What is Customer Experience in Healthcare ?
The healthcare industry has one of the worst reputations when it comes to customer experience, and stats are proof of that. 95% of customers share bad experiences that they have in the healthcare business. This means a single blunder in patient communication can cause collateral damage to your healthcare facility.
Accenture reports that 67% percent of patients have had a negative healthcare experience. That means creating a good customer experience can help a practice stand out in a very positive way and determine whether a practice is successful or not.
Healthcare is a Customer Service Industry. It consists of all businesses that provide medical services, manufacture medical equipment or drugs, provide medical insurance, diagnostic services or otherwise facilitate the provision of healthcare to patients. The end users are Patients. So, there are two verticals i.e. Care givers/healthcare providers and Patients. Hence it becomes crucial for the caregivers to provide excellent experience throughout the journey to be able to set themselves apart from others.
When engaging with healthcare providers, patients expect more than just treatment – they want care. More importantly, patients want healthcare providers to show they care about the individual’s needs, situation, and well-being, which is demonstrated during every interaction. Kind gestures and positive everyday interactions between staff and patients result in delivery of good quality of care. A great Customer Experience starts with taking a Patient centric approach that results in higher Customer lifetime value.
The advent of digital innovations like the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) has given the healthcare industry a new outlook for customer experience. Such innovations can massively improve the customer experience of healthcare providers, thus can lead to a higher customer satisfaction index and more profits.
What challenges do healthcare brands face in delivering exceptional customer experience?
Providing a consistent customer experience across various touchpoints and departments can be complex in large healthcare organizations. CX goes beyond bedside manners and gestures, they have now become more about being responsive, efficient and being available. Strong and effective customer experiences in healthcare requires empathy, technology, and efficiency — but there are two types of obstacles that hinder many providers.
Administrative processes: Providing accurate, timely, and organized billing and appointment and reporting, admission, discharge management can be an issue for some Healthcare providers leading to Financial impact and resource drain. Moreover, Inefficient processes take a toll on resources and mistakes can have lasting implications on the provider’s reputation and could lead to negative Patient experience.
Patient engagement: Healthcare consumers expect highly personalized attention from providers. Patients are likely to avoid a practice if they don’t get adequate guidance using the patient portal or consistent quality throughout the customer journey. They want Personalized care right at the point of first contact. Inconsistence guidance or interactions can erode Patients trust and leading to poor engagement. They may seek alternatives if they feel their needs & preferences aren’t being addressed.
What strategies can healthcare brands employ to ensure a consistent and cohesive customer experience across various touchpoints?
By recognizing these challenges and implementing strategic solutions, independent healthcare practices can ensure efficient administrative processes, foster patient engagement, and build a reputation for high-quality care and patient-centric service.
Implementing integrated practice management software to automate billing, appointment scheduling, and admission/discharge processes. In addition to that providing comprehensive training to staff to ensure accuracy in administrative tasks to avoid any discrepancies. Considering outsourcing billing or administrative tasks to specialized providers to reduce the burden on in-house staff. Leverage technology for automated appointment reminders and discharge instructions to reduce the likelihood of errors.
Using personalization to improve the healthcare customer experience is necessary for any practice. Modern email marketing platforms have machine learning tools that make this kind of personalization possible — from automatic email triggers to filling in personal details on every communication. Hyper-personalization helps patients feel understood, which makes it one of the best ways to build a better CX.
Reducing Waiting times, One of the biggest complaints patients have with their healthcare providers is excessive wait times. Scheduling & Reminders of the appointments beforehand could significantly reduce the load. Also by using chatbots and FAQs portal, self-service check in to avoid getting stuck behind the desk.
Its of paramount importance to be available on every channel like email, live chat, phone, and in-person. Most importantly, the quality of the customer experience should be consistent, regardless of the channel used.
Provide 24/7 access by creating touch points that help patients manage their healthcare inside or outside of your regular business hours. When patients know they can reach you anytime, they’re more likely to choose your practice over a less accessible competitor.
Automation is an invaluable CX tool because it helps optimize workflows for both patients and care staff. Investing in processes and software that save patients time helps build trust and boosts overall customer satisfaction.
Hence a seamless end-to-end experience can be provided to patients by bettering interactions between the healthcare provider and customers across various touchpoints. Through the transition from selecting healthcare providers or scheduling appointments retention at each stage can be improved multiple folds by using innovative customer experience platforms. Customers yearn for more personalized experiences.
In what ways can technology and digital platforms be leveraged to improve customer experience in healthcare?
With the rise of consumerized healthcare, the industry is changing from traditional provider-focused models to a consumer-centric healthcare model. With healthcare costs rising and digital marketplaces offering more choices than ever, the relationship between patients and doctors is increasingly customer-driven. Providers and consumers want a seamless, convenient, and flexible relationship. Customer Experience in healthcare is how a patient perceives their online and offline interactions with a healthcare system or organization. It encompasses every stage of the patient experience, from time spent in waiting rooms to using an online patient portal. In this era of digitalization, technology can be leveraged to create seamless Customer experience journey.
Chatbots and automation
Chatbots are an excellent way to provide patients with 24/7 support. AI-powered chatbots can help answer basic questions, lowering the strain on nursing staff.
Automation can also help manage repetitive tasks like record keeping, processing claims, or appointment scheduling. This gets administrative work done faster and prevents human errors that could cause irreversible damage to a patient’s trust. Incorporating chatbots and automation not only enhances patient experiences by providing timely support and efficient processes but also contributes to staff well-being by reducing their workload on routine tasks.
Digital access
Digital access to healthcare tools via patient portals, or 3D Applications creates a seamless, self-service experience by collecting information in one location. These healthcare platforms let patients review their medical records, find answers to common questions, and schedule appointments. This saves patients time they would have spent on the phone and gives providers flexibility to focus on other tasks.
Patient Education Kiosks
Implementing Patient Education Kiosks equipped with Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in waiting areas presents a proactive approach to patient engagement. Leveraging the interactive capabilities of AR and VR, these kiosks transform idle waiting time into educational opportunities. Patients can immerse themselves in visualizations of medical procedures, receive immediate answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), and gain a deeper understanding of their healthcare journey. This not only empowers patients to make informed decisions but also reduces anxiety by demystifying complex medical concepts. By strategically placing user-friendly kiosks, healthcare providers can consistently deliver accurate information, promote patient education, and ultimately enhance the overall patient experience.
VR enabled Telemedicine
Sitting in a waiting room can be frustrating when a patient doesn’t feel well. Telemedicine lets patients avoid waiting at the office and allows them to talk with their doctor from the comfort of home. Through VR, patients can experience immersive consultations, doctors can remotely assess symptoms, and geographical barriers are transcended, providing access to specialized care.
Key Takeaway
Customer service mattered more to patients than bedside manner. But the healthcare industry struggles to adopt healthcare CX best practices because it’s difficult for independent providers to design user-friendly patient portals, automate processes, and optimize resources. While still a relatively new frontier in the industry, healthcare CX greatly impacts whether a patient returns for future care or switches to another provider — and their decisions are influenced by more than interactions and experiences. Hence creating quality customer experiences is vital to the longevity of any healthcare organization.
