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Key Takeaways
- Health campaigns use EHR data to automatically identify patients who are overdue for screenings, vaccinations, or follow-up appointments, enabling proactive and scalable outreach.
- The most effective health campaigns are personalized and combine multiple touchpoints: annual screening reminders, follow-up prompts, reengagement campaigns for lapsed patients, calls to action for self-scheduling, and feedback loops that improve future outreach.
- Patient reengagement at scale is achievable. Seven Hills Women’s Health Center generated 1,370 new appointments through a “Not Seen in Three” campaign targeting patients who had not been seen in over three years.
- Consistent, year-round outreach keeps patients connected to their care teams between visits, which has downstream effects on satisfaction, chronic disease management, and readmission rates.
What is a Health Campaign?
A health campaign is an automated, EHR-driven outreach program that identifies patients overdue for screenings, vaccinations, or follow-up appointments and delivers targeted reminders to prompt action. These campaigns can sclose gaps and drive preventive care at scale.
Health campaigns that use EHR data to identify care gaps can drive measurable patient engagement. A 2025 PubMed study conducted at a resident-run Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) found that targeted EHR-based patient outreach combined with care gap optimization increased monthly lung cancer screening completions from an average of 1.2 scans per month to 12.3 scans per month. In another documented patient outreach initiative.
What are the Benefits of Health Campaigns for Patient Engagement?
Effective health campaigns strengthen patient engagement, which is key to both individual health outcomes and the overall success of healthcare organizations. Engaged patients are more likely to follow care recommendations and stay connected with their providers. Health campaigns help organizations:
- Close care gaps
- Increase patient satisfaction
- Lower readmission rates
- Save time by automating outreach
What Does Research Show About Patient Outreach and Health Campaign Effectiveness?
Preventive Screening
Penn Medicine pragmatic trials across 24,000+ primary care patients found mammogram completion rates significantly higher with bulk ordering (up 2.6 percentage points) or text message reminders (up ~2 percentage points).
Appointment Adherence
Patients who received electronic text notifications were 23% more likely to attend clinic appointments than those who received no reminder, according to a peer-reviewed meta-analysis of 26 randomized studies published in BMJ Open.
Time and Cost Savings
Geisinger Health System’s automated preventive care outreach campaigns,targeting mammograms, colorectal cancer screenings, and annual wellness visits,increased breast and colorectal cancer screening rates by 4% within 18 months, saving staff 88,000 hours and generating approximately $2.3 million in cost savings.
Case Study: Seven Hills Women’s Health Center Generates 1,370 New Appointments with a Patient Reengagement Campaign
Seven Hills Women’s Health Center identified a measurable drop in annual exam attendance after updated pap smear guidelines were misinterpreted by patients. Because the annual exam includes both breast and cervical screening, the lapse carried real clinical risk. To address it, Seven Hills launched a “Not Seen in Three” campaign, using EHR data to segment patients not seen in three years and deliver multi-channel outreach with embedded self-scheduling links tailored to each patient’s communication preferences.
The campaign led to:
- 1,370 new appointments
- 234 patients needing more than one visit
- 27 patients requiring surgery
| Metric | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mammogram completion rate increase from text message reminders | Approximately 2 percentage points | Penn Medicine pragmatic trials across more than 24,000 primary care patients | Penn Medicine |
| Increased likelihood of attending clinic appointments with electronic text notifications | 23% more likely to attend | Peer-reviewed meta-analysis of 26 randomized controlled trials | BMJ Open |
| Cost savings from automated preventive care outreach | Approximately $2.3 million | Geisinger Health System automated outreach targeting mammograms, colorectal cancer screenings, and annual wellness visits; also saved 88,000 staff hours; increased breast and colorectal cancer screening rates by 4% within 18 months | Geisinger Health System |
| New appointments generated — Seven Hills Women’s Health Center reengagement campaign | 1,370 new appointments | “Not Seen in Three” campaign segmenting patients not seen in 3+ years using EHR data; multi-channel outreach with embedded self-scheduling links | Seven Hills Women’s Health Center |
| Patients requiring more than one visit — Seven Hills campaign | 234 patients | Identified through reengagement outreach | Seven Hills Women’s Health Center |
| Patients requiring surgery identified through reengagement — Seven Hills campaign | 27 patients | Early detection enabled by the “Not Seen in Three” reengagement campaign | Seven Hills Women’s Health Center |
Health campaign effectiveness: peer-reviewed research data and case study results
The case for automated patient outreach
Peer-reviewed data on how health campaigns drive screening completion, appointment adherence, and operational savings.
Higher mammogram completion rates from text message reminders — Penn Medicine pragmatic trials across 24,000+ primary care patients.
