Reimagining Healthcare CX: The Role of Technology in Elevating Patient Journeys

Healthcare customer experience (CX) refers to the quality of a patient’s journey throughout their medical treatment with various care providers. 

A patient interacts with multiple institutions and organizations while receiving healthcare services, such as hospitals, pharmacies, and telehealth companies. The CX is shaped by many factors while interacting with such institutions and organizations.

These factors include communication efficacy, ease of access, wait times, care coordination, and support.

It is pivotal for healthcare organizations to ensure great CX for their patients to earn their trust, deliver better outcomes, and retain them for the long term.

If a patient’s journey is fragmented, it directly impacts how quickly they receive medical attention. 

Fortunately, technological innovations are helping businesses and institutions in the healthcare industry to elevate patient CX. These tools and devices are simplifying access to medical care while increasing personalization.

In this article, let’s look at three key ways in which healthcare organizations are leveraging technology to streamline patient CX.

1. Digital Front Door and Omnichannel Access

Digital front doors are touchpoints that connect patients to healthcare services through websites, mobile apps, chatbots, patient portals, and virtual care platforms. These serve as the first point of contact, allowing healthcare providers to collect vital information and offer medical advice, if applicable.

Additionally, digital front doors deliver a consistent experience across devices, elevating brand authority and earning patients’ trust. Medical organizations and institutions can communicate via apps, email, and text messages, elevating patient CX.

For instance, a clinic can create its own mobile application to serve customers. They can book an appointment through the app, receive reminders via email, and get minute updates via text.

Many companies are leveraging custom HealthTech software development services to build such applications and websites to deliver omnichannel experiences. Moreover, as the solution is tailored, they can include personalized features to improve patient care.

Hospitals can seamlessly integrate their custom HealthTech platforms with existing digital infrastructure, such as electronic health records (EHRs). This enhances interoperability in healthcare, setting scalable foundations for the future.

Patients, consequently, experience reduced friction, faster responses, and personalized treatment throughout their journey with a healthcare provider. At the same time, providers can streamline operations and deliver better services.

2. Remote Patient Monitoring and mHealth

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) tracks patients’ vitals through Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices. Some vital biomarkers include heart rate, glucose levels, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. 

This provides real-time medical information to patients and healthcare providers. Doctors and clinicians can remotely monitor patients and take proactive action when necessary. These platforms can send alerts after detecting anomalies, ensuring timely intervention and response.

Similarly, patients themselves can track their own vitals and receive treatment without in-person visits. The patient can remain comfortable in their home throughout their interaction with a healthcare provider, which will improve their experience.

The data collected through RPM processes can be accessed instantly through mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. The integration with mobile health (mHealth) applications enhances interoperability in healthcare, facilitating care coordination and enhancing treatment accuracy.

One of the primary advantages of adopting this technology is that it enables patients to access self-service options. They can view their health metrics, communicate with providers at their convenience, receive personalized treatment, and manage their own medications.

Likewise, healthcare organizations can gain a holistic view of their customers’ health and deliver a unified experience. 

Consequently, the patient journey from scheduling an appointment to post-treatment follow-up becomes streamlined, elevating CX.

3. AI and Clinical Decision Support Systems

Artificial intelligence (AI) and clinical decision support systems (CDSS) use data to help healthcare providers make more accurate diagnoses quickly.

For instance, Aidoc uses AI to analyze medical images, such as computed tomography (CT) scans, accelerating diagnoses. This facilitates early detection of issues, such as internal haemorrhages, helping doctors prioritize urgent cases.

Similarly, Epic’s OurPractice Advisory (OPA) is a CDSS that warns clinicians and doctors about potential vulnerabilities while administering treatment. If a doctor writes a prescription for a drug that may interact with an existing medication, the OPA CDSS will alert the healthcare provider immediately.

These tools also assist with other administrative tasks, such as documentation, summarizing patient notes, and billing, further streamlining healthcare operations. This reduces burnout for medical employees and frees up more resources for patient care.

Healthcare organizations can tend to more patients or increase their service offerings to maximize revenue.

Additionally, institutions can deploy AI chatbots to provide medical education to patients, improving engagement. Patients can receive accurate care more quickly while gaining greater control over their digital health data.

Finally, AI and CDSS ensure consistency in care delivery. They standardize operating procedures across the company, minimizing human error and biases in treatment. Overall, they enhance communication, personalization, and efficiency, elevating patient CX throughout their journey.

Wrapping Up

Patients expect timely, seamless, and personalized interactions at every touchpoint during their medical journey with a healthcare organization. Institutions and businesses are leveraging technology to make exceptional patient CX a reality.

Custom digital applications serve as the front door and provide an omnichannel experience. Patients can easily share their concerns with doctors and clinicians. These tools enhance interoperability by connecting existing medical IT infrastructure.

Then, remote monitoring and mHealth solutions provide medical care to patients without in-person visits. This also elevates the operational efficiency of healthcare organizations.

Finally, AI and CDSS facilitate decision-making by standardizing procedures grounded in data and evidence. These solutions also provide real-time medical insights to both healthcare providers and patients.