Berlin, July 30, 2024

IBM iX for Asklepios: Foundation for a digital ecosystem

Customer experience Healthcare & Lifesciences News Project

Berlin, July 30, 2024 – The healthcare provider Asklepios is well equipped to face the challenges of the digital future thanks to its new website. The new platform, which lays the foundation for a digital ecosystem, offers a range of services for patients and medical professionals that are tailored to meet the needs of users. IBM iX Berlin GmbH, as part of IBM iX, the Experience Design and Customer Transformation Partner within IBM Consulting, was responsible for the concept, implementation and hosting of the project.

Future-Proof Digital Healthcare

With its broad range of services covering prevention, medical care, and continuing education for healthcare professionals, Asklepios is represented in 14 federal states, with medical facilities including hospitals, specialist clinics, rehabilitation clinics and medical care centres. The new Service Hub of the second-largest private healthcare provider in Germany enables digital access to various services such as appointment scheduling, a health magazine and the new career portal. With the platform, Asklepios aims to further strengthen its role as ‘Digital HealthyNear’ or an excellent provider of digital healthcare services in the local area.

‘We offer patients and doctors a completely new type of service: everything they’re looking for is optimally prepared and designed and is quickly accessible to them. That sets us up well for the digital future’ says Rune Hoffmann, Corporate Division Head of Corporate Communications & Marketing at Asklepios.

Offers Nearby

As part of the development towards a digital ecosystem, designing an attractive user experience was a top priority. Therefore, the central needs of visitors to the website were analysed first, and the platform was developed accordingly. The targeted use of location data – in a manner that complies with data protection legislation – ensures that all users always receive relevant content and offers tailored to their current location. This includes free appointment availability, nearby facilities and events, or job postings. The localised display increases the relevance of the content while the website’s new, contrasting and clear design contributes to a better user experience.

Intuitive Appointment Booking

The new platform’s online appointment booking system is designed in line with familiar checkout processes in e-commerce and is user-oriented in order to best accompany users and sustainably increase conversion rates for appointment and course bookings. Well-thought-out user guidance enables easy access to doctors’ appointments with just one click – whether through navigation or contextual teasers. Regional appointment suggestions are also added to the intuitive features.

‘We are very pleased to have created the foundation for a digital ecosystem within the framework of our long-standing cooperation with Asklepios, which puts people and their needs at the centre,’ says Oliver Keigel, Director Healthcare & Life Sciences at IBM iX.

Improved Content

The editorial upkeep and display of content on the platform have also been optimised. The introduction of the new headless Content Management System (CMS) Magnolia and the implementation of a central content hub improve the creation and use of content across the entire company group. By reducing and automating workflow steps, the long-term quality of content is increased, and less time is spent on maintenance. Recurring content can be scaled centrally or individualised across the entire Asklepios ecosystem. For example, new facility introductions can be created in just a few minutes. An intuitive tagging system also makes it easier for Asklepios editors to find relevant content, adjust it and avoid duplicates. Furthermore, the new content system has a positive impact on search engine optimisation, improving the findability of content and preventing the publication of duplicate content.

Here’s the link to the Asklepios Website.

About Asklepios

Asklepios clinics are among the leading private operators of hospitals and health facilities in Germany. The clinic group is committed to providing high-quality care to its patients with a clear commitment to medical quality, innovation and social responsibility. Based on this foundation, Asklepios has dynamically developed since it was founded almost 40 years ago. Currently, the corporation has 164 health facilities nationwide, including acute care hospitals of all levels, university hospitals, specialist hospitals, psychiatric and forensic facilities, rehabilitation hospitals, care homes, and medical care centres. In the 2023 financial year, around 3.5 million patients were treated in facilities of the Asklepios corporation. The company employs over 68,000 employees.