Patient Engagement
Winning empowered consumers has become critical at a time when patients are demanding more in response to rising costs.
A full 92 percent of healthcare consumers surveyed said that improving customer experience should be a top strategy this year and a crop of vendors are emerging to meet that demand.
For Inova, which operates on philanthropy, the celebrity visit could translate into needed donations.
Everything from private rooms down to motorized shades and acoustic panels are elements of design that cater to patient comfort and recovery, and boost satisfaction, design expert Rebecca Donner says.
Major wait times are becoming the norm across the U.S., especially in primary care but also for specialists, MGMA expert says.
New research also reveals that customers want less expensive care, ways to understand benefits and incentives for healthy behaviors.
The call for cost estimates is getting louder, patients don't mind keeping a credit card on file, and varied payment options mean more robust collections.
The biggest surge in healthcare costs is the rise in deductibles, with 22 percent of employees paying a $2,000 deductible versus 7 percent in 2009, according to the trends report.
Care in the 21st century is tied to technology, but IT must amplify the work of the clinical organization, the insurer says.
Only about half of people aged 50 to 80 have set up an account on a secure online access site, or patient portal, offered by their healthcare provider.