CRM in Healthcare

4 min readOct 27, 2023

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management.It is a strategy and set of practices that business use to manage and analyze interactions with their customers and potential customers. Through CRM, businesses can achieve better customer relationships, increase profitability and streamline business process.

The relationship between patients, stakeholders, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in healthcare is a dynamic and interactive one. Patients are the central figures in the healthcare ecosystem, and they rely on various stakeholders such as healthcare providers, insurers, pharmaceutical companies, and regulatory bodies to receive quality care and support. CRM acts as the bridge that connects these parties, facilitating the exchange of information, fostering engagement, and enhancing the overall patient experience. For patients, CRM ensures personalized care, streamlined communication, and timely access to healthcare services. On the other hand, stakeholders benefit from CRM by gaining insights into patient needs, behavior, and feedback, which helps them tailor their services and offerings.

CRM systems typically involve the use of technology, such as software and databases, to collect and store information about customers, their interactions with the company, and their preferences. This information can include contact details, purchase history, customer service interactions, and more. CRM includes key components such as Customer Data, which can be used to better understand customer needs and preferences. Sales and Marketing Automation can be used to manage sales leads, marketing campaigns, opportunities, and the sales process more efficiently. Customer Services and Support through tools to manage inquiries, complaints, and support requests and Integration by connecting the CRM system with other softwares, systems such as emails, social media, and e-commerce paltforms, to provide a holistic view of customer interactions.

The architecture of CRM can vary depending on the specific software and its implementation, but here is a general overview of the key components that are found in a typical CRM system Architecture:

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has several important applications in the healthcare industry, helping to improve patient care, streamline operations, and enance the overall patient experience. Here are some key applicaions of CRM in healthcare.

Appointment Management and Patient Engagement: CRM system improves patient engagement by providing personalized communication through appointment scheduling, reminders settings ,care coordination etc.
Patient Data Management: CRM centralizes patient information, making it easier for healthcare providers to access, update, and share patient records, leading to better-informed decision-making and coordinated care.
Billing and Revenue Cycle Management: Some healthcare CRM solutions integrate with billing and revenue cycle management systems, making patient billing and insurance claims processing more efficient.
Population Health Management: CRM tools identify at-risk patients and provide targeted interventions to improve their health outcomes, making it essential for population health management.
Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Sales: CRM is used in the healthcare industry for pharmaceutical and medical device sales and marketing, helping companies better target healthcare professionals and track their interactions.
Research and Clinical Trials: CRM helps manage patient data and participation in clinical trials, making it easier to monitor and engage with trial participants.

Market Growth Reports recently published “ Healthcare CRM market” report where they have stated that the global healthcare CRM market size was valued at USD 18307.03 Million in 2022 and will reach USD 29627.41 Million in 2028, with a CAGR of 8.35 % during 2022–28. The key industry players in healthcare CRM are launching new and innovative solutions specific in healthcare domain. Following are some companies which are offering the services.

Salesforce Health Cloud: Salesforce health cloud offeres patient relationship management solutios, including patient data management, care coordination, and engagement tools for healthcare providers.
Epic Systems: Epic systems along with EHR (Electronic Health Record) software offers CRM solutions to healthcare organizations.
Cerner Corporation: Cerner provides healthcare IT soulutions, including CRM.
IBM Watson Health :IBM Watson Health leverages AI and analytics to provide patient engagement and population health management solutions for healthcare organizations.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Healthcare: Microsoft’s CRM solution for healthcare includes modules for managing patient relationships, marketing, customer service, and field service.
Zoho Health: Zoho offers CRM solutions tailored to the healthcare industry, helping providers manage patient relationships, appointments, and communication efficiently.
Athenahealth: Athenahealth’s CRM tools are part of their suite of healthcare management services, focusing on practice management, patient engagement, and revenue cycle management.
Allscripts PayerPath CRM: Allscripts offers CRM solutions designed to improve patient engagement and communication for healthcare providers and payers.
Optum360 CRM: Optum360 provides patient relationship management solutions to healthcare organizations, helping streamline operations and improve patient engagement.

While CRM systems offer numerous benefits to the healthcare industry, they also have limitations and challenges. Healthcare data being highly sensitive, data privacy and security is the biggest concern in this segment. Along with this user adoption such as healthcare professional and patient may resist sharing data or adopting to new technology. Implementing and maintaining a CRM system can be resource-intensive in terms of time, money, and staff training. Smaller healthcare organizations may find it challenging to allocate these resources effectively.Maintaining up-to-date patient consent and preferences in a CRM system can be challenging, as patients’ preferences may change over time.

Though CRM in healthcare comes with challenges, it has the potential to enhance patient care and overall operations when carefully managed.

References:

CRM in Healthcare

Written by PRACHI SAMARTH