Source: Penn Medicine
More likely to attend clinic appointments — patients receiving text reminders vs. none, per a BMJ Open meta-analysis of 26 RCTs.
Source: BMJ Open
Saved by Geisinger Health System — plus 88,000 staff hours — while lifting breast and colorectal screening rates 4% within 18 months.
Source: Geisinger Health System
Seven Hills Women’s Health Center
“Not Seen in Three” — patient reengagement campaign
After updated pap smear guidelines caused a drop in annual exam attendance, Seven Hills used EHR segmentation to reach patients not seen in three years — with multi-channel outreach and embedded self-scheduling links.
How Health Campaign Strategies Can Drive Patient Engagement and Preventive Care
Effective health campaigns keep patients connected to their care by encouraging preventive visits, screenings, and follow-ups. Thefive strategies below cover the full engagement cycle: sending reminders for check-ups and screenings, encouraging follow-up scheduling, including clear calls to action, customizing campaigns based on patient feedback, and automating reminders for consistent outreach. Together, they turn one-off reminders into an always-on outreach program that meets patients where they are.
- Send Reminders for Annual Check-Ups and Screenings
Annual check-ups and screenings are essential for preventive care. Health campaigns help remind patients who are due or overdue for exams like mammograms, colonoscopies, and wellness visits. Timely reminders encourage patients to stay current with preventive care, helping to detect potential health issues early. - Encourage Patients to Schedule Necessary Follow-Ups
Regular follow-up appointments are key to ongoing health management, especially for patients with chronic conditions or those recovering from procedures. Use targeted campaigns to prompt patients to schedule their follow-ups, making it convenient for them to stay proactive about their health. - Include Clear Calls to Action for Self-Scheduling
Effective calls to action (CTAs) make it easy for patients to take the next step. Provide links for self-scheduling through your website and use action-oriented CTAs. Simplifying the process encourages patients to act on their healthcare needs. - Customize Campaigns Based on Patient Feedback
Patient feedback is invaluable for shaping campaigns that resonate. Send surveys after appointments or screenings to gather insights and refine future content. Personalized and relevant outreach makes patients more likely to stay engaged with their care. - Automate Reminders to Keep Patients Consistently Engaged
Automated health campaigns ensure consistent patient outreach, even during busy periods. Automation allows you to remind patients about preventive care and follow-ups without adding to staff workload. An automated system keeps engagement high year-round, helping patients stay proactive about their health.
How Can Medical Groups Improve Patient Engagement with Targeted Health Campaigns?
Health campaigns are powerful tools to improve patient engagement and bridge care gaps. By sending timely reminders for preventive care and follow-ups, healthcare organizations can ensure patients stay connected to their care teams and receive the care they need when they need it. Start building health campaigns today to boost engagement, strengthen patient-provider relationships, and enhance health outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Health Campaigns
What is the difference between a health campaign and a standard appointment reminder?
A standard reminder notifies a patient about an already scheduled visit. A health campaign proactively reaches patients who don’t have an appointment on the books, whether they’re due for an annual screening, overdue for follow-up care, or eligible for seasonal services like flu shots. The goal is to prompt action before a care gap widens, not just confirm an existing appointment.
How do health campaigns close care gaps?
Providers use EHR data to identify patients who are due, overdue, or eligible for recommended care, such as screenings, follow-ups, or seasonal vaccinations, then deliver personalized, multi-channel outreach with embedded self-scheduling links that make it easy for patients to act.
What data is used to trigger an automated health campaign?
Campaigns typically pull from date of last visit, screening history, demographics, chronic condition status, and communication preferences. When a patient is overdue or due for a recommended service, they are automatically added to the appropriate outreach sequence.
What outcomes can health systems expect from a patient reengagement campaign?
Results vary, but well-designed campaigns consistently drive increases in preventive screening completion, reactivation of lapsed patients, and early detection of undiagnosed conditions.
What tools do healthcare organizations use to run health campaigns?
Most organizations use a patient engagement platform that integrates with their EHR to identify care gaps, segment patient populations, and automate multi-channel outreach. Solutions like Dash by Relatient combine campaign automation with embedded self-scheduling so patients can book directly from the outreach message.
Improve Access and Enhance Care with Relatient
Relatient is a healthcare technology company dedicated to improving patient access through intelligent, mobile-first solutions. Dash® by Relatient is a Best in KLAS intelligent patient access platform that integrates with leading EHRs and PM systems to automate scheduling, streamline patient communication, online chat, mobile payments, and digital intake. Trusted by over 50,000 providers and managing approximately 150 million appointments annually, Relatient helps healthcare organizations optimize workflows, reduce no-shows, and enhance the patient experience with modern, consumer-driven solutions.
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