2021 Witnesses a Considerable Surge in Patient Health Satisfaction

As out-of-pocket costs rise, the ultimate patient experience is altering, and providers will need to look beyond their present patient satisfaction initiatives to deliver. As consumer out-of-pocket expenses have surged under high-deductible health plans and other cost-sharing arrangements, the importance of both patient experience and patient satisfaction has expanded significantly in the last decade.

• Involvement: Patients are no longer astonished to learn that they owe money for a routine doctor’s visit or an elective hospital procedure. As a result, patients are becoming more involved in the financial aspects of their healthcare, obtaining pricing estimates, entering onto a portal to pay a medical bill, or calling their provider to inquire about payment options.
• Experience: “The future of patient experience will mimic what’s happening in retail—with savvy online consumers,” says Joe McMurray, Senior Vice President of Patient Experience at Zotec Partners. “It is moving more and more to mobile, text, email, and everything at your fingertips.”
• Retail: In healthcare, the change to a more retail-like patient experience is already underway. According to data, younger patients are abandoning traditional care providers in favor of retail clinics and virtual care options, as they are dissatisfied with the traditional patient experience. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 epidemic, patients of all ages have become increasingly comfortable and satisfied with alternate care delivery methods such as telemedicine.
• Virtual: Implementing contactless forms of payment, which became prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, is a perfect example of how healthcare businesses can provide a more retail-like patient experience. To make patient payment easier and more convenient, providers can provide Apple Pay, Venmo, PayPal, and even e-check.
• Automated: Retail clinics and virtual care visits offer patients the convenience they want, while also delivering a more seamless, automated experience they can access using a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. “Medical bills can be complex and therefore complicated,” McMurray states. “When patients are sick, scared, or even confused as to how they are going to pay, they need to know that someone is there to help them.”