Patients want engagement with digital options, personal touch | Healthcare IT News

A new survey reveals that consumers still prefer phone interactions but want more communication, including digital means. And a majority are open to giving their doctors real-time access to health information via connected devices and apps. Consumers are willing to embrace technology to engage with their healthcare providers, but still prefer a personal touch despite the abundance of digital channels available for communication, according to a Pegasystems and Censuswide survey of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers and 200 decision makers at healthcare engagement programs.

The survey found 62 percent of consumers prefer phone interactions with doctors’ offices and 45 percent prefer the same with insurers.

As for volume, nearly 30 percent of consumers want more communication from their doctor’s office and nearly 20 percent want more from their insurer.

Survey respondents said they trust their doctors more than their health insurers to use artificial intelligence to make decisions about their health (42 percent versus 29 percent).