The healthcare system is almost as complex as the human body itself. When a patient attends an appointment, they’re seeing just one part of a vast system.
Beneath the surface, intricate, interconnected processes are ticking away: spotting diagnoses, preventing disease, handling treatment, managing follow-up care, protecting sensitive data, and sharing vital notes.
Making healthcare digital has already improved the speed and flexibility of the care that you can offer. But technology can also be tricky for patients and staff to navigate. Tools that make the experience simpler and more accessible, like QR Codes, have become essential.
Let’s look at how you can improve the patient experience and your back-office operations with QR Codes, landing pages, short links, and other healthcare solutions from Bitly.
Note: The brands and examples discussed below were found during our online research for this article.
How Bitly supports healthcare engagement across the board
Every healthcare professional knows that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Let’s start by looking at how you can use Bitly to educate and communicate with your patients in almost any setting.
Simplify patient communications with short, branded links
Healthcare providers are moving more of their processes online, providing patients with digital links to book appointments, access their records, and fill out forms.
However, links can also be a barrier for patients. Long URLs are hard to read and remember, or type, from a printout. If you’re sharing links via SMS and email, long links can get cut off from view or look like spam. So there’s a risk that patients will avoid using the links altogether or end up in the wrong place.
Shortened links are a much easier way to connect your patients with web pages, turning long, complex URLs into compact, readable links. Bitly’s URL shortener also lets you customize the link (with custom domains and back-halves for some paid plans), which has two important uses.
First, short URLs that use a brand name or key phrase are more memorable than a random string of letters and numbers. Second—and even more importantly—they reassure your patients. When patients see a link that matches the healthcare facility’s name, they know it’s trustworthy.
Make printed materials interactive with QR Codes
The biggest benefit of QR Codes is that they connect the online and offline worlds. That’s why QR Codes for healthcare are especially useful—while admin and records are digital, most care happens in person.
You can display QR Codes on almost any physical surface or print materials, such as brochures, appointment cards, prescriptions, or front desk signage. Patients simply scan the code with their smartphone to open a link to a specific digital resource.
This makes QR Codes a valuable tool for patient education and communication. Use them in marketing materials to raise awareness of screening programs or healthcare services. A QR Code on a prescription could offer information on potential side effects or a refill request form. You could even share feedback forms or other surveys to understand how your patients perceive their care.
Track patient behavior and optimize outreach with analytics
QR Codes and short links can help you share all kinds of resources with your patients. The link itself can also be a valuable source of insight for you.
All Bitly Codes are Dynamic. These codes (as well as Bitly’s shortened links) are trackable, meaning you get a comprehensive view of scan activity to see which codes get the most engagement.
Bitly Analytics’ data shows you metrics like how often people engage with your QR Codes or links (Note: Metrics vary depending on your Bitly plan). In healthcare, this could be accessing a PDF via URL about certain medication, side effects, or medical conditions. If people are visiting the linked resource often, it’s a good sign that the information is useful. You can use those insights when creating future content, such as a seasonal marketing campaign for flu shots.
What sets this data apart is its seamless accessibility, all on one intuitive page. You can check engagement for all your short links and QR Codes on the homepage of your Bitly account.
Create mobile-friendly experiences with Bitly Pages
Short links and QR Codes are useful when you already have a web page or an online form and you’re just looking for a way to share it. But sometimes, you’re starting from scratch.
Bitly Pages is a great tool for creating shareable, mobile-friendly, no-code landing pages in minutes. Whether you start with a blank sheet or use a template from our library, you can build a page with zero coding skills.
Healthcare communications can move quickly. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers had to quickly compile vaccine resources, home care advice, or health information at a moment’s notice—all of which needed to be remotely accessible. With Bitly Pages, it’s easy to create and update your landing page with new links and information as often as needed. This makes it easy to share urgent updates, educate your patients, or announce new healthcare services.
Use cases across the healthcare journey
From a patient’s perspective, navigating the healthcare journey can often feel confusing, unclear, and even intimidating. You can improve the healthcare experience by using short links and mobile-friendly landing pages to keep patients up to date. Every touchpoint, from first appointment to follow-up care, is an opportunity to inform and reassure them.
Share appointment links securely and clearly
Many healthcare practices now schedule appointments online, then send out automated reminders and confirmations via email or SMS. It’s fast and convenient for both staff and patients.
However, it’s crucial to remain mindful of safety concerns. From a staff perspective, ensuring patient authentication and privacy is essential. For patients, the uncertainty of opening unfamiliar links, especially those received via text or email, can be a source of anxiety.
Bitly provides an extra level of security and reassurance. Instead of sending a long URL full of random characters to book an appointment, you can send a custom-branded link.
By clearly showing that the link comes from your practice, patients may be more likely to click, potentially increasing appointment uptake and attendance. Even more, every Bitly link uses HTTPS encryption, which means it’s a secure connection.
