Healthcare consumers are forcing health-related startups and providers to rethink and emphasize the user experience, according to a recent Black Book survey.
Black Book asked 650 healthcare consumers in the U.S. about their thoughts on health providers' engagement abilities. The average age of respondents was 37.2.
Here are five survey insights:
1. Most consumers (92 percent) said health providers should make improving the customer experience a top strategic priority over the next 12 months.
2. Consumers are confident advanced technology will be available in the third quarter of 2018, including digital provider tools (93 percent), virtual access points (85 percent), online scheduling (97 percent), online payment options (92 percent), and price transparency tools (94 percent).
3. Patients (90 percent) no longer feel obligated to stay with healthcare providers who don't meet their digital needs.
4. Eighty-eight percent of respondents under the age of 40 said they would choose their next healthcare provider based on the strength of their online presence.
5. The majority of consumers (83 percent) said these four technologies were most important:
- Digital scheduling
- Online payment options
- Portal and engagement capabilities
- Results reporting tools