# Healthcare Customer Experience Management: Why It Matters The field of medicine is always changing and growing, and there have been unprecedented levels of accelerated transformation in recent years. But as this has happened, the ecosystem of the healthcare sector has become increasingly complex, making it less efficient, more siloed, and more difficult to deliver a cohesive customer experience in healthcare. These complications are in direct conflict with what today’s patients want and need. [Especially after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic](https://digitalhealthtimes.com/2021/press-ganey-2021-consumer-experience-trends-in-healthcare/), consumers are more interested than ever before in digital solutions to engage with healthcare professionals. These digital tools mean the medical sector has an opportunity to rethink how healthcare happens. The patient experience isn’t defined by just the visit to the hospital or the doctor’s office. Much more of their experience is happening digitally. This includes things like scheduling, billing and payments, insurance, and even virtual appointments. Moving forward, healthcare organizations need to look at the digital healthcare customer experience (CX) as a way to improve patient care and foster lasting relationships. ## About Customer Experience Management in Healthcare [Customer experience](https://hbr.org/resources/pdfs/comm/salesforce/SalesforceCXHealthCare.pdf) (CX) in healthcare focuses on how patients view their interactions with healthcare systems. Setting up an appointment, using an online patient portal, viewing a test result, or asking a doctor a question; these are all part of the customer experience. Offline, this can also include things like waiting room experiences and bedside manner. Thinking about CX for healthcare, or the customer journey map for healthcare, is still kind of a new idea. HIPAA regulations for data compliance have kept many healthcare providers and networks from really embracing digital innovation. The COVID-19 pandemic brought us many new innovations. These emerging customer experience trends in healthcare include expanded options for virtual appointments, online charting, and telehealth services. All of these options are still relatively new and there hasn’t been much time to refine the overall customer experience. However, healthcare companies can’t afford to break patient trust through a series of miscommunications or frustrating, confusing customer experiences. The result? The entire concept of healthcare customer experience management is far more nuanced than in other industries—and it requires a much more refined approach for each customer. Without a centralized customer experience strategy, it’s hard for patients to not feel as though they get lost in the shuffle. ## The Opportunity for Great CXM in Healthcare The healthcare sector’s technology infrastructure is growing and expanding as digital platforms that power patient care expand. However, they each operate with their own functions and goals, creating a more fragmented ecosystem. In fact, in a survey of [2,000 consumers](https://hbr.org/resources/pdfs/comm/salesforce/SalesforceCXHealthCare.pdf), 62 percent said they believed the healthcare system is purposefully confusing. Industry leaders are starting to take note. [Dr. Stephen Klasko](https://hbr.org/resources/pdfs/comm/salesforce/SalesforceCXHealthCare.pdf) shared that, “Healthcare has been allowed to be the one sector that has escaped the consumer revolution.” Furthermore, almost [60 percent of industry executives](https://hbr.org/resources/pdfs/comm/salesforce/SalesforceCXHealthCare.pdf) state that improving CX is their top priority. ## What Healthcare Customer Experience Management Can Do Healthcare CX management is about more than just making an online visit or digital charting simpler and easier for patients. Here are a few of the ways that a great customer experience can impact the healthcare sector: ### **More Personalized Healthcare Communication:** A focus on CX in healthcare means that you can reach out to patients in more individualized ways. This includes emailing exam confirmations, developing customized dietary or treatment plans based on individual patient data, and even discovering and sharing early warning signs based on a patient’s medical history. ### **Keep Operating Costs Low:** Integrating smart CX tools can help providers optimize their patient flows, bundle treatment, and standardize contracts, which helps keep costs down. ### **Keep Patient Wait Times Down:** Wait times can be addressed through CXM strategies. One report showed that [62 percent of surveyed patients](https://digitalhealthtimes.com/2021/press-ganey-2021-consumer-experience-trends-in-healthcare/) said long hold times play a huge role in their choice of healthcare providers. Tools to minimize wait time frustration include: - Chatbots and self-service menus. - Self-service check-ins on mobile devices. - Automated and self-service digital appointment scheduling. ### **Increase Transparency into Healthcare Journey:** Transparency fosters trust between patients and providers. One of the biggest factors of why customer experience matters in health care comes down to establishing patient trust. Clear and understandable information about a patient’s medical history and treatment can greatly enhance this. #### **Other Impacts:** Other ways that customer experience management can impact the healthcare industry include: - 24/7 patient access to medical records. - Workflow automation for repetitive tasks. - Opportunities for patient feedback. ## Take Charge of Customer Experience Management in Healthcare A quality customer experience is becoming increasingly important in the healthcare industry. Working toward a great healthcare customer experience means having an [orchestration platform](/content/cxmengine-overview/index.html) to support the full customer journey. At OvationCXM, our focus is on managing and optimizing the customer experience. We’ll help you take a look at every part of the customer experience and provide better care.