The event brings together guest speakers, panelists, and attendees from top healthcare organizations to share insights on the evolving state of patient access – and based on this year’s discussions, here are three patient access trends identified by these thought leaders:

1. Be Prepared to Engage with Consumers Digitally – and In-Person.

The pandemic pushed consumers to become more comfortable with digital technology in all areas of their lives, including healthcare. As a result, consumers have higher expectations about where, when, and how they will engage with providers. What’s critical, though, is to ensure access encompasses both digital and in-person care and services, so it’s easy for patients to navigate the care journey on their terms. “We must adapt our delivery to the patient’s situation. Meeting them where they are physically, culturally, emotionally, and at their level of health literacy,” said Catherine Harrell, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. “Convenience is our currency.”

PRO TIP: “Focus on giving patients what they want and how they want it. Make experiences easy and low effort, and focus on the user and their needs, not our complicated backroom processes. We personalize the experience based on what we know about a user and always provide options to engage with us.” – Mona Baset, Vice President, Digital Services, SCL Health

Learn more about how today’s digitally-empowered consumers discover, select, and schedule care by downloading Kyruus’ 2021 Patient Access Journey Report.

2. Demand for Online Self-Scheduling Will Grow – Along with Provider Concerns.

Positive experiences in other industries have fueled consumers’ appetite for online scheduling in healthcare. In fact, Kyruus’ research reveals that for many – Millennials and Gen Xers in particular – online scheduling plays an important role in provider selection. While healthcare organizations realize the value of online scheduling, they may experience pushback from providers concerned about over-scheduling. Tarun Kapoor, MD, SVP & Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Virtua Health, suggests a phased implementation, and Thomas Pacek, VP, Systems, Integration and Technology at Inspira Health, concurs, “Your operational and clinical teams need to be ready for the volume when you move to online scheduling. The last thing you want is to have patients wait or only have appointments available far in the future.”

PRO TIP: “You don’t have to boil the ocean when rolling out new patient online scheduling. We started with primary care and then moved to more complex conditions.” – Katie Scott, VP, Digital Strategy and Innovation, UPMC

3. Lines Between Providers and Payers Will Further Blur When Accessing Care.

Kyruus’ consumer research shows health plan websites have taken a greater role in patient access, with over half of those looking for care online consulting a health plan website in their search. While consumers mostly visited health plan sites to verify a provider’s network status, more than half logged in to find a new provider. That’s why many healthcare organizations are working to integrate their providers’ profile data into health plan directories, in order to create greater consistency when consumers toggle between health system and health plan websites. Flexibility is key, according to Pamela Landis, VP, Digital Engagement, Hackensack Meridian Health, who shared “It doesn’t matter where someone starts their scheduling journey – website, partner site, or even a payer – as long as they end up on the right schedule and make that booking.”

PRO TIP: “When a consumer wants care at Geisinger, they don’t think about whether they’re searching through the plan or the system. They just know they want care at Geisinger, so the plan and system information has to be consistent.” – David Brady, Strategic Consultant, Geisinger Health Plan

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Certainly the pandemic changed the rules for health systems by reprioritizing and compressing their digital access strategies and roadmaps in order to stay connected to the communities they serve. And many health systems rose to the occasion with solutions that empowered consumers to discover, select, and schedule care with greater convenience than ever. Now those same consumers want even more from their health system’s digital front door. If your organization is going to rise to the challenge, a powerful provider data management system is a must. Here are three reasons why investing in the right provider data management system is an investment that’s worth every penny:

1. Data Consistency Builds Consumer Trust

Modern provider data management systems enable health systems to build and maintain an accurate core of data—in essence, a ‘source of truth’ for provider, service, and location information. When this rich, consistent provider data is surfaced across the organization’s access points, it greatly reduces confusion and frustration for consumers seeking care. And that fosters trust in providers and the health system as a whole. Conversely, when consumers encounter inaccurate or inconsistent data, their trust in the health system plummets and it is difficult—maybe even impossible—to restore.

2. A Solid Data Foundation Enables Sustainable Innovation

While it’s tempting to rush to break ground on new channels and resources to meet and exceed consumer expectations, it’s important to make sure the projects on your roadmap are supported by a solid data foundation that can bear the weight of innovation today and in the future. With a robust provider data management system in place—one  that houses, maintains, and makes available accurate, consistent information—health systems can power their existing web properties and mobile apps and explore leveraging their data in other channels such as health plan directories and search engines, so consumers can find care everywhere.

3. Clear Network Insight Facilitates Roadmap Decisions

A powerful provider data management system also gives health systems a clear and complete view of their network of providers, services, and locations. This insight is the fuel marketing, digital innovation, and clinical teams need to brainstorm meaningful consumer experiences that can set the health system apart from competitors. And it helps the organization’s leaders make informed business decisions to determine which projects are the most viable and the most impactful.

The bottom line? A provider data management system is a foundational investment that serves as a backbone for innovative access and experience solutions that delight consumers—but only if the system and the data it houses are thoughtfully developed, easy to maintain, and adaptable to future needs. And for overburdened health systems, it’s a job that’s best left for an experienced technology partner.

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