Health systems are under a lot of stress right now, but the actions they take to address the patient experience will have a major impact down the road.
While the United States awaits approval of COVID-19 vaccines, a startling new survey found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of U.S. patients would consider switching health care providers if their current provider fails to meet their expectations for managing coronavirus-related concerns.
Based on responses of more than 4,600 individuals, the report from the global professional services company Accenture notes that patients seek a safer, more secure, and convenient health care experience — including strict sanitary and safety protocols, as well as virtual care options.
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The report, titled "Elevating the Patient Experience to Fuel Growth," also indicated that respondents who believe their health care providers handled COVID-19 poorly were three times more likely than satisfied patients to either delay seeking services for at least a year or never return to that health care provider.
"Our research clearly shows that the patient experience matters now more than ever. This should be interpreted as positive news, because it means the future is in the hands of health care providers to embrace change and provide better health care experiences," Jean-Pierre Stephan, managing director for Accenture Health, said in a statement.
"While many health systems have improved safety protocols in light of COVID-19, they must also make the patient experience a top priority, not just to convince people to return, but also to lead the way in reimagining the future of health care. … [H]ealth systems need to provide effective, trusted, reliable care — both in person and virtually — while instilling confidence and demonstrating safety and respect."
To that end, Accenture offers the following four ways in which providers can improve the patient experience:
1. Address patient concerns in a personalized manner. Communicate specific actions taken to protect patients — offering separate entrances, allowing contactless payment and online paperwork, or describing the advanced level of protective gear used by staff. When possible, physicians should deliver this message directly.
2. Meet people at the front door. Address patient needs and ease COVID-19 concerns before a patient steps foot into the office or enters a virtual waiting room. Embed new safety and wellness protocols and practices throughout every interaction, from finding a doctor to scheduling an appointment or completing registration in advance of a visit.
3. Enhance virtual care capabilities. Develop new models that use more virtual care — from bookings to meetings — so that patients who remain wary of in-person care have more options. In May, Accenture surveyed 2,700 patients and found that 60% want to use technology for communicating with health care providers and managing their conditions in the future.
4. Listen through social media channels. Actively monitor local and national social media channels to gather real-time insight into patient perceptions and community sentiment. This will allow for quick pivots in addressing consumer needs and measuring progress along the way.
"Health systems that evolve to meet new consumer experience needs can expedite financial recovery and capture patients from competitors, potentially increasing their revenues by 5% to 10% pre-COVID levels within 12 months," researchers noted.
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