Patients' communication with physicians during the pandemic has become more virtual as telehealth offerings increase, but this can pose a challenge to the patient experience as data becomes less centralized, VentureBeat reported Jan. 10.
"Digital front doors" are being used to help reduce the need for in-person visits, but communication and engagement on these platforms are happening across different channels.
"Many consumers can't get a consistent experience across healthcare organization's web app, website, call center, retail health center, hospital or clinic," Josh Nash, chief marketing and strategy officer for Redpoint Global, told VentureBeat.
These inconsistencies exist because consumers have different digital identities. For example, if you call your hospital, your personal identity will be your phone number. If you access a patient portal, your personal identity could be your email, the article stated.
With multiple enterprise applications, one patient could have multiple identities, causing healthcare organizations to have trouble identifying patients.
The article says the only way to fix this is by implementing a centralized data platform that will help physicians coordinate care efficiently.