Consumers Cite Consistency and Ease of Communication as Top Values
Wellesley, Mass. – December 7, 2021 – Redpoint Global, a leading software provider that helps brands deliver revenue-generating and personalized customer experiences, today announced new research revealing consumer opinions and preferences about their healthcare experiences. Conducted by Dynata, the survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers finds that most (80 percent) prefer to use digital channels to communicate with healthcare providers and brands at least some of the time (online messaging, virtual appointment, text, etc.) and 44 percent prefer digital communications the majority of the time. The COVID-era influenced digital-first communications that is now the expectation, becoming the standard for healthcare experiences moving forward. Over the last 18 months, 65 percent of respondents reported using telehealth services and 34 percent say they want to continue with regularity.
Additionally, almost half of patients express interest in engaging with providers digitally – pre-visit, during and post-visit – and 44 percent expect healthcare providers and brands to proactively contact them at the right time and in the right context to improve the overall care experience. Speed, relevance and consistency are also expected in these communications with 36 percent of survey respondents expecting online communications to match the in-person healthcare experience.
However, there is potential for some consumers to be vastly underserved when relying on a digital-first approach. Almost a quarter (24 percent) said they did not utilize any sort of digital communication with providers during the pandemic with 14 percent saying they had no contact with any healthcare providers during that time. Care and communication delivered with a consistent omnichannel approach, both analog and digitally, will be critical to reaching the full spectrum of patients. Without a holistic approach to the patient care gaps will increase and overall health outcomes may suffer as a result.
“We’ve seen a huge acceleration of consumer-driven healthcare services over the past 18 months. Catalyzed by the pandemic, the digital transformation that was nascent at forward-thinking, patient-centric healthcare services has become a tsunami of change,” said John Nash, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Redpoint Global. “The industry is realizing the need to think strategically about patient data, omnichannel communication and holistic, personalized patient engagement. Leading healthcare providers and brands are selecting organizations such as Redpoint to help deliver a real time, single customer view of each patient to deliver services and communication in the relevant channel at the cadence each patient requires.”
The research also showed that 66 percent of consumers would choose a provider on the ability to communicate in a timely and consistent manner and 60 percent say it is critical for providers to show how well they understand the individual beyond basic patient data. Additionally, over one-third (34 percent) were frustrated by limited doctor availability and slow response times. Lack of digital presence online and inconsistent communication around appointments also lead to overall frustrations in provider services. Many of these frustrations can be addressed with a single view of the patient and a coordinated omnichannel response.
Today’s patients have higher expectations in terms of engagement from their healthcare providers. While the top request is an increased availability of appointments (44 percent), several other areas where patient engagement could improve focus directly on communications. Four in 10 want online communication to better match in-person experiences and nearly the same amount (39 percent) desire personalization that demonstrates a deeper understanding of the individual. Proactive outreach ahead of appointments and billing cycles as well as consistently updated patient information accessible across all channels was of interest to more than a third (34 percent) of consumers.
There’s a major opportunity for improvement; 57 percent of healthcare consumers think retailers or financial services do a better job at providing personalized omnichannel experiences than healthcare. The investments made today in digital transformation will be impactful in health services for years to come.
Visit our website to learn more about how Redpoint is helping healthcare brands improve experiences with consumers.
About the Study
This survey was conducted via Dynata in November 2021 and targeted 1,000 U.S.-based consumers over 18 years of age. For complete survey methodology, please email [email protected].
About Redpoint Global
With Redpoint’s software platform, rg1, innovative companies are perfecting their data, transforming their customer experiences across the enterprise and driving higher revenue. Redpoint’s solutions provide a remarkably unified, single point of control where all customer data is connected and every touchpoint intelligently orchestrated. Delivering more engaging customer experiences, highly personalized moments, relevant next-best actions and tangible ROI—this is how leading marketers lead markets. To learn more, visit redpointglobal.com.
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