NRC Health Releases Healthcare Consumer Trends Report: How Providers Can Get Closer to the Customer in 2020
February 07 2020 - 9:00AM
NRC Health, the leading provider of in-depth customer intelligence
in healthcare, today released its 2020 Healthcare Consumer Trends
Report. The second annual report is based on NRC Health’s Customer
Intelligence Platform used by more than 580 healthcare
organizations in all 50 states to reflect the voice of consumers.
NRC Health found that while 85 percent of consumers express fond
feelings for their clinicians, they’re more ambivalent towards
other points in their care journey, like access points, billing
procedures and appointment booking options. The year-in-review
report offers data-driven insights and expert testimonials to help
healthcare leaders better understand the blistering pace of modern
consumer culture with the rigorous structures of clinical care to
deliver the kind of experience patients want.
“We know the majority of patients connect with their providers,
but we’re still a far cry from securing the same level of
satisfaction across the entire care experience,” said Steve
Jackson, NRC Health President. “So, what can healthcare leaders do?
Start by examining the data, then look at best practices from other
industries like banking and retail, but most importantly, listen to
your patients. Nine times out of 10 they have answers you’re
looking for – you just have to be open and willing to listen and
then transfer that knowledge into actionable change for the
better."
Access and convenience are king for
consumersConsumers and healthcare executives are starkly
aligned on healthcare’s access problem. More than 51 percent of
patients mention access-related issues in their feedback including
travel times, appointment scheduling, registration and increasing
check-in or wait-times. It’s clear that consumers want convenience
– from wanting more accessible healthcare locations to expanded
operating hours and appointment availability. They also want
efficiency, with 62 percent open to trying new channels like
digital care delivery if it means they get faster care, while more
than one-third of patients prefer to save time and book
appointments themselves.
Boomers, Millennials and Gen Z at odds on ancillary care
experienceBilling, wait times and scheduling were among
the top problem areas in the ancillary care experience, as
identified by researchers. Yet the generational gap played a huge
role in whether patients commented on these aspects positively or
negatively. Sixty-three percent of baby boomers left positive
comments about hospital billing processes, while 70 percent feel
positively about wait times and an even bigger margin, 75 percent,
are satisfied with their healthcare organizations’ scheduling
capabilities.
Conversely, a large majority of Millennial and Generation Z
patients commented negatively on billing (65 percent), wait-times
(50 percent) and scheduling (50 percent), pointing to the kind of
contrasts that make it difficult for organizations to identify the
best places to martial their resources.
Patient follow-up could be the key to
loyaltyNRC’s research found that what happens after the
encounter is just as important – and healthcare organizations are
not currently meeting consumers’ expectations.
Seventy percent of discharge-related patient comments were
negative, with Millennials and Generation Z consumers feeling this
dissatisfaction more acutely. Additionally, expectations on the
timeliness of healthcare follow-ups sharply increases in the event
of a service mishap. According to the research, nearly 75 percent
of consumers expect follow-up within two days of a service problem,
and after just one week, 66 percent of consumers say that an
unaddressed service issue is “irreparable.”
Out-of-Industry examples offer guidance for improving
experienceAnother smart strategy for hospitals and health
systems in today’s value-based market is to pay close attention to
what other consumer-facing industries and non-traditional players
are doing to improve the customer experience. While healthcare is
unable to move as nimbly as its start-up and technology
contemporaries, the closer care encounters come to the frictionless
experiences of digital service companies, the better patient
perceptions will become.
The NRC Healthcare Consumer Trends Report looked at more than
two million consumer voices from NRC Health’s Customer Intelligence
Platform. The report is available for download.
About NRC Health For 39 years,
NRC Health (NASDAQ: NRC) has been committed to achieving human
understanding and bringing healthcare organizations closer to their
customers than ever before by illuminating and improving the key
moments that define an experience and build trust. Guided by their
uniquely empathic heritage, proprietary methods, skilled
associates, and holistic approach, NRC Health helps its customers
design experiences that exceed expectations, inspire loyalty, and
improve well-being among patients, residents, physicians, nurses,
and staff.
For more information, email info@nrchealth.com, or visit
www.nrchealth.com.
Press Contact Jennifer Lyle
Public Relations for NRC Health nrchealth@barokas.com
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