Though in the past, healthcare consumers routinely ranked the patient-provider relationship as their top healthcare priority, convenience seems to have surpassed it in recent years.
A survey found that more than half of respondents selected convenience and access to care as the most important factor in their decision-making, with doctor-nurse conduct, brand reputation, and quality of care finishing a distant third, fourth, and fifth.
While younger generations might lean toward convenience like telehealth, older generations of patients, especially those with chronic conditions that require routine management, might give the nod to doctor-patient relationships and in-person primary care delivery. The latter may have managed their care for several years or more with a particular healthcare provider that engendered a level of trust and loyalty that’s hard to beat in terms of patient satisfaction and health outcomes.
But when forced to pick one over the other, which will most patients pick? Perhaps Tony Stark said it best in the 2008 film “Ironman,” when he uttered, “I say, is it too much to ask for both?”
Suffice it to say the two values are not mutually exclusive. A patient can still have all the convenience of a modern, well-connected telemedicine appointment experience and also have a strong and lasting relationship with their doctor. Hospitals, healthcare organizations, and practices that offer both will not only deliver great value-based care to patients, but they’ll also be more likely to be able to retain and attract patients than their competitors.
But what’s the common denominator between the two characteristics? How can providers bridge the gap? The answer, of course, is more effective communication. From a patient experience standpoint, a text-first approach can easily and conveniently help connect providers with patients across a more refined and dynamic appointment workflow. On the patient-provider relationship side of the coin, making improvements to bedside manner and personal engagement can go a long way in helping patients develop stronger ties with their clinicians.
Patients today want the ease, speed, and convenience of being able to interact with primary care providers at their own convenience. Communication through text messages gives them that ability. At the same time, patients highly value a physician or caregiver who listens well, is aware of and empathetic to their concerns and health issues, and who they feel is truly striving to give them high-quality medical care.
Providers who leverage modern communication tools like texting and a digital patient engagement platform while seeking to improve personal relationships with patients in the exam room can offer patients the best of both worlds. Better yet, they’ll save patients from ever having to make the difficult choice between convenience and patient-provider relationships.
For more information about how a text-first approach to a more modern and dynamic appointment workflow can help you connect better with patients digitally and in the waiting room, check out the guide, “The Perfect Appointment Workflow: A Guide to Improving Patient Outcomes and Increasing Revenue.”
