Kyruus Blog

As health systems pursue strategic initiatives around improving patient experience and expanding access, capturing the right metrics is critical to ensuring their goals are met. Historically, health system access centers have used "call time" data to measure their efficiency and value, attempting to keep patient calls short in order to handle a higher volume of calls. And while this metric may make sense for other consumer industries, a call time KPI is no longer the most important metric to track for health systems. Why? With market competition rising and consumers prioritizing experience, access centers should instead measure how easy it is for a patient to get to the right provider at the right time.

As the first point of contact for many consumers searching for care, your access center and your agents are essential ambassadors of your brand. And in an era where patient loyalty is up for grabs, delivering personalized service over the phone can transform a single call into a lifelong relationship with your health system. On our recent webinar, Dave Kriesand, Vice President of Banner Health’s Customer Experience Center, shared how they’re differentiating their access experience by making it easier for patients to find care that meets their unique needs. 

In recent years, patient experience has transformed from an industry buzzword to a serious initiative for many of the country’s leading health systems. Why? As patients become savvy consumers and their options for care expand, they are prioritizing things like experience and quality of care and are willing to switch organizations to get it. In fact, a new Press Ganey report revealed that patient experience is 5x more effective than marketing tactics at driving patient loyalty.¹

“Hello? I’d like to schedule an appointment with Doctor Famous.”

Many consumers rely on a familiar name when selecting a provider, whether it’s one they read about in US News and World Report’s latest hospital rankings or a recommendation from a neighbor or family member. But often times, when consumers call to schedule with these providers, they find that “Doctor Famous” is booked out for weeks, if not months. With convenience being a top priority for many consumers, waiting that long just isn’t an option. If this is the case, how does one begin the process of finding another provider that they trust?

Today’s consumers are “shopping” for healthcare now more than ever. And while convenient care options and access to rich provider information are driving healthcare consumers’ decisions around selecting care, insights from our second annual patient access report show that cohesiveness in the patient access experience is lacking.

Among the first things you want to consider when you’re ready to integrate chatbots is how they align with your product strategy and customer value proposition. In the healthcare space you'll also need to consider and account for the ethical, regulatory, compliance, and operational requirements in the design of the chatbot.

Recall the last time you scheduled a healthcare appointment. Now compare it to recent experiences searching for a flight or making a restaurant reservation. It’s not news that while other industries have become more accessible and consumer-oriented, healthcare has lagged behind. Navigating health resources can be an opaque process, with provider information strewn across various websites and often inconsistent between what’s available to consumers online and what’s available to those taking their calls in access centers. This makes it difficult for healthcare consumers to find the information they need to make informed decisions.

Patient engagement and experience are top of mind for health system leaders. As healthcare consumers increasingly demand efficient and personalized care, the pressure on health systems increases to engage with patients in new ways. Impact Advisors recently reported that more than 80% of CIOs view improving patient engagement and experience as a chief goal¹, underscoring the growing recognition among industry leaders of the critical need to compete on convenience and access to care.

Did you know that over 84% of American adults saw a physician in 2016?¹ You would think for an industry that has such a significant impact, they would make things easy, efficient, and consumer-friendly for its users. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for most. Reflect on the last time you were able to call and book an appointment to see a doctor for yourself or someone in your care. How would you rate that experience? Did you wonder if there was a better and more accessible way to find care?

It is in the most difficult times in a person's life that an organization has the opportunity to step up and make a difference. This is especially true in health care. A consistent patient experience is the key to providing a premium care experience and building loyalty. When we don't do this, customers are often inconvenienced, or at worst, receive costly, inappropriate care.