The Consumer Experience in Healthcare

What role does the consumer experience have in healthcare and how will it change the future?

“The experience that consumers have in healthcare influence their future decisions when navigating the healthcare system and their personal health behaviors. These decisions are powerful determinants of health outcomes and medical costs,” According to Gartner.

As just one data point, a 2016 Gallop poll found healthcare to be the third most poorly regarded industry among U.S. consumers (narrowly exceeding pharmaceuticals and the federal government).

That’s why healthcare organizations are shifting their focus and becoming all about the “C” word: Consumer choice, consumer engagement, and consumer experience.

Below are some opportunities for change for forward-thinking healthcare organizations.

Embrace social media to make it easier to provide customer service 

According to Wordstream, “59% of Americans with social media accounts think that customer service through social media has made it easier to get questions answered and issues resolved.” The healthcare industry is no exception as sites like Yelp, Healthgrades, Facebook and Twitter are used by consumers to decide who to choose for their healthcare needs and jump on these sites to compare services.

Align your ecosystem with your customers’ goals

Today, consumers expect a different experience and set of interactions with their health care providers than in the past (and remember, waiting is not an option for the on-demand generation). The key for healthcare payers and any other organizations in the industry are interoperable, efficient and intuitive tools that empower their consumers. Once you succeed in developing and delivering a set of truly useful tools that help customers carry out tasks simply and efficiently, you’ll gain their loyalty and you’ll see a clear picture of what’s going on.

Focus on quality and transparency

Customer behaviors aren’t the only things pushing health organizations to clean up their acts. The pressure to compete for members, patients and sales are heightened thanks to the federal government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) who launched a new version of its HospitalCompare website in August 2011 to give consumers a single source for ratings and evaluations of providers and facilities, including new Medicare STAR ratings. Staying compliant is key for separating you from the heard (luckily, we can help) and a top focus for healthcare consumers.

Integrate future-forward technologies into your organization’s ecosystem

While long-term advances in science are making headway, such as Artificial Intelligence for better-informing doctor’s about patient health, and 3D printing aiding in patient-specific customization, business process management tools are transforming how these organizations can better manage their day-to-day activities.

Though health care is experiencing a seismic shift in the type of care modern consumers expect, opportunities for those that respond to it appropriately are large. Find out how you can retain and keep happy consumers.

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