Digital front door

Opening the digital front door in healthcare

After the rapid expansion of telehealth services in 2020, many healthcare organizations are adopting a “digital front door” strategy to provide a comprehensive online experience for patients. A digital front door engages patients at every major touchpoint on their journey using technology they are already familiar with. With the right technology and high-speed connectivity, a digital front door can expand patient access, increase patient satisfaction, improve productivity for providers and drive greater revenue.

As a preferred network and connectivity partner to healthcare providers nationwide, Spectrum Enterprise offers reliable, high-speed connectivity along with voice and video services that help healthcare organizations advance their digital health initiatives.

The features of a digital front door

A digital front door is a digital entry point in the patient journey. It spans online patient portals, voice communications, mobile apps and SMS technology to provide patients with digital access to personalized healthcare products and services.

A digital front door usually includes a range of services and technologies to welcome patients and provide access to the care they need.

• Online scheduling makes it easier and more convenient for patients to book appointments anytime of the day.
• Texts, email, SMS and social media help to support clear communication with patients and ensure they can be heard in their conversations with providers.
• Patient portals allow patients to access their health records, test results, imaging, health history, provider information, and more.
• Interactive chatbots can help patients navigate healthcare resources, find in-network doctors or estimate out-of-pocket costs.
• Virtual visits with healthcare providers add convenience and eliminate barriers to healthcare for many patients.
• Digital monitoring technology enables patients to remain at home while providers keep tabs on their blood pressure, glucose levels, heart rate and other metrics.
• Online check-in can reduce the waste time at a healthcare facility.
• Wi-Fi access in healthcare settings allows patients to use their own devices to view their healthcare information, to stay connected with friends and family and to access entertainment.

Technologies like the digital front door and telehealth services require consistent and reliable connectivity across a broad range of locations. That’s why, when seeking to implement solutions for healthcare digital transformation, more organizations today turn to Spectrum Enterprise.

Solutions for healthcare from Spectrum Enterprise

Spectrum Enterprise provides scalable, fiber technology solutions for the nation’s largest businesses and communications service providers. Our award-winning fiber network spans 245,000+ fiber-route miles and powers 317,000 fiber-lit buildings. To help our customers work smarter, faster and more efficiently, we offer flexible, scalable solutions featuring advanced technology and 24/7/365 support.

Our suite of fiber solutions provides all the tools healthcare organizations need to support a digital front door strategy.

WiFi and Managed WiFi services
A digital front door requires ubiquitous WiFi for everyone within the healthcare setting. Spectrum Enterprise Wireless Internet services provide primary or secondary Internet access over LTE Advanced Technology. Our Managed WiFi solutions allow IT teams to offload the burden of deploying, managing and updating WiFi infrastructure. With Managed WiFi from Spectrum Enterprise, organizations can improve reliability, compliance and performance for WiFi-connected medical technologies and patients’ personal devices.

TV and streaming services
In the stress of a healthcare environment, TV and streaming services are highly effective at improving the experience for patients, family members and visitors. Spectrum Enterprise TV Streaming Access delivers highly reliable HDTV that patients and families can view on their own smartphones, tablets and computers or with streaming devices like Chromecast and Apple TV.

Security services
Healthcare organizations face growing number of cyberattacks. To protect patient privacy and ensure operational continuity, Spectrum Enterprise offers powerful solutions for security controls, network monitoring and authentication. Managed Network Edge is an all-in-one networking solution with protections for SD-WAN, WiFi networks and more. Our Managed Security Service offers a fully managed solution with firewall technology, unified threat management (UTM), intrusion detection and prevention, antivirus, anti-malware, deep packet inspection, event log management and more. Our world-class distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection technology guards against malicious volumetric attacks that can take down healthcare networks.

Unified communications
Communication between patients and providers is integral to the digital front door strategy. Spectrum Enterprise Unified Communications offers a fully managed, cloud-based solution that includes calling, messaging, desktop sharing and more for the complex needs of the healthcare workplace.

Benefits for healthcare organizations

As a technology partner to more than 119,000 healthcare organizations, we understand the unique needs of healthcare organizations large and small.

• For hospitals and health systems, high-speed data transfer delivers real-time, continuous access to healthcare data. Our redundant, high-capacity network services help clinicians stay connected to deliver a seamless care experience. Our technology also allows organizations to meet security requirements and ensure HIPAA compliance.
• In outpatient facilities, we deliver the power of highly reliable uptime with Ethernet services that support EHR, administrative functions and WiFi. Our enterprise TV services provide comfort and entertainment to reduce stress for patients and their families.
• For physician practices, we provide the bandwidth and reliable uptime that enables staff at multiple locations to access the critical information they need.  Practitioners can access EHRs, view large imaging files, stay connected with patients and maintain HIPAA compliance.
• In rural healthcare settings, we help organizations navigate the process to obtain broadband networks and telecom services designed to serve rural and underserved communities.

Why choose Spectrum Enterprise as a healthcare partner?

When working with Spectrum Enterprise, organizations can count on:

• A consultative approach. We understand the unique needs of healthcare organizations and work with our clients to plan, develop, deploy and support the connectivity solutions to meet their goals.
• Responsive support. Our technologies are supported by 24/7/365 client care and a Spectrum Enterprise Service-Level Agreements (SLA) includes a 100% uptime guarantee, end-to-end performance nationwide and unrivaled remedies to give you the greatest confidence in your network¹.
• Reliable uptime. Our nationwide fiber network has all the speed, efficiency and security required to keep clinicians connected to the medical data they need when it matters most.
• Scalable solutions. Spectrum Enterprise solutions can scale and evolve to support new digital health initiatives and IT modernization – without costly changes to infrastructure.

FAQs

What is a digital front door?
In healthcare, a digital front door is a strategy for welcoming patients at every entry point on their medical journey. The technologies and services in a digital front door may include a patient portal, online scheduling, virtual visits, WiFi access at facilities and a variety of other offerings to expand access to care, improve patient satisfaction and increase provider productivity.

What technologies are needed to support a digital front door?
A digital front door will need a variety of specific technologies such as a telehealth portal for virtual visits and an online scheduling solution. Reliable, high-speed, high-bandwidth Internet connectivity is critical to enabling each solution as well as communication between providers, clinicians and patients.

¹100% uptime SLA guarantee applies only to Dedicated Fiber Internet, Secure Dedicated Fiber Internet, Ethernet Services, Cloud Connect and Enterprise Trunking.