Our research found that since COVID-19, 60 percent of patients want to use technology more for their healthcare. In another study, nine out of 10 patients said quality of care was “as good or better” than before COVID-19; that’s an endorsement that suggests if a healthcare provider isn’t offering effective digital services, then patients will shop around for a better healthcare experience. Indeed, our research also shows the market is rewarding organizations that use technology to stay closer to patients and stay focused on their overall well-being. Healthcare providers that get it right can expect growth four times greater than their peers. During the pandemic we found nearly two-thirds of patients (64 percent) are either likely—or highly likely—to switch to a new health system if their current providers fall short in terms of the availability of virtual care options, sanitary and safety protocols and access to up-to-date information.
Cloud is the foundation for digital transformation in healthcare, but most organizations are only about 20 percent in the cloud right now. We think most companies should be 80 percent in the cloud by 2025. The cloud allows us to connect devices and systems in ways that will make the entire industry faster and more fluid. Healthcare executives most frequently cite the ability to launch applications faster, better security and greater agility as the top benefits of cloud. In fact, 44 percent of healthcare CIOs rank cloud services as a top-three investment priority, according to our research. But this isn’t just limited to ensuring interoperability within the health ecosystem—it’s about leveraging cloud for better patient experiences.
It’s about delivering medical advice with empathy, and truly supporting patient needs. While these are ideals that sit at the foundation of our industry they sometimes get lost in discussions about technology, and we cannot afford to let that happen. We need to think about how healthcare can help deliver on that promise of better care.
For example, we’re working with one client to design a community-based hospital that reflects the idea of distributed healthcare. The proposal is that the future ‘hospital’ should not be one monolithic tower. It needs to be everywhere—in homes, in kiosks, in shopping centers, all around the community—and all these outlets need to seamlessly connect and meet patients wherever it is best for them. Digital capabilities are the infrastructure that enable better experiences for the patients, who are, after all, customers.
We’re beginning to see pockets of this focus on better experiences for the healthcare customer across the country. Some waiting rooms, for example, were equipped with touch screens to enable faster registration and seamless scheduling during the pandemic as part of social distancing measures. Some doctors used video conferencing for patient meetings and have begun to leverage more remote monitoring capabilities for people who should regularly track health data. But the digital uptake needs to continue; and healthcare providers need to think creatively about applying digital technologies.
For example, an exercise bike or rowing machine—certainly, popular equipment that many invested in during the pandemic—could become part of a person’s healthcare plan. With cloud, a physician could track a patient’s heart rate and vitals while the person is exercising. It would require both patient consent and interoperability, but a physician could be notified of any abnormalities during a standard workout. And analytics could be used to make recommendations about lifestyle to support best health outcomes. Connecting the dots of data allows healthcare organizations to predict what a patient might need next – just as an airline predicts meal selection and desired seat choice based on data. People want these types of experiences. Patients, especially those with multiple co-morbidities, want tools (both humans and machines) that can guide them through their care journey. People want a better patient experience.
And a better experience could lead to more holistic healthcare. Consider the pandemic’s effects on behavioral and mental health. Using digital capability to help focus on patient experience could be a valuable additional tool to help address mental health challenges that one in five people face. Keep in mind the number of people with such conditions is likely to rise due to the current environment of COVID-19, a year of record unemployment and periodic social unrest. Our research found that the use of virtual delivery channels could expand treatment to 53 million Americans suffering from behavioral health issues. We need to address this health challenge. And to do that, we need to leverage digital.
Put simply, digital solutions could broadly help on the delivery and the experience of healthcare. Much of the work—migrating to the cloud and selecting the platforms—is behind the scenes, not visible to the patients and might not feel like a direct corollary to delivering better experiences. But it is the foundation. And the outcomes are very much visible. Now is the time to make sure the infrastructure is in place to ensure better healthcare experiences.
Kristin Ficery leads Accenture’s North America Health practice.
