Five Ways Banner Health Has Digitally Enhanced the Patient Experience

The healthcare sector has experienced a continuous rise in digital health solutions over the years, a transformation that has only been fast-tracked by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, almost overnight, patient care leaders took action, converting standard in-person care into virtual care delivery in many instances due to shelter-in-place orders and the cancellation of many non-elective procedures at the onset of the crisis. This rapid evolution has impacted the entire healthcare ecosystem, as clinicians were thrusted into a new digital environment.

On the patient side, even prior to the pandemic, they were becoming more consumer-savvy, and now, they’re increasingly becoming more likely to take their medical care, and the costs associated with it, into their own hands. One recent report from Accenture found that two out of three patients said they are likely to switch to a new healthcare provider if their expectations for managing COVID-19 are not met. These include sanitary and safety protocols, access to up-to-date information and the availability of virtual care options. Based on a survey of more than 4,600 U.S. respondents, the report concluded that patients are looking for a safer, more secure and convenient healthcare experience. In addition, those who believe their healthcare providers handled COVID-19 poorly (25 percent of respondents) were three times more likely than satisfied patients to say they will either delay seeking services for at least a year or never return to that healthcare provider.