4 ways to improve patient satisfaction scores with digital experiences

Have you ever wondered why patient satisfaction scores consistently improve when practices add digital experiences? 

Tebra’s 4th annual Patient Perspectives report reveals that patients want:

It may come as a surprise that patients want to be hands-on when it comes to their experiences. Still, this desire is a natural progression of our current technological environment. Supporting the patient experience in this way can also complement your overall practice marketing strategy.

Our Patient Perspectives report reveals ways to improve patients’ impressions of their encounters with your practice while improving patient satisfaction scores. Read on to discover 4 key things patients want from their digital experience.

According to Tebra’s Patient Perspectives report, 39% of respondents want an easier way to book appointments. This begs the question: easier than what?

We live in an unprecedented time of instant information. In a study about putting customers on hold that involved 2,500 participants, 60% of respondents reported that they’ll hang up after holding for 1 minute. About 34% said they thought they shouldn’t be put on hold at all.

So how do you avoid putting people on hold?

Even though self-service began to roll out in the late 1990s/early 2000s, people have become much more open to taking charge of this area of their lives.

Although it may seem to be the same as scheduling appointments, communication is a broader topic. Tebra’s patient survey found that 37% of the respondents want to be able to reach out and quickly receive answers to their questions.

This doesn’t mean patients feel they should no longer have to appear before their physicians. Rather, they don’t want to wait multiple weeks or months to get a general question answered.

Multiple systems exist that provide a robust digital patient experience. This could be anything from enabling 2-way texting or reminder emails to having new patients complete pre-visit paperwork. 

This also aligns with the 30% of survey respondents who want to be able to do more online, whether that be:

Offering more digital patient experiences can help patients reduce stress levels and feel more in control.

Pro tip: Modernizing the patient experience can also support a practice marketing strategy. For instance, digital ads can link directly to your online booking page, and chatbots and messaging can allow you to address any roadblocks prospects might have to choosing your practice. Learn more in your guide to building an effective healthcare marketing strategy.

Along the lines of being more efficient, patients have learned they like the ability to conduct general visits via telehealth portals. Nearly 25% of survey respondents indicated they’d prefer to have the option of telehealth visits as opposed to:

Although it cannot satisfy every appointment need, Mayo Clinic suggests that telehealth can be used for a multitude of issues and treatments, such as:

Because video technology has improved so much over the years, there are even instances of basic neurological functioning assessments conducted via telehealth.

As you continue to grow your practice, it becomes more challenging to remember each patient and their particular needs, especially if you don’t see them for months. Patients know this, and 34% of survey respondents indicated they want more communication with their physician between visits.

Although 23% of patients responding to Tebra’s survey reported they would prefer to have more frequent check-ins and visits, even more (34%) indicated they would like more communication with their physician between visits.

One way to accomplish this is to encourage your patients to use a patient portal messaging tool. This allows them to check in with you and notify you of changes they experience in their health.

By empowering them to self-manage their chronic conditions from home, they may be able to both avoid unnecessary office visits and know to come in when they most need to do so. By educating them about what kind of information and concerns are appropriate for messaging, a well-designed messaging system can minimize additional work. 

Change is inevitable — including within your practice. Providing more robust digital patient experiences will show that you care about your patients’ time and priorities and are current with various enhancements and developments.

Patients will notice you are up to date on patient communication and alternative methods for accomplishing tasks. Therefore, they’ll likely be more confident that you are also up to date on new medical information, improving confidence levels and referrals.