In a world where consumers can order dog food, book a haircut, or buy a plane ticket with just a few keystrokes, patients are wondering why healthcare has to be so complicated and why this… I often wonder why so many processes seem stuck in the past.
Now, as consumers become more reliant on convenient and efficient online tools in retail, banking, grocery stores, and more, patients are becoming increasingly aware and dissatisfied with digital deficiencies in healthcare. Digital defects often result in time-consuming, confusing, and overly complex experiences.
Anthony Lucatuorto is the CEO of Sphere, Powered by TrustCommerce, a digital transformation company. He believes it's time for healthcare to let go of manual, inefficient processes and embrace more modern digital tools.
We learned what he sees as patient experience issues, his suggestions that healthcare providers need to embrace digital tools, and what happens when hospitals and health systems adopt digital tools on the patient side. We talked about how this happens and some examples. Compare today's typical patient processes to those in a highly digital environment.
Q. You mentioned that in medical settings, patients are often forced to undergo lengthy, confusing, and overly complex experiences. What's the problem?
A. Problems patients frequently encounter during the billing and payment process include high costs, unexpected bills, lack of understanding of payment options, confusion about what they are owed and why they are owed; These include poor communication due to provider staffing issues.
For example, in a recent consumer survey of 1,200 U.S. adults, 58% said paying medical bills was stressful, and 55% said understanding what they owe was stressful in itself. I answered that it was the cause.
With 48% saying their medical costs increased in the past year and 59% saying they are worried about paying their medical bills next year, most consumers don't expect these problems to ease soon. I haven't.
Healthcare is unique in that no one pays the same price for the same services. Insurance benefits, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums vary for each patient. This makes it difficult for healthcare providers to provide estimates, and patients are often forced to make decisions about treatment without knowing how it will affect their bank account.
This situation is improving thanks to legislation mandating the provision of quotes, but in many cases this is still only available to patients who actively ask.
These issues don't just affect patients. It also creates downstream problems for providers. For example, 40% of consumers said they wouldn't pay a bill if they didn't understand their coverage or payment options, and 28% said they delayed paying their bills because they were confused about their medical bills.
This is only complicated by outdated collection methods. Although electronic payments are becoming the default method for billing patients in many healthcare organizations, paper statements with check return envelopes are still common.
Even if you prefer to pay electronically, you don't have to remember to log into a patient portal and enter your card information, compared to the typical e-commerce experience of having a card on file or using a digital wallet. This is a time-consuming process. Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.
The good news is that although these payment technologies are being adopted rapidly, there is still much work to be done.
Q. Why do you suggest that providers should implement digital tools such as self-service appointment scheduling, online payment tools, and pre-visit cost estimates?
A. As the patient experience in healthcare evolves to mirror that of the retail industry, it is becoming more important for healthcare providers to provide patients with engaging and convenient tools throughout the journey of care. .
For example, healthcare providers take steps to ensure patients clearly understand all aspects of their care, including online appointment scheduling, reminders, payment plan transparency and pricing that includes intuitive workflows. There is a need.
Just like any other business, if you don't adapt and give your customers what they want, you'll be left behind. Patients are more flexible and mobile than ever before, and they are demonstrating that flexibility by moving away from healthcare providers that don't offer modern digital experiences.
Below are three examples.
First is the self-service reservation schedule. This is the gateway to any provider and facilitating this must be a top priority for everyone involved. Patients often have to make appointments when they or a family member is sick, juggling very busy family and work schedules.
They may not have time to call during business hours and may wait on hold to see if a future date and time fits with their existing availability. Additionally, most phone-based scheduling must be done during business hours, which can put patients in the uncomfortable position of having to explain very personal matters in an office setting.
Online scheduling allows patients the flexibility to schedule appointments 24/7 with privacy and no need to share personal information over the phone.
The second is an online payment tool. As mentioned earlier, we still receive a large amount of paper statements and checks in the mail to pay for medical bills. This will probably never be zero because healthcare has no demographics and needs to provide options for all types of people. However, the world has already become much more digital, and even older patients have become very comfortable operating mobile devices. It also makes smart business sense.
Electronic payments are faster and have lower processing costs. Every business should prefer receiving payments faster and deposited directly into their bank account without any additional manual intervention.
And the third is a pre-visit cost estimate. First of all, this is now a legal requirement thanks to the No Surprise Act, so if you don't provide a quote, you'll be subject to a fine. Not only is it legally required, it's a good thing. Additionally, providers can have a conversation with patients if the costs are significant.
For example, pre-planning a payment plan that fits your patient's budget and recording payment methods can help patients avoid stress about unexpected costs, and providers can automatically collect payments without manual intervention. You will be able to do it.
Q. What do you think will happen when hospitals and health systems bring flexible, modern, and convenient digital tools to the patient side?
A. A modernized and advanced payment platform can make a positive and negative difference to the overall patient experience. Provider groups that leverage platforms that meet patient demands for convenience and flexible payment options can improve patient experience and increase patient loyalty through increased patient loyalty.
In addition, digital tools such as flexible payment plans, pre-service cost estimates, and next-generation payment methods can help improve access, affordability, and convenience of care and help people experience the social determinants of health problems. This can reduce the burden on patients who are SDOH impacts many health-related social needs, including economic burden, housing instability and poor quality, food insecurity, lack of access to health care, and lack of educational opportunities.
According to the U.S. Handbook for Addressing Social Determinants of Health, Americans who experience SDOH are at increased risk for worsening health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, depression, cancer, and diabetes.
Providing patients with digital tools such as payment plans, pre-service cost estimates, and modern payment methods does not eliminate SDOH issues. However, by providing these tools, healthcare providers can play a role in making SDOH a little more manageable for patients.
Q. Can you elaborate on examples of common patient processes today and examples of processes in highly digital environments?
A. We live in a world that is always on the move and can do things on the fly. Let's say you're in the drive-thru line, realize you're out of printer paper, and add it to your Amazon cart.
Patients and providers benefit from the same flexibility. For example, with the right digital tools in place, parents can receive reminders to schedule a doctor's appointment or pay a co-pay while watching their child's baseball game.
Additionally, a modern patient payment experience allows patients to pay anytime, anywhere using their preferred payment method, including credit card, debit card, or digital wallets such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal. You can.
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