Dive Brief:
- Kyruus, a provider for patient access and referral management solutions, released a new report, "The Consumer's Path to Finding a Healthcare Provider," analyzing consumers' physician-searching experience. The results showed the process is fragmented "due to a lack of consistent and comprehensive provider data."
- The survey involved 1,000 patients and revealed several key findings. Thirty-eight percent of responding patients conduct healthcare research prior to searching for a specific doctor and 72% of these patients search for information about specific doctors.
- The most important physician attribute is the insurance plans they accept - 90% of respondents said it's important to confirm their healthcare is covered by their insurance, followed by a physician's clinical experience (85%).
Dive Insight:
Another key finding is 58% of consumers book an appointment through a phone resource and only 14% book appointments online. When asked which was their preferred booking method, it was equally split between online resources, off-line resources, or a multi-channel assortment of booking options.
Julie Yoo, co-founder and chief product officer at Kyruus, said in a company news release hospital systems need to understand what motivates patients as they become more engaged in the research and management of their health. "There is a huge opportunity to provide consumers with the appropriate resources - both online and offline - to find the right physicians and conveniently schedule appointments," Yoo said.
In addition, John Englehart, chief marketing officer at the Hospital for Special Surgery, also said in the same release the research study "corroborates a trend that health executives have long suspected - that consumers are becoming more thoughtful, careful and proactive when making choices about their health. The rise of digital channels as a means to access care introduces accountability for health systems but simultaneously provides a tremendous opportunity to engage consumers, build their trust, and help inform that choice."
Healthcare Dive recently covered the important role trust is taking in healthcare and how it is shaping technology.