Patient Engagement Blog

COVID-19 has rapidly accelerated telehealth adoption, which has proven a highly effective alternative to in-person care throughout the pandemic. However, for many healthcare practices, virtual care services are still a relatively new initiative.

Healthcare has never been more competitive than it is today. The rise of healthcare consumerism has completely changed the game. Modern consumers have higher expectations in terms of the cost, quality, and type of care they receive. They’re also more willing than ever before to switch providers in pursuit of a better care experience when those expectations aren’t being met.

COVID-19 has uprooted many firmly held processes at healthcare practices, initiating a fundamental shift in the way care is delivered. Like so many other areas of our lives, the patient journey looks vastly different amid the health crisis.

The healthcare industry is no stranger to change. From adopting new care-delivery and payment models to embracing modern technology and aligning with consumer expectations, it’s clear that today’s healthcare practices have their hands full. 

These days, nearly every healthcare practice uses some type of portal to engage patients and improve health outcomes. A recent survey revealed that 90 percent of healthcare organizations offer portal access to their patients. However, despite this widespread adoption, the same survey found that less than one-third of patients actively use the portal available to them.

Today’s healthcare consumers have much higher expectations than ever before. They want and demand quality, personalized care experiences—and if they’re not satisfied, they’re certainly not afraid to jump ship.

When you’re thinking about improving patient engagement, it’s easy to hone in on the effect it will have on your own practice alone. The benefits speak for themselves: If you do it well, you’ll get more business, retain more patients, and remain more profitable.

The patient intake process can be quite cumbersome and can cause headaches for your already strained ancillary medical staff and patients alike. Paper forms are slow, prone to error, and simply outdated. These days, it seems like nearly everything is going digital—why shouldn’t your patient intake process follow suit?

Consumers today crave convenience—we can buy our favorite products with a single click, get groceries delivered straight to our doorstep, and access any information at the drop of a hat.

The world as we’ve known it has changed dramatically over the last few months. COVID-19 has transformed the way we work, interact, shop, and even how we access healthcare. Though it’s difficult to predict anything with certainty, some trends are likely to continue throughout the rest of 2020 and beyond.