Kyruus Blog

For most health systems, keeping provider directories up-to-date is an ongoing issue: provider networks, and information about providers themselves, change constantly. Our recent white paper looks at some of the key areas where accurate, centralized provider data management can boost the health system’s bottom line (from improving marketing operations to optimizing provider networks). But what about the impact to patients entering the system? Inaccurate, incomplete provider data has the power to negatively impact the patient experience—from inaccurate referrals to access to timely care in a convenient location. This post looks at three patient scenarios where inaccurate provider data has the potential to hurt the patient experience:

Consumers are ready for online scheduling. A huge barrier is that health systems struggle to consolidate complex healthcare data sources, administrative workflows, and appointment types into a consumer-friendly online experience.

Finding the right match between consumers and providers is a key part to establishing a long-term relationship between patients and healthcare providers. Health systems are well-equipped to facilitate the relationship and consumers recognize their critical role in this.

In a previous blog post, we looked at how outdated provider directories can negatively impact patient access. This post explores the importance of effective provider data management and accurate provider directories in streamlining key operational processes across a health system.

Historically, healthcare providers have relied heavily on word of mouth to attract new patients. In many ways, this channel is still reliable as 50% of consumers report “friends and family” as their top resource for researching providers. But study after study has shown that healthcare consumers are spending more time online—from patient portals, to online appointment scheduling and health data tracking on mobile apps. Even when they do consult family members about a provider, many still go online to exercise due diligence, so it’s critical for health systems to differentiate themselves online.

Patient experience is quickly becoming a top priority for health systems across the country. For many patients, the experience begins with a phone call to schedule an appointment. While demand for online booking options is increasing, call centers are still the preferred point of entry for many patients.

64%. That’s the share of patients Accenture says will use self-scheduling online by 2019. This underscores the critical role your find-a-doc site plays in attracting online consumers and converting their demand to booked appointments. Despite health systems nationwide prioritizing patient experience and patient access, many are still falling short in being able to match patients with the right providers through their provider finder sites. As a starting point for evaluating your organization’s find-a-doc, consider how it fares when it comes to the three key elements below: