Over the past 10 years, the healthcare system has undergone a massive digital transformation aimed at improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery. “Paper” patient data has been replaced with Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and Electronic Health Records (EHRs). It’s presently going through a new phase of transition called the “Digital Patient Experience.”

As seen by the advent of wearables, medical applications, walk-in clinics, and other consumer-driven innovations, the digital patient experience has been driven by progressive growth in consumerism in the healthcare system over the past 20 years, in contrast to the previous shift. 

Initially, the shift to digital patient encounters was gradual. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a “digital shock” that significantly quickened the rate at which the medical community adopted this innovative strategy.

Self-managed care and a digital medical presence are becoming more and more important in the modern era, as indicated by Accenture’s 2019 Digital Health Consumer Survey, which found that over 50% of patients prefer healthcare providers to have digital capabilities.

The following is a conversation about how to enhance a patient’s digital experience: 

Why Is the Digital Patient Experience so Important?

The interactions patients make with technology at each stage of their care journey are collectively referred to as the digital patient experience. It does affect how patients view their current multi-touchpoint treatment experience.

Research indicates that patients favor and are increasingly utilizing digital channels to obtain medical care. Therefore, offering a top-notch digital patient experience will support your efforts to draw in and keep patients. 

Meeting patient expectations not only improves a practice’s reputation but also helps it become the go-to provider in the area.

Approximately 60% of customers use the internet to study potential new providers. A comparable proportion of people look up a doctor’s website before choosing one. It’s undeniable that healthcare providers frequently struggle to draw in and keep patients without offering a better online experience.

Enhancing Digital Patient Experience In Healthcare

To help grow your practice, enhance the patient digital journey with these key elements that consumers prefer today:

Use of AI in Managing Health Data

Large-scale patient data recording and storage, particularly that which is obtained through mobile health apps, is best served by artificial intelligence (AI). AI can also assist healthcare providers in doing better data analysis.
AI has the potential to lower the annual number of needless in-patient doctor visits, according to an Accenture survey. This is so that individuals may notice and start identifying their symptoms before seeing a doctor. 

It can further enhance diagnosis and even identify diseases based on speech, facial features, X-rays, and retina scans. Patients benefit from it, but doctors may also take more accurate medical analyses with no possibility of human error thanks to it. 

A Robust Online Presence

By attending to the priorities of their customers, healthcare providers can leave a lasting impression on the web. Since 71% of potential patients will use your information to compare your practice to competitors, you must give accurate and thorough information.

• When using search functions on your website to search for specific information or services on healthcare websites, about 55% of consumers anticipate a seamless experience.
• Having a mobile-optimized website is another approach to improve the digital patient experience—a crucial deciding factor for customers searching for medical information or services online. 
• Digital healthcare access goals like patient monitoring and check-in management can be met with a website that excels in readability, navigation, and other areas.
• Lastly, expand your internet reach by creating an inclusive and universally accessible website for your clinic. That can include changing the language on your website to accommodate different linguistic preferences, depending on the local groups you’re targeting. Screen readers for patients with visual impairments allow you to expand your online clientele to include those with special needs.

Online Appointment Scheduling And Cancellations

Consumers of healthcare have been increasingly inclined to schedule appointments online over time. Demonstrating your clinical knowledge is no longer sufficient; a growing number of patients prefer the ease of digitally scheduling your care services. 

It should be a part of your practice’s digital patient experience because some people will look at it before selecting a provider.
Although it’s not yet time to give up phone booking entirely, its use in the healthcare industry has been steadily declining. 

Consequently, one method to prepare your clinic for the future as healthcare consumer preferences continue to evolve is to enable online appointment scheduling and cancellation by consumers.

Telemedicine Services

With the widespread use of telemedicine by healthcare practitioners, individuals can now receive on-demand medical care from the comfort of their own homes. Despite being a relatively new idea, telemedicine is expected to have a global worth of over $66 billion by the end of 2021, according to an analysis by Mordor Intelligence.
Patients no longer need to visit a hospital because telemedicine allows them to plan video visits with doctors. Patients can receive medical care for a range of long-term conditions, including mental health, diabetes, and asthma.

There are numerous advantages to telemedicine. A study found that patients using telemedicine were more involved in their treatment overall, had 48% fewer total hospital days, and 31% fewer inpatient admissions. People are taking a more active role in their healthcare since telemedicine is more accessible than in-person appointments, where you may occasionally need to travel a considerable distance for your appointment.

Digital Engagement

The standard of your digital interactions might affect patient satisfaction, your reputation, and your financial results. A 2020 Cedar report states that approximately 28% of patients switched providers last year as a result of unsatisfactory digital health experiences. 

However, over 65% of patients stated they would submit a favorable online review if they were pleased with the quality of online interactions provided, and 98% of patients stated this had an impact on their choice of provider.

Physicians and dentists should streamline all interactions with patients during their digital journeys just to be safe. Today, financial touchpoints are a big source of suffering for a large number of healthcare consumers, therefore they should be given careful thought. 

For example, the majority of patients desire a simpler, more efficient billing procedure with text-based payment alternatives and an online portal.

Develop Patient Portals

These days, any healthcare practitioner needs to have a patient portal. The portal compiles all the information related to the patient’s health in one convenient spot.
 

A thorough portal ought to include features such as bill payment, lab result access, appointment booking, patient education and health information, post-visit summary, provider-patient communication, methods for gathering feedback, and reminders for screenings and exams.

With direct access to their medical records, a comprehensive patient portal empowers individuals to actively participate in their health management. 

Additionally, it offers a continuous feedback loop and an open channel of communication between the patient and the healthcare professional. As a result, patients can easily obtain their healthcare solutions via the portal.

Provision of Remote Monitoring and Wearable Devices

The creation of portable gadgets and smartphone apps that let patients track and monitor their health progress has exploded as a result of recent technology breakthroughs. 

There are countless uses for remote patient monitoring, including tracking blood pressure and weight and giving patients with high-risk illnesses like asthma access to real-time data. 

MySugr is one example of a technological innovation that has transformed healthcare. Blood glucose meters are linked to diabetes educators who evaluate patient data and offer one-on-one coaching through a mobile app that is paired with this technology.

Summing it up

Technology is a crucial requirement to improve performance in any field in the 21st century. Similarly, it has become a necessity in the medical field. 

Over the years, hospitals have adopted new technological developments but have failed to produce the desired positive results. They need to reframe their problem-solving approach and make it more responsible.

The world is prepared for a shift in healthcare delivery toward a patient-first, digital-first model. Healthcare has the opportunity to collaborate with patients to co-create a new paradigm centered around a seamless digital core.

Let’s breathe new life into digital and rethink patient-centered treatment. In order to establish a connected patient journey, we can work together to identify opportunities to create new digital pathways, repair disconnects, and investigate joint ventures with other healthcare stakeholders.

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