What Are the Customer Experience Trends Within Healthcare?
Healthcare experiences are not one-size-fits-all and similar to other consumer transactions, patients desire seamless experiences that prioritize speed and convenience.
As industries like retail and hospitality continue to expand customer journeys and personalize with the customer in mind, the healthcare industry is stepping up to the challenge and investing in technology that will create more digital interactions, provide more personalized experiences, and better predict patient needs.
More Personalization for Patients
As customer expectations evolve, healthcare companies will initiate more communication strategies that meet patient privacy regulations and the personalization needs of their customers.
The National Library of Medicine found that digital personalization is not only beneficial to the patient experience but can support the industry in a variety of ways, such as:
- Being able to identify patients who are eligible for a procedure, service, or outreach
- Engaging with patients using a personalized call to action
- Improving care with the use of digital tools
- Monitoring patient progress over time to ensure continued support
Increased personalization also allows companies to create robust patient journeys using touchpoints like email, social media, text messages, or patient portals.
“Healthcare companies can use their data to power personalized experiences across a suite of solutions such as apps, call centers, and emails that will improve that patient’s experience with the brand,” says Adam DiTomasso, Solutions Consultant, Customer Insights at Blue Acorn iCi.
For example, a healthcare organization might create a customized email campaign that alerts patients about their upcoming appointments, follow-up lab results, and information to improve their health.
Adapting Initiatives To Solve The Latest Healthcare Challenges
As many healthcare workers experience burnout after the pandemic, organizations need to establish open communication channels with providers to improve patient care.
“Healthcare companies need to be able to adapt to the latest recommendations from doctors and nurses,” according to DiTomasso.
Focusing on providers' needs and creating an environment that embraces feedback from doctors and nurses will impact a patients' experience in a positive way.
Digital Healthcare Continues To Expand
Digital healthcare tools such as telehealth, chatbots, and other automations have expanded in use since 2020. Patients choose these alternative methods of care to avoid long in-office waits times and to have support 24/7. With the use of digital healthcare platforms, patients have an active role in their health management, and this can streamline administrative processes because of the increased communication between patients and providers.
As healthcare organizations evaluate and implement these trends, consumers can expect to see more accessible, efficient, and patient-centric experiences.
Is your healthcare organization looking to improve customer experiences in 2024 and beyond? Contact Blue Acorn iCi to learn how to get started. To hear more about how businesses can start their hyper personalization journey, check out Adam DiTomasso’s episode on The Funnel.