On Feb. 18, Press Ganey published “Consumer Experience in Healthcare,” which builds on the organization’s “Patient experience in 2024” report. Based on patient encounter and survey data, the consumer experience report said online scheduling is a “nonnegotiable”
Here are 10 key takeaways from the report:
AI:
1. More than one-third of consumers use AI tools for healthcare-related purposes, including scheduling appointments and researching conditions and medical results.
2. More than half of consumers, 53%, are comfortable asking AI healthcare-related questions.
3. Seventy-five percent of consumers expect to be informed when AI is used in healthcare communications.
Marketing:
4. Nearly nine in 10 consumers said up-to-date online information is crucial to choosing their healthcare provider.
5. When assessing referred providers, about 60% rely on online reviews and recommendations.
6. Eighty-six percent of consumers choose a healthcare organization based on its brand reputation.
Access and convenience:
7. Nearly half of consumers face pre-appointment problems such as scheduling issues, long wait times and poor communication.
8. Forty-nine percent of consumers will wait up to three weeks for an appointment with a primary care physician, and 30% will wait up to three months for specialty care.
9. Four in 5 consumers said online scheduling influences their choice of provider.
Trust
10. Sixty-two percent of consumers are more likely to use an urgent care or emergency room linked to a hospital they know and trust.
Editor’s Note: Press Ganey defines healthcare consumers as adults who have researched healthcare providers online in the past year.
