Keeping pace with technology
Technology has completely revolutionized consumer expectations in every industry, and healthcare is no different. It’s transforming how people want to connect with their healthcare companies for services, driving the expectation to have access to their healthcare anytime, anywhere.
In today’s healthcare landscape, this environment of “anywhere care” has prompted a new level of digital transformation and, therefore, matured consumer expectations. According to McKinsey research, more than 60% of consumers expect to be able to change or schedule a healthcare appointment, check medical records and test results, and renew a medication online.
To meet the demands of consumers and attain retention, healthcare leaders must start expanding their CX approach from traditional interactions to more consumer-focused, convenient, flexible, patient-centric solutions to meet demands.
See below for four ways healthcare brands can start implementing CX strategies that will put digital transformation into action.
4 ways healthcare organizations can meet “anywhere care” expectations in their CX
1. Embrace the right technology and automation in the contact center.
Providing more automation tools for customer service, like voice assistant, appointment reminders, scheduling and more, can help support a more streamlined and positive CX.
Action items for healthcare brands:
- Have a dedicated chief experience officer or dedicated CX sponsor to keep a focus on the success of digital transformation projects that you begin to implement. A recent survey of C-level executives across industries revealed that 95% agree that best-in-class CX delivery is a business priority and 82% have a dedicated sponsor.
- Prioritize training for healthcare workers so they can familiarize themselves with the technology and understand how to deliver a strong virtual customer experience.
2. Establish a solid omnichannel delivery.
Healthcare brands should lean on more flexible and convenient communication systems that also align with consumer expectations and can save costs, such as chatbots and email.
While consumer expectations are shifting, the most popular channels are email, phone and chat, and 82% claim that instant responses to their questions are critical when contacting brands. According to AdWeek, 65% of consumers feel comfortable handling an issue without a human agent.
Action items for healthcare brands:
- Develop a communication strategy by incorporating automated responses and services with email and chatbots. Identify goals and things these solutions could help with, and work with experts to design and implement the technology, thus improving the healthcare customer experience.
- Moving contact centers to the cloud is critical for a strong omnichannel delivery, which will unlock scalability and cost control benefits, and doesn’t require capital expenditures.
3. Seize self-service opportunities.
Offering self-service is one of the most important initial digital steps to take, because of its convenience and cost-savings to your brand — according to Gartner, this can be just $.10 per self-serve inquiry versus $8 for a live contact. Moreover, 88% of consumers expect brands to offer self-service solutions.
Action items for healthcare brands:
- Lean on CX experts and management to navigate ways of implementing self-service opportunities such as checking in for appointments, scheduling, sending requests and more.
- Utilize the service as an opportunity to get a pulse on consumer sentiment by leveraging satisfaction surveys and follow-ups at the end of each experience.
4. Lean on CX management experts.
No health organization has a complete set of digital transformation tools, which is why you can use the know-how of digital experts to deploy genuine solutions and manage cloud-based contact centers, operations and human resources.
- Partner with healthcare CX experts that can be a guide to implement or improve your self-service, IVRs, automation and omnichannel strategies. Learn more about how Foundever® can help you reach your goals.
The future of healthcare
According to Deloitte, by 2040, healthcare as we know it will no longer exist, predicting a fundamental shift from “healthcare” to “health,” and existing health systems will evolve from reactionary care to prevention and wellbeing. Virtual care will play a significant role in this change to provide a modern, streamlined CX. What if, eventually, customer experiences occur in the metaverse?
To learn more about CX trends that will shape the future, read our guide “Healthcare reimagined: How to build a CX for the future.”
