When we were introduced to New Jersey Urology, they were in the middle of a complete technology overhaul and were considering HubSpot Marketing as a critical piece of their software ecosystem. They were unsure of how best to proceed and were looking for help.
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They had already made some decisions, had some big initiatives underway, and needed that last piece of the puzzle. They were eager to add a marketing automation solution and were trying to align the purchase and implementation with their other implementations. They were looking to us to provide solutions architecture ideas and offer our perspective on whether or not HubSpot could meet their needs.
As we dug in, we learned more about what they had working and were hoping to accomplish. As a medical practice with over 60 locations across multiple states, compliance was at the center of their concerns. They were looking to automate their processes and wanted to ensure they addressed HIPAA compliance.
We learned that they were going through a rebranding and website redesign. They had chosen WordPress for their CMS and wanted to know if HubSpot would integrate. I also learned they had chosen Epic for their health management system. They wanted to know how to properly manage their contact database and the sensitive patient data that they collected. HIPAA compliance was their primary concern, but they still wanted to market their business. They were curious how to promote their website, convert leads, communicate and educate prospects, and communicate with valued customers.
Project Overview
Goal: HIPAA-Friendly Marketing System
Services Provided: HubSpot Onboarding, HIPAA-Friendly Data Capture, Training
HubSpot License: Marketing Pro
Timeline: 60 days
Epic to Serve as Their System of Record
The most important part of this solution started with an understanding of the ideal fit for HubSpot and its limitations. HubSpot isn't built to be HIPAA compliant. Our strategy included leveraging their entire tech stack, not just HubSpot. The three key pieces included their WordPress website, Epic Health System, and HubSpot Marketing HUB.
NJU had just implemented Epic, so why not work with it instead of against it?
We sold them on a solution to architect the system in which Epic would hold all sensitive information. As the only piece of software in the New Jersey Urology ecosystem, it was safe to store all patient information. We would then use WordPress and HubSpot to attract, convert, and nurture leads. The key part of the architecture would require that prospective patients wouldn't have the ability to over-share. We had to lock down the data entry capabilities to accomplish this plan.
System Architecture to Protect The Patient Information
The project consisted of three elements: marketing automation onboarding, HIPAA-friendly system architecture, website integration, and team training. Solutions design started with an understanding of each piece of technology involved and the distinct role each piece of tech needed to play in order to meet their needs and protect sensitive data.
Onboarding HubSpot
At Instrumental Group, we have a dedicated team for HubSpot Onboarding and offer a host of services to help new customers activate their new HubSpot license quickly. Our HubSpot Success Managers (HSMs) are Master Training Certified by HubSpot themselves, ensuring they have a well-rounded and complete understanding of the entire HubSpot Suite. We introduced the NJ Urology team to their dedicated HSM and set forth to complete the following steps.
- Global License Configuration: We offer to pick up all the initial settings and global configurations on new portals. We started with a workbook to ensure we had the proper branding elements, then jumped in to set up the CRM and Sales Enterprise features to ensure their instance was ready for customization.
Here's a short video with more about onboarding
HIPAA-Friendly System Architecture
The data capture and collection system was the key to preventing sensitive patient information from entering HubSpot. Their new website didn't take that concern into account. They had WordPress web forms with open fields to request a physician and location. Anything could be entered into these forms, including patient information. This wouldn't do.
We architected new forms in HubSpot without open text fields and added conditional logic to solve for complex location-based decisions, which solved one of their biggest pain points. The lack of open text fields controlled what types of information could be offered by the website visitor. We then included drop-down select options for locations, using backend logic to map physicians to locations so visitors couldn't request a physician that didn't work at certain locations. Conditional logic asked the question: do you know your doctor - yes/no. If yes, they have only presented options for physicians based on the location they had pre-selected.
When complete, the forms were secure and ready to integrate into the WordPress website. We used embed codes with website page mapping, providing their website administrator with easy-to-use instructions to update the website with HubSpot forms that directly fed into their marketing database.
We leveraged HubSpot's form builder to rebuild all data capture and collection elements. We built and styled forms to match the existing WordPress forms, including a simple lead routing mechanism to ensure the proper internal employees were notified based on field data. Instructions for the swap were created and delivered to their Web Administrator. The website was updated to include HubSpot forms with no change to the user experience of their web visitors.
Integrating HubSpot With WordPress
Flexibility on the web front is one of my favorite parts of HubSpot. HubSpot has a best-in-class enterprise-grade CMS. You can do anything with it, but you don't have to. In NJU's case, their website lived in WordPress and they weren't interested in making a change. No problem at all; we designed a solution to integrate HubSpot into their WordPress website.
- Calls-To-Action: We were able to rebuild any necessary prompts to act (such as request an appointment) with exact replicas inside HubSpot's CTA tool. Once they were built to match existing styling, we were able to replace existing WordPress 'buttons' with HubSpot CTA embed codes. No change for the visitor, but better insights and performance data are managed directly in HubSpot for NJU.
- Data Tracking: We leveraged the HubSpot tracking code to ensure website performance and interaction would be captured and pulled back into HubSpot for reporting and evaluation. Visitor tracking, traffic sources, and many other insights are pulled into HubSpot with a simple code snippet added through WordPress. Their Admin was able to install it by following a few simple instructions.
Team Training
Our training methodology also aligns closely with HubSpot. We've adopted their preferred method of Change Management, ADKAR. We customize training curriculums to build awareness, create desire, develop knowledge, foster ability, and reinforce change and adoption. We'll plan a phase beyond this project that focuses on reinforcement specifically. For this project, we agreed to the following steps:
- Step 1: HubSpot Software Training: We held two calls to train the NJ Urology front office team on how to operate inside their new HubSpot Marketing HUB. We added a dedicated training call to focus on data management and hygiene, a maintenance necessity when compliance is a concern. These training sessions more than fulfilled the requirements by HubSpot to allow for waiving their onboarding consulting fees.
- Step 2: Role-Based Training: Our next step was to host two follow-up training sessions with the sales team to answer questions and provide support. Each session included preparation assignments, including content to cover, resources, and desired impact. Aligning team training based on priorities and feedback is key to successful adoption, which is why we customize training sessions for impact.
- Step 3: Documentation: We were also careful to document the CRM procedures. We created a library of training resources for refreshers, references, and new employee onboarding. All documentation and training videos were labeled and filed inside their HubSpot file manager for fast reference.
Takeaway
Sometimes the best way to maximize the value of software is to avoid the temptation of trying to turn it into something it is not. No software is the perfect solution to all problems; HubSpot is no different. However, when HubSpot can be leveraged for what it does best (and that list is seriously long these days), other solutions can serve to fill the gaps. New Jersey Urology was able to architect a great tech stack for their growing needs because they didn't expect more than the best of what was available from its software ecosystem. We're proud of the work we did to support their goals and look forward to enhancing the system and supporting their team in future phases.
