From curbside check-ins and parking lot waiting rooms to telemedicine and virtual care, patients now expect consumer-like experiences from healthcare providers.
However, many organizations have been slow to make the shift at the expense of the patient experience. Two-thirds of patients in the U.S. have had a negative healthcare experience, according to a 2021 survey of more than 1,700 people.
Becker's Hospital Review recently spoke with four healthcare experts to better understand what the future may hold and how their organizations are using technology and data to create exceptional patient experiences:
- Arun Budhwani, head of client experience, Cortica Care in Short Hills, N.J.
- Jennifer Johnson, director of operations, The Stepping Stones Autism Services Group in Ventura, Calif.
- Zak Pines, vice president of partnerships, Formstack in Fishers, Ind.
- Jonathan Spero, MD, president, founder and CEO, InHouse Physicians in Naperville, Ill.
Patients today expect a frictionless and personalized healthcare experience
In industries like banking or real estate, customers are presented with flexible, adaptable digital forms that support eSignatures. Streamlined processes provide a better customer experience and faster access to services. Many healthcare organizations, however, have lagged in their efforts to make patient processes frictionless.
As Mr. Budhwani noted, "When I walk into a medical or doctor's office, I don't want to be handed a stack of forms. Why can't I complete paperwork and e-consent on an iPad? I would encourage healthcare organizations to be thoughtful about what patients want when they visit a medical office and then tailor that experience."
Patients and clients also feel a greater affinity toward healthcare providers if they experience a personalized touch. The Stepping Stones Autism Services Group recently evaluated, streamlined and personalized all its customer touch points, from first encounter all the way through the authorization and reauthorization process.
"Formstack has allowed us to digitize our client enrollment packet and create a more positive experience from the moment that a client first steps in the door virtually or physically," Ms. Johnson said. "We've found the more we can give white-glove service to our clients and their parents, the greater affinity they have for us as a provider."
Formstack simplifies deployment of a digital front door
As healthcare organizations pursue digital transformation, they are looking for flexible, easy-to-implement solutions. InHouse Physicians administers hundreds of thousands of digital health surveys, as well as vaccine and testing registrations, for employers and event organizers. Formstack has been a powerful solution for their business needs.
"We see these people once, so we don't need a full-fledged EMR system," Dr. Spero said. "We do need a way to record information, however. Formstack is a flexible, HIPAA-compliant platform that enables us to record the encounters and obtain the proper consents and signatures. It has an agility factor that's music to my ears as the CEO of a company."
Formstack's no-code approach helps organizations become more responsive to the dynamic healthcare environment. "We can implement workflow process improvements more effectively and proactively by dragging and dropping widgets that are already pre-coded behind the scenes," Ms. Johnson said. "During the pandemic, this capability has been critical for accommodating rapidly changing requirements."
No-code functionality allows businesses to use technology solutions on demand to suit their needs. "Historically, we hired developers and took a waterfall approach to development," Mr. Budhwani said. "Eight times out of 10, the results weren't what we wanted. Having a no-code solution in place gives more control and agility. I love it."
When Mr. Budhwani started at Cortica Care, the intake process consisted of 368 questions across five different forms and five technologies. With Formstack, he has been able to consolidate that into a personalized experience.
"At Cortica, we talk a lot about giving our patients a warm hug. That was hard to do with our legacy technology stack," Mr. Budhwani said. "Now we can make our forms very personalized. It feels more like a warm hug than a formal, impersonal interaction. It's a powerful message when you are having challenges and the provider understands who you are and where you are in your journey."
Conclusion
Healthcare organizations of all kinds have found that Formstack creates seamless and personalized patient experiences, as well as standardized information for back-office staff to work from. "We want to retain both clients and employees," Ms. Johnson said. "Formstack optimizes experiences for both groups and establishes guardrails, so people provide the information you want using lean processes."