According to a new report from Accenture, two out of three patients are likely to switch to a new healthcare provider if their expectations for managing COVID-19 are not met. These include sanitary and safety protocols, access to up-to-date information and the availability of virtual care options.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced healthcare stakeholders of all kinds to drastically overhaul and restructure their systems to accommodate virtual care models. As a result, health systems’ revenue and patient volume plummeted, made worse by the industry’s slow-to-adopt virtual care practices that deprioritized the importance of patient experiences, Accenture researchers noted.
Based on a survey of more than 4,600 U.S. respondents, the report, “Elevating the Patient Experience to Fuel Growth,” concludes that patients are looking for a safer, more secure and convenient healthcare experience. In addition, those who believe their healthcare providers handled COVID-19 poorly (25 percent of respondents) were three times more likely than satisfied patients to say they will either delay seeking services for at least a year or never return to that healthcare provider.
To this end, the research indicates that those health systems that evolve to meet new consumer experience needs can expedite financial recovery and capture patients from competitors, potentially increasing their revenues by 5 percent to 10 percent pre-COVID levels within 12 months—which, for a $5 billion health system, would mean between $250 million and $500 million in additional annual revenues.
The researchers noted, “As people adapt to the ways in which the world has changed, patients who put off receiving care because of the pandemic are considering a return. While health systems have revamped operations to improve safety and make the return of patients possible, the patient experience must also be addressed to convince many to re-enter the system. If it is not made a top priority, patients are likely to switch to competitors, as our research indicates. This will further damage growth potential for the long term.”
The report suggests four ways to improve the patient experience:
· Address patient concerns in a personalized manner: Communicate specific actions taken to protect patients, such as offering separate entrances, allowing contactless payment and online paperwork, or even describing the advanced level of protective gear used by staff. When possible, physicians should deliver the message directly.
· Meet people at the front door: Address unique patient needs and ease COVID-19 concerns before a patient steps foot into the office or enters a virtual waiting room. Embed new safety and wellness protocols and practices throughout every interaction, from finding a doctor to scheduling an appointment or completing registration in advance of a visit. In fact, the survey found that 74 percent of patients are now likely to use online chat or texting to provide check-in information before their appointment if such a service is available.
· Enhance virtual care capabilities: Develop new models that use more virtual care, from bookings to meetings, so that those who remain wary of in-person care have more options. Patients have indicated a strong desire for this to happen. In a survey of 2,700 patients that Accenture conducted in May, 60 percent said that based on their experience using virtual care and devices during the pandemic, they want to use technology more for communicating with healthcare providers and managing their conditions in the future.
· Listen through social channels: Actively monitor local and national social channels to gather real-time insight into patient perceptions and community sentiment. This enables quick operational pivots to address consumer needs and measure progress along the way.
Ultimately, according to the report, “Health systems cannot afford to lose patients to competitors, especially since COVID-19 is showing no signs of slowing down and could present renewed financial challenges. While switching providers due to a poor patient experience is always a possible risk, it is especially so now as patients are evaluating whether to return and which system is best prepared to meet their needs. The pandemic has amplified the need to deliver safe, convenient and accessible care—but patients aren’t always aware of the measures providers have put in place. Personalized communications and targeted outreach should make clear to consumers what providers are doing to deliver care safely.”
Jean-Pierre Stephan, managing director, Accenture Health, added in a statement, “Our research clearly shows that the patient experience matters now more than ever. This should be interpreted as positive news because it means the future is in the hands of healthcare providers to embrace change and provide better healthcare experiences. We’re advising providers take this opportunity to offer a holistic, digital approach that centers on the patient’s access to quality care and post-care services; this will better position healthcare providers for long-term growth.”
