When "Good Tech Deals" Turn Into Bad Experiences

---

The promise sounds compelling: outsource your appointment reminders to your EHR provider and watch no-shows disappear while office efficiency soars. Many practices fall for this pitch, attracted by the convenience of a built-in solution and the appeal of a seemingly good deal. But as Sound Health Care Center (SHCC) discovered, generic reminder systems often create more problems than they solve.

SHCC initially embraced the idea of outsourcing patient appointment reminders to their EHR provider. The logic seemed sound, let the technology handle routine communications while staff focused on patient care. Office Manager Ashley Frandsen was optimistic about the efficiency gains.

The reality proved far different. Almost immediately, patient complaints began flooding in. Patients received multiple calls from complete strangers who were clearly reading from scripts and knew nothing about the patients' specific appointments or medical situations.

"Patients complained about receiving multiple calls from strangers who were clearly reading from a script and knew next to nothing about why they were calling in the first place," Frandsen recalls.

The generic system ignored SHCC's specific requests about timing, calling patients outside the requested time windows. What was supposed to be a seamless solution became a source of frustration for both patients and staff.

The Cascade of Consequences

Frustrated with the poor patient experience, SHCC switched EHR providers and opted out of paying for appointment reminders through the new system. The decision seemed logical. Why pay for a service that wasn't working?

The consequences were immediate and painful. Five patients in a row no-showed for appointments, creating scheduling gaps and lost revenue. Frandsen took matters into her own hands, personally calling patients to remind them of upcoming appointments.

But even personal calls weren't effective. "Nobody picked up their phone or checked their voicemails," Frandsen discovered. The communication breakdown was complete, generic systems had failed, and traditional phone calls weren't reaching patients either.

"One thing was perfectly clear: they needed a texting solution, and fast."

The Real Solution: Human-Centered Communication

When SHCC implemented Weave's texting platform, the transformation was immediate and dramatic. Instead of scripted calls from strangers, patients received text messages that felt personal and allowed for real two-way communication.

"Since having Weave, I cannot tell you the difference," Frandsen explains. "We used to have two [no-shows] a day, now people just respond if they want to cancel and we get them rescheduled."

The key difference wasn't just the communication method—it was the human element that generic systems strip away. With Weave, staff could engage in genuine conversations with patients, addressing specific concerns and building relationships.

"The way that you can talk back and forth as a real human, it's been priceless for us," Frandsen notes. "I feel like there was a communication piece missing between our patients. [Texting] has streamlined things for us immensely; it's just been a game changer."

Beyond Reminders: Rebuilding Patient Relationships

The success with Weave revealed something important that generic systems miss entirely. Effective patient communication isn't just about delivering information; it's about maintaining relationships and providing personalized service.

"[Weave is not] just text reminders. [It's] a very personable communication piece that I didn't even really understand how important it was until we started doing it again," Frandsen reflects. "I won't give it up now."

When SHCC returned to athenaOne as their EHR, Weave's integration capabilities ensured they could maintain their communication quality while benefiting from seamless data synchronization. New patient information automatically transfers to Weave, enabling immediate texting without manual data entry.

The Hidden Costs of Generic Solutions

SHCC's experience illustrates the true cost of generic reminder systems, they don't just waste money on ineffective technology. They damage patient relationships and create operational inefficiencies that ripple throughout the practice.

Generic systems typically offer:

• Scripted, impersonal interactions

• No flexibility for practice-specific needs

• One-way communication that frustrates patients

• Poor integration with existing workflows

The result is often worse than having no system at all, as patients become frustrated with poor service and staff waste time managing the fallout from failed communications.

What Practices Really Need

Effective patient communication requires platforms designed specifically for healthcare relationships, not generic call centers reading from scripts. Successful systems provide:

• Two-way communication that feels natural and personal

• Integration with existing practice management systems

• Flexibility to accommodate practice-specific requirements

• Staff control over timing and messaging

"You don't know the communication piece that's missing until you start using Weave," Frandsen observes. "You think, I can get a cheaper service that does the same thing and does reminder calls, and it's not the same thing."

The Strategic Choice

For practice leaders evaluating communication solutions, SHCC's experience offers a clear lesson: when patient experience is at stake, generic solutions are false economies. The cheapest option often becomes the most expensive when measured in lost patients, staff time, and practice reputation.

Quality communication platforms may cost more upfront, but they deliver measurable improvements in patient satisfaction, no-show rates, and operational efficiency. More importantly, they preserve the personal touch that differentiates exceptional healthcare providers from commoditized services.

The choice isn't really between expensive and cheap solutions—it's between systems that strengthen patient relationships and those that damage them. In healthcare, that's not a choice at all.

For practices interested in exploring Weave's capabilities, the company is currently offering a $50 Amazon gift card to practices that complete a demo by December 30th. This limited-time promotion provides an additional incentive for practices considering the transition to digital communication while evaluating how Weave could transform their patient engagement approach.