How to build loyalty into each patient experience

By: Ryan Donohue, Strategic Advisor, NRC Health 

Creating a loyal patient base is about delivering better clinical outcomes and crafting personalized healthcare experiences. 

The challenge? 

Times are changing. 

Patients no longer base their loyalty solely on proximity or tradition — they expect empathy, personalization, and trust from their healthcare providers. 

For healthcare professionals, health systems, and leadership teams, understanding how to foster loyalty in this evolving landscape isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential. 

During this Becker’s Healthcare podcast,  I discussed what health systems could do to build long-lasting patient loyalty. 

John Berg, Marketing Director and Assistant Vice President of the University of Florida Health, and healthcare organizations must restore patient trust and loyalty by differentiating their brands in the marketplace.

We’re seeing brands lumped together in consumers’ minds in our Market Insights data. 

Almost half of consumers said they heard the same messages from all the same health systems—we’re calling this the brand blur. 

We see less cynicism in data among consumers and patients, but there is work to do.

In this podcast, we’ll explore why building loyalty matters, the challenges healthcare systems face today, and ways to weave loyalty into every step of the patient experience. 

When patients feel connected to their healthcare provider, the benefits extend beyond repeat visits. 

John Berg shares, “When healthcare organizations start to rebuild their brand differentiators, you almost always think about brand loyalty. Brand loyalty has to be grounded in building trust with your consumers.”

Here’s why loyalty matters in the healthcare industry: 

• Better retention: Loyal patients are less likely to switch to competitors, ensuring a steady patient base. 
• Stronger patient relationships: Trust fosters open communication, improving care outcomes. 
• Positive reputation: Satisfied patients are more likely to refer friends and family, boosting your community presence. 
• Sustainability: Loyal patients contribute to long-term financial stability by reducing the need to acquire new patients constantly. 

Building and retaining a loyal patient population is not just a marketing challenge—it’s a central component of enhancing overall healthcare experiences.

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered the way healthcare systems engage with patients. 

The public witnessed unprecedented transparency during this time but also revealed weaknesses in trust and communication. 

Here are some lasting impacts healthcare systems must address to rebuild loyalty effectively:

1. The “Brand Blur” effect causing confusion

During the pandemic, health systems delivered unified messaging around critical information like safety protocols and vaccine rollouts. 

However, this sameness diluted individual health systems’ brands in the eyes of many patients, creating what’s now called a “brand blur.” 

At NRC Health, almost half of consumers say, “I heard a lot of the same messages” from all the same health systems. 

Healthcare organizations try to go out independently, establish trust and loyalty again, and differentiate. 

That’s difficult to do when consumers say, “Who are you again? Why should I trust you?”

Key takeaway: Rebuilding differentiation is essential for creating trust and loyalty, as patients now seek a fresh start with providers who can stand out.

2. Delayed care from patients who lack trust

Trust issues compounded by pandemic-related hesitations continue to result in many delayed medical appointments. 

27% of Americans still put off necessary medical treatment, highlighting the importance of reengaging and rebuilding patient trust. 

Our data at NRC Health shows that only 12% of consumers feel that the quality of care at local providers has worsened.

While 18% think healthcare quality has improved, most remain neutral.

Trust must still be actively nurtured, as community-specific challenges—such as hesitation in care-seeking across specific demographics—highlight gaps that need addressing.

Key takeaway: Direct community outreach drives not only trust but also loyalty. Hosting local events at community centers or partnering with local organizations can help providers connect and understand the individual needs of their audience.

3. Economic pressures 

Health systems are facing major financial challenges—and with limited resources, prioritizing loyalty might not feel achievable. 

However, loyalty directly correlates with patient engagement and retention, which must remain a priority. 

During the pandemic, healthcare organizations prioritized authoritative communication but neglected human-centered and empathetic outreach. 

Messaging that lacked relatability missed the mark.

John Berg shared how UF Health developed its messaging during the pandemic, “We were sending in these messages that weren’t resonating. It’s because people didn’t want an authoritative voice at the time. They wanted someone to listen to them. They wanted somebody to sympathize with them.” 

His brand learned an important lesson. John continues,  “Taking a step back and looking at the past with data and groups taught us a valuable lesson. We looked at what didn’t work and what can we do about it. Many health systems had built our marketing and branding guidelines well before the pandemic.” 

Key takeaway: Moving forward, health systems must adopt community-specific approaches to address trust gaps effectively.

During Becker’s podcast, John and I shared these five strategies to build trust and loyalty to continue growing your healthcare organization’s patient experience framework. 

John shared this helpful insight, “Growth is so important. Growth is an outcome of loyalty. If you have loyal patients, then growth follows. You’re capturing a larger portion of their total spend with your system versus them going to somebody else.”

1. Create memorable first impressions with each patient

First impressions set the tone for the entire patient relationship. 