Streamline access to telehealth services
Telehealth has become a key part of primary healthcare in recent years. According to a Doximity survey, the number of physicians reporting telemedicine as an active skill doubled from 20% to just under 40% as of 2020. However, there are still some barriers to remote healthcare, including access to high-speed internet, economic hardship, and patient confidence.
To help patients access telehealth resources more easily, you can share QR Codes linking to simple instructions on how to join a telehealth appointment via URL. You can also use QR Codes to invite patients to sign up for telehealth or make a self-referral to a remote care provider. Simply connect the QR Code to your sign-up form or appointment scheduling page via URL and share the code in easy visibility areas: discharge paperwork, office signage, or even in email newsletters.
Improve outreach for vaccination and screening campaigns
Vaccination and screening campaigns save millions of lives every year, but it’s an ongoing struggle to keep the public’s attention. In the past few years, experts have raised the alarm about falling uptake for cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccines, among other programs.
To increase bookings, start by meeting people where they are—on their phones. Short links and QR Codes can simplify the path from awareness to action. For example, add a QR Code to posters in clinics or pharmacies that links directly to an online booking page for flu shots. Or include a short link in SMS reminders and social media posts that takes users straight to an appointment scheduler for cervical cancer screenings.
Both formats offer a seamless experience: scan or click, then book. And with Bitly, you can track which channels—email, print, social media, or in-person signage—drive the most engagement, so you can double down on what’s working.
Support post-visit care with accessible resources
Once patients leave a healthcare facility, their care isn’t over. Aftercare, medication instructions, and health education all have a vital role to play. Plus, staying connected is key for admin tasks like processing payments or gathering customer feedback.
However, collecting and sharing all that information can be a challenge. Patients might feel overwhelmed or distracted, especially if they’re facing significant health concerns. And no one wants to sift through piles of paperwork to find the one piece of information they need.
QR Codes and short links allow you to organize and share additional information, giving patients easy access whenever they need it most, and on their own time.
For example, a QR Code on a prescription could direct patients to detailed instructions on how to take the medication and possible side effects. A short link on a checkout form could guide patients to an online resource center with aftercare advice, information about their condition, or a way to provide feedback on their care.
Enhance staff onboarding and training
Tools like QR Codes and short links can improve your internal communications as well as your customer service strategy. When you use them to train staff and share information, you can streamline onboarding and improve internal workflows, positively impacting patient care.
For example, new staff members might need helpful documents like facility maps, org charts, or documentation of standard procedures, along with all the usual onboarding and training documents.
You can use short links and QR Codes in welcome emails or printed welcome packets to share these resources with new staff. Instead of handing them a stack of paper or sending a mile-long email, you can give them targeted links that go directly to the information they’ll need, right when they need it.
Plus, with Bitly Analytics, you can even get onboarding insights. Track total link engagements and see how many times resources have been accessed over time, which devices were used, and where the traffic came from. A sudden drop in engagements could signal a bottleneck—maybe a key document isn’t being found or accessed. With these insights, your HR or training team can fine-tune onboarding flows and offer timely support where it’s needed most.
Monitor and improve internal communications
Once staff are onboarded, you’ll still need to share or request information periodically. When you use short links or QR Codes from Bitly for internal communications, you can keep track of this information sharing in real time.
Say you want to share a wellness initiative or announce a change to shift schedules. You could send out a short link in an SMS blast or create a QR Code to display in high-traffic areas, such as break and changing rooms.
Link analytics will show you how many times a link was opened or scanned, and if it’s not getting much traction, you can test out different calls-to-action or QR Code placements to encourage engagement.
Examples for marketing and patient education teams
Outreach is a vital, ongoing part of healthcare communications. You need ways to raise awareness and engage with the community, including people who don’t visit their doctor regularly. Since this audience may be less likely to engage with healthcare content, you need to make it as easy as possible for them.
Promote health tips and updates on social media
Social media is a powerful channel for reaching new patients. Anyone can come across your posts on social media and start following you for more information. If one gains traction, an awareness-raising post could even go viral and reach millions.
However, there are a couple of obstacles to overcome.
Many users are skeptical of clicking on unfamiliar links, and some platforms downrank posts that include external URLs.
To address both issues, use branded short links to build trust and boost engagement. A custom link like yourclinic.com/vaccines immediately signals your identity and purpose, making it far more trustworthy than a generic URL.
Then, get creative with how you share. Use a Bitly link-in-bio to direct followers to a hub of your latest health tips, event sign-ups, and screening reminders all in one place. Or, post a QR Code image alongside your update so users can scan it straight from their screen. For example, a post about flu prevention could include a QR Code that leads directly to your online appointment booking system.
This approach makes it easy for people to take action, and with Bitly’s engagement data, you’ll know exactly which posts and formats are working best.
