What do patients want?

As technology takes a starring role in healthcare, patients are seeking user-friendly experiences from their healthcare provider.

According to a news release from healthcare communication platform Updox, a patient experience survey found that 51 percent of respondents say that user-friendly technology is important to a good patient experience. A further 53 percent say that they would most prefer to update or provide their patient information, such as health conditions and new prescriptions, digitally via online forms accessed securely by mobile phone, email, or patient portal. Another 55 percent say convenient communications as key to their having a good patient experience.

“It’s clear that COVID-19 has impacted and even accelerated the expectations and preferences of patients and the ways they prefer to engage with and receive care from their healthcare provider,” Zach Zettler, president of Updox, says in the release. “It is critical for practices to adjust to these needs to better connect with patients where they are – on their phones. When it comes to technology solutions that consumers believe are important for a healthcare provider to offer, it’s all digital.”

The pandemic has also changed patients’ expectations of healthcare. Some of what patients now expect include:

• 42 percent expect electronic forms or online paperwork options
• 41 percent expect direct access to their healthcare provider over the phone, video calls, text messaging, or emails
• 41 percent expect telehealth appointment options to be available
• 39 percent say they expect communications can be conducted virtually
• 37 percent expect virtual waiting room options

“Communication can truly be a huge barrier in getting healthcare services, which is why it’s so important for today’s providers to focus first on establishing relationships,” Sherie Garrison, RN, of Luke Project 52 Clinic, says in the release. “At my clinic, Updox really is the glue we use to build trust with our patients. Texting with them isn’t always medically related — it’s a way to show we care about them, and we’re connected to them.”