As a healthcare provider, you can’t afford to ignore patient experience. We’re also willing to bet you value data because numbers don’t lie. Here’s what some of the most current stats say:
- Patients hate an uncomfortable waiting room even more than they hate long wait times—in fact, much more. For practices, 29 percent of patients said an uncomfortable waiting room would prevent them from returning to a practice, while only 6 percent said long wait times would keep them away. The numbers were slightly different for emergency rooms and urgent care centers, but the trend is clear.1
- That doesn’t mean you can ignore waiting times, as longer wait times are associated with lower patient satisfaction scores. About 30 percent of patients have walked out without being seen due to long wait times. (Don’t let poor provider data management increase wait times; ask us about implementing TriageTrak on your website). 2
- Telemedicine is an exciting new technology, but it’s not quite there yet. Patients are about 16 percent more likely to prefer in-person doctor visits over virtual visits, and 15 percent more likely to trust face-to-face over virtual. 1
- The doctor with whom most people have the closest relationship is most likely to be their first port of call in a health crisis. About 45 percent said they’d call their PCP, with 25 percent saying they’d go to urgent care, and 17 percent would go to the ER. 1
- Patients want their records. Almost three-quarters say they’d understand health communications better if their electronic health records were easier to obtain. Four out of five patients who have access to their EHRs use them frequently. 3
- Patient portals make everyone happy. Increasing online patient engagement can result in a 90 percent satisfaction rating for both patients and providers. 4
Do you need help with crafting a better patient experience? Are you ready to increase your patient satisfaction scores? Contact Points Group and let us tell you how we can help.
