What's Customer Experience (CX) in Healthcare? How to Improve It

Healthcare is a highly demanding industry. You have patients who are often experiencing emotional distress and pressing health issues. They are in dire need of medical attention and, as such, have zero tolerance for bad experiences. Even small inconveniences like a 10-minute delay can erode trust. All these factors combine to make customer experience (CX) a highly important feature in healthcare. 

It is not only about improving convenience. Your customer support also has to look into providing empathy, transparency, and efficiency. 

Let's explore how healthcare providers and professionals can improve their CX to create smoother and more compassionate patient experiences.

What Does Customer Experience (CX) in Healthcare Include?

Every healthcare journey involves multiple touchpoints, all of which are equally important. They combine to shape your customer satisfaction levels. Patients who experience poor support at any single point increase the risk of eroding trust. Hence, healthcare providers must optimize each phase of the journey for a seamless, exceptional patient experience. The touchpoints given below define the average healthcare journey in the United States.

• Scheduling: Patients cannot be expected to wait. Make sure that they can easily schedule appointments or get information for rescheduling without jumping through administrative hoops. An excellent healthcare CX starts with reduced wait times and frustration.
• Consultations: Active listening and showing empathy make patients feel valued. It is equally important that patients have a complete understanding of their medical needs. Keep the conversation simple and refrain from using complicated medical terms. 
• Treatment: Technical expertise and empathetic care are a powerful combo in healthcare. It fosters posititivty and trust. Remember that for patients, their satisfaction only grows when their physical and emotional needs are fully addressed.
• Follow-Ups: Sending reminders for medication, conducting check-in calls, and tracking recovery show an intent to provide continuing care. This also leads the way to individualized healthcare that is vital to long-term patient satisfaction.

Why Does Customer Experience (CX) Matter?

Healthcare providers need patients to place their trust in them, but that is only possible when they are satisfied. Below are some important reasons that define why CX matters in healthcare. 

• Patient Outcomes: Satisfied patients are likely to adhere to their treatment plans and follow medical advice, especially the elderly. Positive experiences create a supportive environment for everyone involved because, in addition to the patients, their loved ones also benefit from the healthcare provider’s excellent customer experience. 
• Patient Loyalty and Retention: Excellent customer experiences are critical for healthcare providers. Patients are only going to return if they are satisfied, and sharing positive reviews with their friends and family are further going to drive engagement. This eventually builds reliability, increasing retention rates that are important for the well-being and success of healthcare providers. 
• Reputation and Trust: Word-of-mouth recommendations and online reviews generated from good patient experiences are essential to building credibility. Trust, once lost, can be difficult to re-establish, and a positive reputation can be a valuable competitive tool for acquiring new patients.

The Current Landscape of Customer Experience in Healthcare

Provide an overview of how CX is currently approached in healthcare settings. Discuss common challenges, such as outdated systems, communication gaps, and slow response times, along with current innovations improving these areas. It will be great to have some stats here as well.

How to Improve Customer Experience in the Healthcare Industry

Excellent CX in healthcare is all about creating each patient encounter into a helpful and memorable experience. By addressing the most important aspects below, healthcare organizations can make considerable improvements in their patient satisfaction, trust, and overall health outcomes.

Build a Patient-Centric Culture

By creating an environment where every member of the team is committed to placing the patient first, healthcare providers can ensure that patients are heard and valued during their stay. It is all about creating a patient-first culture where the patient becomes the focus of every touchpoint experience.

The Role of Technology in Improving Healthcare CX

Technology plays a crucial role in modernizing patient experiences in the healthcare industry. Digital patient gateways have revolutionized access to medical information, allowing patients to view test results, request prescription refills, and message their doctors without picking up the phone. Remote medical consultations have surged in popularity, bringing healthcare directly into living rooms across the country.

Mosaicx is a trusted leader in the healthcare industry. Their advanced AI-driven virtual assistants help medical practices reduce operational costs while simultaneously boosting patient satisfaction scores. The personalization capabilities of these advanced systems mean each patient receives tailored care based on their unique health history. 

Better Accessibility for the Patients

It is necessary to develop easy-to-use services for different patients, such as disabled or non-English-speaking patients. Through multilingual patient portals, teleconsultations, mobile health apps, and other technologies, healthcare organizations can ensure that all patients receive quality care regardless of where they are or what their condition is.

Emphasis on Personalization

Personalization is a vital cornerstone of exceptional customer service within healthcare. Analyzing historical patient data can reveal markers to provide tailored care based on their individual needs and preferences. This increases patient satisfaction and also promotes improved health results, such as where personalized care plans are essential to treat rare conditions or concerns.

Prioritize Anything That Saves Time

It goes without saying that time is a critical factor in the healthcare sector. Sickly patients, especially those in pain, will appreciate reduced wait times. This can include online scheduling for ease, digital health records for time-saving, and faster check-ins to streamline workflows.

Ensure Effective Communication

It falls on medical professionals to keep patients well-informed about their health status and treatments. This, however, largely depends on clear and empathetic communication. Personalized counseling, routine reports, and information accessible via the web can motivate individuals to participate in their health care and listen to their doctors.

