How Healthcare Providers Can Improve the Patient Experience
Healthcare customers have come to expect a level of online customer service and digital engagement similar to the experience they get from other service-based industries. While the expectation may be simple – digital, self-serve access to information via a secure portal – fulfilling these requirements is not without challenges for healthcare providers.
Consumers, in general, are increasingly open to, and comfortable with, digital communication and interaction. In fact, this year, during the pandemic, many patients took up digital communication tools for the first time, with 63% who used a video visit during the COVID-19 outbreak saying they saw good or excellent care quality.
While innovation in telehealth is key to replacing face-to-face services, such as consultations with a healthcare professional, some healthcare providers are battling to provide the most basic of patient services, namely the provision of information, in a digital way. One example of a simple communication that can be effective when presented via a portal, is the patient statement.
Patients want it, regulations allow it – why aren’t healthcare providers stepping up?
What patients really want is to be able to access information, like their statement, via a simple and accessible process without worrying about anyone seeing confidential data about their health. And, based on their digital interactions in other sectors, they expect a decent customer experience.
Although the healthcare industry is highly regulated, governments in the USA and Canada do allow digital access to information, as long as the process is fully compliant.
But, there are other complexities to providing a patient statement digitally that healthcare providers may see as insurmountable:
- Handling sensitive customer data in a way that is compliant and does not introduce risk – this means ensuring the safety and security of an online portal that contains a repository of sensitive information (which is attractive to sophisticated cyber criminals).
- The consequences, both regulatory and reputationally, of a data error that results in confidential patient information going to the wrong person.
- Accessibility and interoperability requirements are different across territories.
It’s no wonder healthcare providers are cautious about providing patient statements online.
The answer: Outsource to a vendor with healthcare expertise
Concerns about the complexity of managing data and statement composition are valid, especially considering the regulatory requirements within the healthcare industry. Being able to provide digital options at scale might be a step too far, especially considering the potential consequences of a security breach.
This is where outsourcing to a vendor with healthcare experience is a great option. Let the outsource partner worry about compliance audits and security certification.
There are many benefits an outsourced partner can offer, starting with a low capital outlay and a faster speed to market. Not to mention expertise in designing communications that achieve results – such as reducing the time it takes for the healthcare provider to get reimbursed for their services.
Tip: be sure to choose an outsource partner that keeps up with the pace of leading technology and one that can provide a solution to immediate needs, as well as a roadmap to take to a fully omnichannel patient experience.
Doxim’s patient statement solution enables you to deliver a modern patient experience, within a secure and compliant framework.
