Providers Look to Digital Technology to Boost Patient Access

Forced to rapidly change delivery models to meet consumer expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic, provider organizations are looking to apply the lessons learned to adopt digital health tools that improve care interactions with patients. Many key technologies that have sulked along for years were jolted to life by the pandemic, as providers had to prioritize resources, and consumers and caregivers were not keen on in-person care. Those technologies are at the heart of re-imagined healthcare in coming years, according to the Top of Mind Report released this week.

The report, from the Center for Connected Medicine and KLAS Research, highlights the growing use of technology in improving patient access to care. The research found that “health systems needed to do more to address roadblocks that hamper consumers’ ability to engage in their health and seek and receive medical care,” said Alex Nixon, senior research analyst at the Center for Connected Medicine, which is jointly operated by UPMC, a Pittsburgh-based healthcare system, and Nokia.

Some 36 percent of respondents to the survey for the Top of Mind Report cited patient access as the problem in healthcare that has the greatest potential to be improved with digital technology and innovation. In addition, 62 percent of respondents cited telehealth as the area of healthcare technology that’s seen the greatest progress or improvement over the last two years.