With the advancing of technology and tech-related services, more and more consumers are demanding digital advances in their everyday life. Medical providers and clinics are no exception to this shift in demand. Recent studies show patient demand for consumer-centric technology and better access to faster and more convenient medical scheduling options. According to Phreesia, a software company that offers patient intake applications to medical firms, when they offered their online self-booking services to a multi-location dermatology clinic, the number of self-scheduled appointments rose to 70% in less than four months (Wachler, 2020).
According to a Black Book Market Research study with 650 health consumers in Q2 of 2018, a whopping 97% of patients expect to be able to use online scheduling options to engage with their healthcare provider. Also, within the consumers that were surveyed, 85% expected a variety of virtual access points, 92% expected online payment options, and 94% expected medical providers to provide price transparency. However, only 9% of the collective providers reported the ability to offer these consumer demands successfully in a Black Book Q4 2017 survey of hospitals and physicians (Black Book Market Research, 2018). From this data, it is clear the demand for medical providers to offer digital health and online booking solutions is there.
Furthermore, 90% of patients no longer feel obligated to stay with healthcare providers that don’t deliver an overall satisfactory digital experience. 88% of respondents under age 40 state they will choose their next medical provider based on a strong online presence. And, 83% of consumers polled will seek providers that offer four fundamental technologies in demand: digital scheduling, online payment options, portal and engagement capabilities, and results reporting tools (Black Book Market Research, 2018).
The demand for medical providers to shift to digital solutions is there, as more and more consumers are recognizing the convenience these options provide them. Whether you are a consumer or medical provider, expect to see a large increase in digital health and online booking adoption for the years to come. By choosing an effective technology solution, it will help you satisfy consumer needs and maintain a competitive edge in a challenging healthcare market. If you don’t currently have digital health or online booking solution at your practice, contact us to see how our applications can solve your pain points.
Black Book Market Research. (2018, July 9). 19 recent healthcare tech Start-UPS attract instant consumer appeal, black book survey. https://blackbookmarketresearch.newswire.com/news/19-recent-healthcare-tech-start-ups-attract-instant-consumer-appeal-20556737
Wachler, A. (2020, June 23). 7 reasons to offer patient self-scheduling. Phreesia. https://www.phreesia.com/2020/06/23/7-reasons-to-offer-patient-self-scheduling/