The modern patient journey is filled with friction, fear, and uncertainty, causing many to turn to "Dr. Google" or simply do nothing at all. The panelists' core strategy is to meet patients in this consideration phase—before they are ready to commit to an appointment. By offering a simple way to chat with a local expert, they demystify the care process and provide immediate peace of mind, building trust long before competitors have a chance to engage them.
“[We wanted to] streamline that process and hopefully try to get to them before they've, you know, been to the er and help them avoid that is where we're trying to trying to catch them as much as possible...”
Holly Birkey, Des Moines Orthopedic Surgeons
“A lot of it was just debunking some of those myths… Instead of turning to Google… just ask the experts right?”
Katie Benak, Ortho, Nebraska
“It definitely gives the patient a sense of relief, especially if it's over the weekend… that fear level is down.”
Shannon Jones, Advanced Bone and Joint
And as it turns out, engaging earlier in the journey–by offering care guidance in the moment– does wonders for building your brand.
A key theme was the importance of owning the patient experience from the very first touchpoint. All three practices use a white-label platform to brand their chat service—such as 'AskOrtho' or 'VirtualDMOS'—making it a digital extension of their physical practice. This assures patients they are talking to trusted experts, which transforms the chat tool from a simple website feature into an asset that builds brand equity with every conversation.
“The patient experience is really important to us, and we want to own that… we wanted people to know that these are local experts that you could trust.”
Katie Benak, Ortho, Nebraska
"I think we've used hatch and let it grown organically. We have a lot of opportunity to use [chat] better in our marketing..."
Shannon Jones, Advanced Bone and Joint
“So I think it's just really important for them for us to always keep that in mind that they're engaging with our brand in a new way...”
Holly Birkey, Des Moines Orthopedic Surgeons
The end result of this brand-centric strategy? New patient volume.
The speakers don't see chat as a passive tool; they treat it as a "marketable asset" that can anchor entire campaigns and open new, trackable referral channels. Because the service is fully digital, they can measure exactly what drives patient conversations, from social media campaigns to QR codes on an ice cream truck's cups. This allows them to "productize access" and package it for specific growth channels, like direct-to-employer relationships, with clear data to prove its value.
"How you make access a product is is really where we're going, and then how we take that product into those employer relationships is a big focus."
Katie Benak, Ortho, Nebraska
"I think, for us. It's options, you know. It's not like a 1. size fits all."
Holly Birkey, Des Moines Orthopedic Surgeons
“It's definitely filling... volume for the practice, for sure, I would say at least half of the patients that reach out to hatch... actually follow up the next day or the next business day for an appointment.”
Shannon Jones, Advanced Bone and Joint
By shifting from passive access points to active, on-demand guidance, your practice can meet patients sooner and build the trusted referral pipeline of the future.