At Gundersen Health System and M Health Fairview, we uncovered the number one driver of NPS scores was being treated as a unique individual. 

The odds of a patient being a Promoter were 12 times higher. 

Here are three simple but effective steps to boost patient loyalty and satisfaction: 

• Improving front desk interactions: Empower staff to greet patients with warmth and empathy. In our study, we found that 84% of patients find it very important that front desk staff say “Hello.”
• Streamline the appointment processes: We discovered that 49% of patients see appointment availability as a top priority when choosing a provider. Ensure that scheduling, check-ins, and checkouts are easy with online portals or mobile apps. 
• Create clear communication: Provide patients with detailed instructions on what to expect before, during, and after their visit. McLeod Health increased its nurse communication scores by 5.4% by improving the post-discharge process. 

2. Rebuild patient trust through personalization 

Today’s patients value being seen as individuals rather than just case numbers. 

Here are three ways to integrate personalization into your hospital operations. 

• Technology such as CRM tools can be used to track and remember patient preferences. Our platform gives a 360 view of each patient’s insights to help improve your hospital’s frontline. 
• Personalizing appointment reminders and follow-up emails with the patient’s name. Bryan Health takes personalization a step further by acknowledging the temperature of a patient’s food. 
• Offering services that align with patient demographics and needs. For example, Tidlands Health launched an app for patients to access scheduling, bill pay, charts, and more. 

  When patients feel personally cared for, trust and loyalty naturally follow. 

3. Strengthen community engagement 

Rebuilding loyalty doesn’t always require costly TV ad campaigns. 

John shared in the podcast, “It’s taking that voice and making sure that every interaction is better with the patient. It’s about giving them better choices in their email inbox. It’s about tactics other than jumping right out and throwing a big TV campaign into the market.”

PIH Health, for example, introduced yard signs with patient compliments to celebrate positive feedback. 

Sometimes, the most impactful way to connect is through community engagement. 

Hospitals can consider hosting initiatives like:

• Community health forums: Host events at local schools, churches, or cultural centers to provide health education and support. Cincinnati Children’s hosted five three-hour focus group sessions with staff and patients, which led to the implementation of MyChart Bedside. 
• Open dialogue sessions: Allow patients to voice feedback and concerns. Jill Ellis, RN, Solutions Expert and Magnet/Nursing leader at NRC Health, asks her nursing leaders to have at least three conversations with each patient. 
• Outreach to underserved communities: Address gaps in trust by forming partnerships with organizations serving diverse populations —and act on their insights. For example, NRC Health partnered with a hospital to improve the patient feedback loop for Spanish speakers. The result? Response rates from Spanish-speaking patients increased dramatically. 

4. Deliver consistent experiences across touchpoints 

Each patient interaction—in person, online, or over the phone—contributes to their perception of your healthcare system. 

Focus on delivering a consistent, high-quality experience by:

• Training staff—including frontline workers and clinicians—on customer service best practices. Harris Health Systems implemented a beside delivery service for prescriptions where pharmacists sit with each patient to read instructions. 
• Standardizing communication protocols for inquiries and concerns to ensure timely follow-ups. UCI Health standardized provider-nurse rounding to improve the discharge process. 
• Equipping your team with tools and support to handle patient needs in real time. Our tool nGage captures patient feedback from multiple touchpoints. 

5. Amplify positive experiences 

Encourage patients to share positive feedback, as glowing testimonials are some of the most powerful trust-building assets. 

Tactics to implement include:

• Providing patients with a QR code on a card to review their experience on platforms like Google. 
• Following up post-visit to request testimonials or satisfaction surveys. Children’s Mercy receives 550 comments per week from patient surveys. Each comment is getting longer in word count, giving providers insight into how patients really feel. 
• Showcasing patient stories (with consent) to highlight your healthcare system’s human side. Children’s Hospital Colorado created virtual kudos boards in its employee-facing areas of the hospital. 

Remember, amplifying positivity doesn’t mean ignoring areas for improvement. Feedback is a gift that can be used to enhance services and build patient loyalty further. 

John said it best in the podcast, “There are many ways we can affect the patient experience that have nothing to do with advertising. It has a lot to do with how we talk to patients each step of the way as they work their journey through our system. There’s lots of opportunity. Health systems need to look at that patient’s journey and try to improve each step.“

After my chat with John Berg, it’s clear how important patient loyalty is to drive the success of healthcare organizations. 

Unfortunately, patient loyalty and satisfaction aren’t easy to achieve in today’s environment. 

Rebuilding—and maintaining—trust and loyalty in healthcare requires innovative strategies and a relentless focus on human-centered experiences. 

Healthcare professionals, are you ready to step up and strengthen your organization’s commitment to trust and loyalty?If you follow the strategies above, you will be on the right track to keeping your patients returning. To learn more about patient loyalty, listen to John Berg in July’s Becker’s Healthcare podcast.