Benefits of an Omnichannel Approach

Patients cannot be expected to prefer the same communication channel, making it important for health organizations to follow an omnichannel approach that covers phones, emails, in-person interactions, mobile apps, live chat, etc. This ensures a consistent and seamless experience for patients without compromising care. 

Benefits of Offering a Good Healthcare Customer Experience

Providing a good healthcare CX impacts both patients and healthcare providers. The former see better medical outcomes while the latter drive long-term success. Below are some key benefits of offering an outstanding healthcare customer experience.

Better Patient Retention Rate

Within healthcare, one poor experience can equate to one lost patient who not only does not come back but also prevents friends and family members from following. Therefore, the only option for driving long-term patient retention is to provide excellent customer satisfaction and experience. It also helps curb patient churn because satisfied patients are less likely to switch doctors.

Strong Reputation and Brand Image

Reputation is everything for a healthcare organization. Patients are always going to search for trusted medical clinics in their local vicinity, making it all the more important to have favorable reviews and higher ratings. Reputation is also a benchmark that patients take to measure quality care and compassionate service.

Financial Benefits

Embracing positive CX translates into financial growth for healthcare practitioners. Satisfied patients are more loyal, resulting in more visits and referrals. This continued interaction generates revenue and ensures long-term financial viability. 

Happy Patients Lead to Increased Referrals

Personal recommendations from patients are priceless because they tend to weigh more than regular advertisements. You are always going to seek medical services from a health organization that provided good service to a close friend or family member. Positive recommendations propel business growth and trust within a community, both significant factors for any health organization.

What Are the Key Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Healthcare organizations need to be aware of common challenges and pain points. By identifying and addressing these pitfalls, they can ensure a smoother and more successful healthcare experience for future patients. Below are some of the most common CX hurdles healthcare providers face.

Long Wait Times

Whether patients had to switch calls twice or were forced to sit for long in a waiting room, they do not appreciate long wait times. Delays often lead to frustration and overall negative customer experience. 

Solutions:

• Use online scheduling systems to allow patients to book appointments at their own convenience.
• Implement AI tools and systems to automate standard questions and maximize internal processes so that patients do not have to wait unnecessarily.
• Provide telehealth services to minimize in-person visits and in-clinic crowding.

Communication Gaps & Lack of Transparency

Unclear instructions by healthcare professionals can frequently result in confusion regarding treatment plans, billing, and follow-up. This compels patients to contact unnecessarily, placing an unnecessary burden on the administration and a general negative experience.

Solutions:

• Use omnichannel communication platforms for real-time updates.
• Provide personalized care summaries post-visit.
• Train staff in empathetic communication to enhance patient trust.

Ignoring Patient Feedback

Whether in healthcare or any other industry, feedback is critical for continuous improvements. Patients can provide valuable feedback to help you find service gaps and pain points. 

Solutions:

• Actively seek patient feedback at every touchpoint through surveys or open communication channels.
• Use conversational AI solutions to reach out to patients for post-treatment feedback, reducing administrative burden.
• Create a feedback loop to collect, analyze, and act on data. 

Billing Complexity & Financial Stress

Patients often find it difficult to understand their medical bills. It is also common to be confused about what their health insurance covers and what they need to pay themselves. This can boil down to an overly negative patient experience, which so far may have been a positive one. 

Solutions:

• Create easy-to-understand bills that break down costs with clarity.
• Provide flexible payment options and discount programs. 
• Have excellent real-time (AI chatbots, live agents) support to simplify all payment-related inquiries, such as providing cost estimations before treatments.

How Customer Experience in Healthcare Will Evolve Going Forward

Technological innovations are radically transforming the future of customer experience and patient expectations in healthcare. The following are four major trends to watch for in the years to come.

AI-Driven Engagement

From appointment scheduling to treatment recommendations, AI is finding its way into every facet of healthcare. AI automation is becoming necessary in order to cater to patient expectations and enhance efficiency at every touchpoint. 

Advanced IVAs and chatbots can free administrative workloads by answering general questions, freeing live agents to deal with complex issues. More importantly, AI systems are growing increasingly context-sensitive, recognizing patient history and habits to offer personal experiences. 

Proactive and Hyper-Personalized Care Through Data Analytics

Data analysis makes it possible to deliver personalized treatments and care. Analyzing medical records, family histories, etc., through AI also opens doors for early intervention. In the coming years, major healthcare organizations are expected to use predictive analytics to identify patients at risk and give them personalized health advice.  

Seamless Omnichannel Healthcare Delivery

Healthcare providers with digital services are appreciated, but this will be a strong customer expectation in the future. You can expect major healthcare providers to offer telehealth consultations and remote health monitoring. However, this requires patient data and healthcare services to be in sync across all communication channels to ensure high-quality CX.

Take the First Step Toward Exceptional Customer Experiences

Redefining your healthcare CX starts with Mosaicx and its suite of AI-driven systems and tools. With Mosiacx Engage, our advanced conversational AI solution, you can automate routine tasks to reduce wait times and streamline internal workflows while maintaining a high-quality customer experience. 

In addition, Mosaicx Insights360 offers end-to-end analytics (from dial to disconnect) to make sure every patient touchpoint is optimized and patient-focused. 

Book a demo today and discover how Mosaicx enables you to create long-term patient relationships with trust, seamless interactions, and memorable experiences.