help healthcare organizations embrace the future of digital patient engagement and influence,” states Bob Cushman.

About Virtual Influence Planning

The Virtual Influence Planning group operates independently of MEDSEEK to guide healthcare organizations in developing and strengthening their digital patient acquisition, engagement and population health strategies. These unbiased experts help hospitals and health systems navigate the path toward more efficient and effective use of technology and resources to virtually influence people before and after a physical encounter. Comprised of experts in healthcare, technology and human behavior, this consulting team has the vast experience needed to assist healthcare organizations of all sizes and in all stages of implementation with aligning their technology investment and deployment plans with broader, organizational strategies.