Power offline to online campaigns with QR Codes
A lot of community outreach happens offline, through physical marketing materials like billboards, posters, banners, or flyers. With QR Codes, you can connect visitors to a wealth of online information while interacting with them in person.
Display QR Codes on banners at wellness fairs and community health events, or include them in billboard ads to get attention from commuters. They can lead to a wide range of content, which makes them ideal for public engagement. You can use them to share web pages, PDFs, videos, interactive experiences, or even support groups.
You can also update the destination URL of Dynamic QR Codes at any time. So when you create a new campaign, there’s no need to reprint all your materials: The same QR Code can redirect people to the new destination.
Launch targeted campaigns with landing pages
Sometimes, you need to get a campaign off the ground quickly. For example, you might be responding to a local disease outbreak, giving the public relevant information. In other cases, you might only want to share information temporarily, like during cancer awareness month.
Bitly Pages helps you create landing pages in minutes and generate short, shareable links to match. You can use a professional template to get started or create your own content from scratch. Bitly Pages are automatically optimized for mobile, and you can include rich content like videos, images, and further links.
For example, if you were taking action against a disease outbreak, you could include images and text about what symptoms to look out for. You could even incorporate a video that shows people how to slow the spread of infection.
Examples for front desk and operations teams
Administrative and operational teams play a critical role in the patient experience. They’re responsible for checking patients in, handling insurance and payments, reporting critical information, and helping with a wide range of additional needs, such as making content accessible in other languages. QR Codes and short links can help to streamline those tasks and improve the patient experience even more.
Link to patient intake forms and waivers
There’s a lot of paperwork involved in onboarding patients, including consent forms, HIPAA compliance, and insurance verification. Switching patient intake forms to a digital format can save you time, money, and paper.
Best of all, you can share forms ahead of time so that patients can fill them out before they come in for their first appointment. You can send short links and QR Codes via email or SMS, and patients can fill out the forms on their computers or mobile phones. Alternatively, you can display QR Codes in the reception area for patients to access the forms on the spot.
Enable quick access to Wi-Fi and check-in kiosks
Now that most people have smartphones, patients increasingly expect seamless digital experiences, including easy access to Wi-Fi and self-service check-in.
Instead of having them ask staff for the Wi-Fi password, place a QR Code in your waiting area that links to a secure page with login credentials. This lets patients connect instantly, whether they’re pulling up digital intake forms or simply passing time while they wait.
You can also streamline the check-in process using QR Codes at physical kiosks or printed signage. Patients simply scan the code with their phone to open your mobile check-in page, where they can confirm their appointment, update personal details, and even review consent forms—all before they ever approach the front desk.
This contactless approach not only shortens wait times and lightens the load on staff but also helps minimize the spread of germs in shared spaces.
Provide contactless payment options
Contactless payment has become the new norm, with almost 90% of U.S. consumers using it for its speed, flexibility, and hygiene (a must in a healthcare setting). They can also help reduce front desk congestion.
Instead of asking patients to wait in line or handle shared payment terminals, front desk teams can offer QR Codes that link directly to secure online payment portal pages via URL. These can be displayed at check-in kiosks, printed on receipts, or posted in waiting areas, allowing patients to scan and pay right from their phones.
QR Codes can also link to detailed bill breakdowns, “pay later” options, or payment plan applications, so patients can choose the best option for their needs, all without face-to-face interactions or paperwork.
Using branded short links or QR Codes reassures patients that they’re sending payments to the correct account, not falling victim to phishing scams. And for operations teams, Bitly provides real-time insights into which codes are being used, helping you spot trends, identify gaps, and improve your payment workflows.
Support multilingual patient access
Nearly 68 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home, and while many speak at least some English, they may not be fluent enough to fully understand healthcare paperwork and resources.
When you’re getting serious medical news or trying to learn about your new prescription, the last thing you need is to struggle to understand your healthcare provider. Plus, offering resources in multiple languages can also help with community engagement and public education programs.
You can support multilingual patients in your care by creating QR Codes that link to language-specific pages. For example, you could display QR Codes in your reception area that link to intake forms in Spanish or Mandarin.
Once your codes are in use, the scan data can help you better understand and support your patients. If the Spanish QR Code sees significantly more traffic than the Mandarin version, you might prioritize expanding Spanish-language resources going forward.
Manage and update critical info in real time
Using short links and QR Codes can help you share information across a range of locations and media channels. But what happens when a form needs a tweak, you change payment processors, or a best-practice guideline is updated?
With Bitly Pages and Dynamic QR Codes, you can update your destination URL at any time (with select plans). Each code you update will automatically redirect to the new resource, so there’s no regenerating, reprinting, or reissuing needed. It’s a huge time-saver that can help boost your operational efficiency.
