In healthcare, the excitement of a new technology usually fades quickly once the reality of adoption sets in. Healthcare organizations often spend significant time and resources implementing new referral tools within the EHR, checking all the technical boxes, only to watch them sit underutilized. How can you avoid the same fate?

The truth is, enabling your referral technology within the EHR is only the beginning. Adoption isn’t just about what your technology can do, but whether providers see enough value in it to use it in their daily workflows. That requires strong onboarding, clear communication, ongoing engagement, and a strong feedback loop. 

In this blog, we’ll explore best practices for driving provider adoption that go beyond EHR enablement. Applying these strategies will ensure your organization—whether it supports behavioral health, chronic care management (CCM), remote patient monitoring (RPM), Food is Medicine (FIM), or another solution—can deliver on its promise.

Strong Provider Onboarding and Training

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is assuming that once a tool is embedded in the EHR, providers will automatically start using it. In reality, providers are already stretched thin and expected to navigate countless tools and features within the EHR. Without a structured, clear, and engaging introduction, your technology risks being overlooked. 

Here are some best practices for developing strong provider onboarding and training:

• Engage providers at every step: Before your technology even rolls out, get providers excited and informed about its benefits, and keep them involved in the implementation process. When they feel ownership and understand your tool, they’re more likely to champion it.
• Tailor training to roles: A primary care physician may need different instructions than a specialist. Generic training slows adoption, while tailored training is impactful. 
• Keep it bite-sized: Instead of lengthy documents, think short videos, quick-reference guides, and links to FAQs and resources within your referral tool.
• Provide multiple touchpoints: Hold multiple training sessions and give providers an easy way to find resources and contact you for support. 
• Reinforce value: Good onboarding ensures that providers not only know how to use the technology, but also understand how it brings value to their practice and patients. 

Creating Two-Way Communication Channels

Successful technology adoption is all about communication. Providers are constantly bombarded with new initiatives, tools, and processes. If they feel like tools are handed down to them by administration without their input, resistance can build up. On the other hand, when providers are part of an open dialogue and two-way communication channels, adoption picks up. 

Some ways to foster strong communication and feedback loops include:

• Demonstrate active listening: Create forums, make in-person visits, and check in regularly to give providers space to share challenges and suggest improvements.
• Provide transparent updates: When providers share feedback, close the loop by letting them know what’s being addressed. Transparency builds trust and credibility. 
• Identify provider champions: Engage providers who can model successful use of the tool and advocate for their peers by voicing concerns and ideas.
• Be responsive: Providers will stay engaged when they see that their input has a direct impact on decisions and improvements.

Communication isn’t a one-time event when it comes to tech adoption—it’s ongoing. Creating two-way communication channels reduces friction and builds lasting trust.

Keeping Providers Engaged Over Time

Keeping providers engaged ensures they’ll continue to use your technology long after initial adoption. Providers may start strong but eventually fall back into old habits or overlook your technology. To prevent this, keep your solution relevant by consistently demonstrating its value.

Here are some effective engagement strategies: 

• Share outcomes: Providers want to see the impact of their referrals or program enrollments. Share data that clearly demonstrates value, such as reduced readmissions through CCM or improved outcomes with RPM.
• Highlight success stories: Data is powerful, but human stories resonate. Share patient stories in newsletters or meetings to remind providers of the real-world impact their referrals are making.
• Offer refresher training: Quick micro-trainings or webinars can re-engage providers who may have slowed down on referrals. 
• Celebrate adoption wins: Recognizing providers or departments who are using the tool effectively inspires others to follow. 

Incentivizing Adoption without Adding Burden

Today’s providers face more expectations than ever before. If technology adds complexity to their daily workflows, no amount of incentives will drive adoption. Only tools that simplify workflows, not complicate them, will be embraced. 

Key principles for incentivizing adoption without adding burden include:

• Time savings: Ensure your technology reduces clicks, streamlines referrals, and provides real-time updates. Providers will naturally embrace tools that give them time back to focus on patient care.
• Smooth workflows: Embedding referral tools directly in the EHR, rather than requiring a separate login or workflow, reduces friction. Providers live in the EHR, so any tool outside it adds unnecessary friction. 
• Recognition over rewards: Publicly acknowledging providers who are successful adopters can be more powerful than financial incentives, which can feel transactional. 
• Practical nudges: Features like small pop-ups and auto-populated fields can encourage usage without feeling intrusive.

At the end of the day, when providers feel that your technology is there to make their lives easier, not harder, adoption stops being a battle. 

Measuring and Optimizing

As with any new technology, measuring and optimizing are crucial for long-term success. Here are some best practices:

• Track meaningful metrics: Measure the number of referrals initiated, completed, and that lead to improved patient outcomes. 
• Segment the data: Analyze adoption metrics across specialties, locations, and providers to identify areas that require additional support and engagement. 
• Collect provider feedback: For example, if you notice low adoption at a specific location or among certain specialties, ask providers for feedback to understand the why behind the numbers.
• Make improvements often: Regular updates show providers their feedback is valued and help keep adoption on track.

Conclusion: Adoption is Human, Not Just Technical

When it comes to launching a new healthcare technology, EHR enablement is a crucial first step, but it’s far from the finish line. Driving provider adoption relies on the human side: strong onboarding, two-way communication, ongoing engagement, and seamless integration into daily workflows.

Whether your goal is to scale your food-is-medicine program, expand your chronic care management solution, or improve access to behavioral health services, success depends on providers actually using your technology. Best practices like streamlining workflows and freeing up more time for providers to focus on patient care can transform adoption from a struggle to a seamless process.

ArrowHealth Bridge delivers your referral tools directly within the EHR, without the complexity of integration. But having the best technology is just the foundation. The organizations that pair the right referral infrastructure with strong provider engagement strategies are the ones that build the most effective referral networks and ultimately deliver better outcomes for both patients and providers.