Customer Experience Trends in Healthcare Industry – Mary Walton

The customer-brand relationship has evolved, thanks to an increasing marketing sea-change known as liquid expectations. The term came into view as the customer experience in industries, such as travel and retail spilled over into industries that were previously thought to be unrelated (e.g., healthcare).

It wasn’t so long ago when we would call airlines to book flights. Then there was a time when we’d have to wait to talk to someone on the phone if it rang “busy.” Those days are long gone. Now we click to book flights and text to talk to people.

Hence customers shopping for healthcare services and providers expect—and will change hospitals and doctors to find digital experiences equivalent to those provided by the most consumer-centric companies in the world.

Here are the top five customer experience trends to follow in the healthcare industry.

#1: Augmented Reality Training

Augmented Reality (AR) is reshaping the healthcare industry. Using AR technology, healthcare providers are able to see procedures and diagnoses clearly to learn and expand their skills and knowledge.

AR makes it easier to train hundreds of providers simultaneously—this could make up for the shortage of highly trained professionals across the globe.

Imagine a physician being able to identify various treatment options by looking at different conditions on a patient through a screen. Instead of them having to spend days studying to refine their knowledge, the information required can simply pop up in front of their eyes via augmented reality.

#2: Leveraging Data

Healthcare industries have always used data, but the new ways of collecting data will greatly impact the consumer experience. Automated computers and devices comb through large amounts of data in real-time to provide the best possible customer experience.

Healthcare data appears in several different forms, from numbers of what times and days are the busiest to post-visit feedback surveys so that hospitals can staff their offices accordingly.

Data can also predict when the patient is likely to fall sick again to take preventative actions, create personalized treatment plans, and limit the spread of viruses and diseases before things get out of control.

Furthermore, it enables providers to get rid of pre-visit intake questionnaires, which is something customers aren’t a big fan of. So, for instance, if you’re looking to perform a drug screening, you’ll be asked to provide a urine sample so they can analyze it. The data can then determine whether you’ve used specific drugs in the past few weeks or so, even after the effects have worn off.

#3: Patient Personalization

Consumers today are so caught up with the never-ending hustle called “life,” they don’t have enough time or patience to be sick. They don’t like waiting around for products and services they don’t necessarily need.

With the increasing growth of valuable data, doctors can now personalize the standard healthcare experience.

Data allows healthcare offices to provide everyone a fully personalized experience. Instead of each patient being treated equally, hospitals can use data to define what physicians a customer prefers, whether or not they want to be seen in person, their health and well-being history, and if they have any severe health issues.

This also means a customer’s information will be quickly accessible. Hospitals will no longer have to navigate through a sea of healthcare representatives. Once the information is collected, the next step is to identify the various treatment options and make preventative care.

#4: Smart Technology

The entire world is now dependent on smart technology: environment-controlling devices, voice-activated virtual assistants (e.g., Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, etc.), automated cleaning tools, and so on.

It’s no surprise that the healthcare industry has also started implementing smart technologies, including smart pills, medicine dispensation, sensors, smart surgeries, early registration devices, holographic and simulation devices, and remote technologies.

Smart beds are a great example of such healthcare tech. They are equipped with smart weight sensors that let them self-adjust their position and angle to improve the comfort and safety of a patient.

Remote control and automated infusion pumps are yet another example of healthcare technology. Smart technologies not only make life easier for a patient but also doctors and nurses.

#5: Wearables

Wearable technology isn’t something completely new. However, recently, it’s gotten a lot of attention. And according to research, wearables shipments will double by 2021.

Healthcare devices currently comprise $6.8 billion of the total $25 billion wearable markets. In the next five years or so, their share is expected to reach as high as $10 billion.

Wearables are robust, non-invasive devices that help you monitor your health while keeping you connected to health experts. They can track a wide variety of health metrics, including heart rate, blood pressure, sun exposure, sleep patterns, etc.

Wearables are becoming an ideal option for those prone to hospitalization and cannot take care of their health adequately.

---

Wrapping Up

There you have it—five customer experience trends in the healthcare industry. Healthcare institutions that strategically navigate the minefield that is consumer experience will notice a significant surplus in customers and customer satisfaction.