How Bitly supports secure, private sharing for healthcare environments
Data privacy is a vital concern for anyone who works in healthcare. You support patients at their most vulnerable and are tasked with keeping sensitive personal records.
Unfortunately, that patient data also makes healthcare a target for scams and identity theft. On top of your HIPAA obligations, you also need to protect patients from theft of their personal data. Here’s how Bitly builds trust and privacy into all its tools.
Use HTTPS-enabled links for data protection
Every link that you create with Bitly is encrypted with HTTPS, which protects data as it travels between your patients and your website. This added layer of security helps safeguard the integrity of the link, preventing tampering or interception, whether it’s shared via email, SMS, or displayed on public signage. With HTTPS, you can confidently share links across channels, knowing they uphold modern standards for privacy and trust.
Minimize access risks with Dynamic QR Codes
Dynamic QR Codes give you full control over where your QR Code leads, even after it’s been printed or shared. With certain Bitly plans, you can update the destination URL at any time, ensuring users are never sent to outdated content. This helps minimize access risks like broken links, incorrect information, or content being accessed after it’s no longer valid.
By centralizing management of all your QR Codes, links, and landing pages in the Bitly Connections Platform, you can quickly audit, update, or deactivate links as needed, reducing the risk of misuse and ensuring a consistent, secure experience across every touchpoint.
Keep links branded and trusted to reduce phishing concerns
When you create short links with Bitly, you have the option to customize them. You can use your custom domain, add the name of your healthcare service or facility, or include a few words to describe where the link leads. This reassures patients and encourages them to only open genuine links that match your branding.
Choosing the right Bitly products for your needs: What to consider
Short links and QR Codes are useful in almost every aspect of healthcare, from the front desk to patient care and back-office operations. However, exactly how you use those tools will depend on your goals, team size, and technical skills. Before you get started with Bitly, follow these steps to find the right tools for your needs.
When to use links vs. QR Codes vs. landing pages
Short links are best when you want patients to perform a specific action, especially if it involves personal data. For example, you can use short links to handle appointment bookings, confirm appointments, or share forms for patients to fill out.
Because they can be displayed anywhere, in print or on screen, healthcare QR Codes are ideal for reaching a wide audience. They’re best if you want to run a public awareness campaign, share general healthcare resources, or offer touch-free check-in at the reception desk.
Finally, Bitly Pages is useful when you need to share new information quickly or create a centralized hub for multiple links, like in a marketing campaign. Easily create mobile-friendly landing pages for emergency information, seasonal campaigns, or links to different versions of a page in multiple languages.
All of these tools can be combined as well. For example, you could create a Bitly Page to drive awareness and sign-ups for seasonal flu vaccinations, then share it via a Bitly Link in emails and a Bitly Code in signage and handouts.
How to connect Bitly with your EHR or patient systems
Bitly offers dozens of pre-built integrations with popular tools like Canva and Zapier to streamline your work. So, if you use a customer relationship management (CRM) tool like HubSpot to handle patient data, you can link your HubSpot and Bitly accounts to use both tools together.
Even if you can’t find a native integration in the Bitly Marketplace, you can use Bitly’s API to connect it to your software stack, like electronic health record (EHR) systems.
Using analytics to demonstrate ROI and improve workflows
Bitly Analytics can help you understand how, where, and when patients interact with the links and codes you share. Check in on the number of scans or clicks each link gets, and you’ll gain an understanding of which links are most valuable to your patients. You can also run A/B tests to compare different QR Code designs or placements (linked to the same URL) to determine which gets the most engagement.
Bitly’s tracking data includes:
- Total scans/clicks
- Scans/clicks over time
- Scans/clicks by location (city/country)
- Scans/clicks by referrer
- Scans/clicks by device (iOS or Android, desktop or mobile)
This data can also help inform your marketing spend and even support grant or funding reports. If you run targeted public information campaigns, for instance, you can use click and scan data to show whether your outreach was successful.
Help patients and healthcare teams stay connected with Bitly
Healthcare is a vast and complex field, and tools like short links and QR Codes can help simplify it. Short, secure links mean that your patients can access information, book appointments, and stay in touch with you more easily. QR Codes can help you educate patients with all kinds of content, shared in any context. You can also use short links and QR Codes behind the scenes: to train staff, share information quickly, and offer services like contactless payments or translations.
Bitly is your trusted platform for clear, fast, and flexible communication with patients. Whether you’re booking appointments, managing follow-up care, taking payments, or running public information campaigns, our tools can help.
Short links, QR Codes, and no-code landing pages can all help you reach patients in different ways, and whichever tool you use, you can rely on secure connections, seamless tracking, and branding features that build trust with your patients. Plus, our pricing plans and capabilities are ready to scale with your business, from family-run practices to nationwide health education.
Get started with Bitly today to streamline your operations and transform your patient experience.
