What do patients want from healthcare communication and scheduling?
Patients want faster access to appointments and more ways to book them. According to the 2022 Stericycle Communication Solutions U.S. Consumer Trends in Patient Engagement Survey, cost and lack of appointment availability are the top reasons patients delay care. Most patients won’t wait more than a week to see their preferred provider. The survey gathered responses from more than 1,000 U.S. adults in its third year.
Are patients getting back to routine care?
Mostly. 86% of respondents had a primary care appointment in the past year. But about one-third delayed care, and patients under 34 were far more likely to put it off. The top two reasons were cost and a lack of available appointments.
How do younger and older patients differ?
Younger patients are less loyal and more digital. 82% of patients under 34 said they were likely to stay with their current primary care provider, compared with 95% of older adults. Younger adults were also more likely to prefer digital services like online scheduling.
How long will patients wait for an appointment?
Not long. 66% of patients said they won’t wait more than seven days to see their preferred provider before seeking care somewhere else. Nearly half of respondents had already received care in a non-traditional setting, such as a retail clinic, and 95% of them said they would go again. Many found that care disconnected from the rest of their medical records, but easier scheduling made these options appealing, especially to younger patients.
Do patients want to schedule appointments online?
Many do, even though most still book by phone. 70% of patients who scheduled online or by text were satisfied with the experience. Among those who hadn’t tried it, 54% said they would if it made booking easier, and 48% said they would if it offered more appointment slots.
How satisfied are patients with telehealth?
Very. 45% of patients had a telehealth appointment in the past year, and 90% of them rated the experience good or excellent. Although 44% still prefer in-person visits, telehealth helps ease appointment backlogs. Mental health is the type of care patients most prefer to receive by telehealth. One in five respondents has sought treatment for a mental health issue.
How can health systems improve appointment access?
Make booking easy and offer patients options. That means in-person and virtual scheduling, plus real-time wait times and distance for urgent care and emergency rooms, with the ability to save a spot. Health systems can also add virtual urgent care or a triage tool.
These features work best together in one mobile app, not as separate single-purpose tools. The more a platform offers, the more patients adopt it and come back. Learn more in Gozio’s report on driving high mobile adoption for patient engagement
