Customer experience is not a new concept for the leaders of many large businesses today. For years, experts have argued that customer experience is to become the chief competitive differentiator for consumers in the coming years, replacing even price and product.
But in the healthcare industry, the concept is still relatively new. Unlike businesses which are solely profit driven, healthcare providers are tasked with providing superlative patient care and driving quality outcomes.
However, an influx of new connected technology has disrupted the healthcare industry in recent years, enabling providers to radically reshape their operations. The shift away from traditional models now empowers these organizations to not only focus on providing quality care, but also fostering superior customer experiences as well.
With healthcare organizations now looking at customer experience as foundational to their future success, how will the industry transform in 2018?
Here are several things to look for:
Expanded access to telehealth:
Telehealth services have been demonstrated to empower patients with a course of treatment that is cost-effective, convenient and enables for seamless communication with the individual’s team of doctors. This year, the telemedicine is set for a CAGR of 33.7 percent according to a recent Aranca study, largely driven by the impetus to improve customer experience.
Medical equipment gets smarter:
Connected medical equipment is also poised for a stellar year in 2018. Already, we’ve seen wearables like watches and necklaces leveraged to help people keep up with fitness goals and monitor their own progress. We have also seen cases in which connected medical devices can send vital data back to practitioners in real time to keep them up to date on how a patient’s course of treatment is affecting their body. Look for unique new healthcare solutions this year as smart technology continues to get smarter.
Data turns into business intelligence:
Healthcare organizations have tremendous access to patient and customer data. But in the past, organizations have been unable to capitalize on that data and turn it into actionable business intelligence due to operational siloes and the inability to sort through the massive volumes of information available. But emerging automation solutions are now able to do this work for you, enabling you to provide more targeted and personalized solutions for each individual patient.
Keeping pace with the rate of change in the healthcare industry can be difficult—especially if you try to integrate emerging solutions on your own in a piecemeal fashion. Instead, work with a telehealth services provider that can offer a comprehensive, tailored and turnkey solution to meet the ever-changing needs of your patients. To get started today, click here.