Important Issues

A new report by Press Ganey suggests that the same digital preferences people show for consumer brands extends to medical offices as well.

In their new report, Consumer Experience Trends in Healthcare 2021, the authors argue, "[t]he 'patient experience' can no longer be defined by the clinical care setting alone'. Using a survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults, the report includes some surprising numbers:

• Patients rely on digital resources 2.2 times more than provider referrals when choosing a healthcare provider.
• 84% of respondents would not see a referred provider if their online rating was under 4 stars.
• On average, consumers use three different websites and read 5.5 reviews before deciding on an appointment with a provider.

Digging deeper into the report reveals some interesting data that should push physicians to think hard about their digital presence:

• The most common online resource for researching a healthcare provider is a search engine (65.4%) followed by an insurance website (45.4%). The top website used in a provider search is Google (78.1%).
• 54.4% of respondents said the process of finding and choosing a provider is "somewhat" to "very" difficult.
• The number one reason given for a patient giving a 5-star hospital review (besides excellent care) is "quality of customer service", which includes demeanor and attentiveness of provider and staff. Beside manner was fourth (albeit within 7% of the number one answer).
• The top reasons patients do not book with an office are "difficulty in contacting an office" and "poor quality of reviews". 

You can read the entire report here.