In a world where consumers can order dog food, schedule a haircut or buy a plane ticket with just a few keystrokes, patients often wonder why healthcare has to be so complicated – and why so many processes seem stuck in the past.
As consumers become increasingly dependent on convenient and efficient online tools in retail, banking and grocers, patients are becoming increasingly aware of – and dissatisfied with – the digital shortcomings in healthcare, which often create a time-consuming, confusing and overly complicated experience .
Anthony Lucatuorto is CEO of Sphere, Powered by TrustCommerce, a digital transformation company. He believes it is time for healthcare to abandon manual and inefficient processes and embrace more modern digital tools.
We spoke with him about what he sees as the problem with the patient experience, his suggestion that it is imperative for healthcare providers to adopt digital tools, what can happen when hospitals and healthcare systems embrace digital tools on the patient side, and an example of today’s common patient process versus how it would work in a highly digital environment.
Q. You say that healthcare patients are often left with a time-consuming, confusing and overly complicated experience. What’s the problem?
A. Problems patients often encounter during the billing and payment process include high fees, unexpected bills, a lack of understanding of what their payment options are, confusion about what they owe and why they owe it, and poor communication due to staffing issues at the service provider.
For example, a recent consumer survey of 1,200 American adults, 58% found paying medical bills stressful, while 55% said simply understanding what they owe is a source of stress.
Most consumers don’t expect these problems to subside anytime soon, as 48% say their healthcare costs have increased in the past year and 59% say they are concerned about paying their medical bills in the coming year.
Healthcare is unique in that no one pays the same for the same service. Insurance benefits, deductibles, and deductibles vary from patient to patient. This makes it difficult for providers to provide estimates, often forcing patients to make decisions about their care without knowing how their bank accounts will be affected.
This is improving with legislation mandating the provision of estimates, but in many cases this is still only available to patients who proactively request it.
These issues don’t just impact patients; they also cause downstream problems for providers. For example, 40% of consumers said they wouldn’t pay a bill if they didn’t understand what the coverage is or how to pay for it, while 28% say they’ve put off paying a medical bill because it confused them .
This is only made more difficult by outdated collection methods. Although electronic payments are becoming the standard way to bill patients for many providers, paper statements with a check return envelope are still common.
Even if you prefer to pay electronically, remembering the patient portal login and entering your card information is a time-consuming task, compared to a more typical e-commerce experience that saves your card to a file or becomes a digital wallet used. such as Apple Pay or Google Pay.
The good news is that these payment technologies are being adopted quickly, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
Q. Why do you think it is necessary for providers to use digital tools such as self-service appointment scheduling, online payment tools and pre-visit cost estimates?
A. As the patient experience in healthcare evolves to mirror that of retail, it has become increasingly important for healthcare providers to provide patients with engaging and useful tools throughout the care journey.
For example, healthcare providers should take steps to ensure patients have clarity about every aspect of their care, including transparent pricing and intuitive workflows for online appointment scheduling, reminders, and payment plans.
Just like any other business, if you don’t adapt and give your customers what they want, you’ll be left behind. Patients have more flexibility and mobility than ever before, and they’re demonstrating that by leaving providers if they don’t offer a modern, digital experience.
Here are three examples.
First, scheduling self-service appointments. This is every provider’s front door and making it easier should be a top priority for everyone involved. Patients have to make appointments when they or a family member are ill, often combining this with a very busy private and/or work schedule.
People don’t have time to call during business hours, are likely on hold and then waiting to see if a future day/time fits their existing availability. Additionally, because most phone scheduling must be done during business hours, you may put your patients in an awkward position of describing a very personal matter while they are in an office setting.
Online scheduling gives your patients the flexibility to schedule appointments 24/7/365, while giving them the privacy to do so without having to share personal information over the phone.
Secondly, online payment methods. As mentioned, many paper statements and checks are still sent to pay for care. This will probably never reach zero, because healthcare has no demographics and you need to provide options for all types of people. But the world has already become much more digital and even older patients are very comfortable navigating a mobile device. It also makes smart business sense.
Electronic payments are faster and cheaper to process. Every business should prefer to get paid faster and have money deposited directly into your bank account, without additional manual intervention.
And thirdly: cost estimates prior to the visit. For starters, this is now a legal requirement thanks to the No Surprises Act, so if you don’t provide an estimate you risk fines. Besides being legally required, it’s simply a good thing to do. In addition, the healthcare provider can have a conversation with a patient if the costs are significant.
For example, by providing the patient with a payment plan in advance that fits his or her budget and including the payment method on file, the patient can worry about unexpected costs and the provider can collect automatically without manual intervention.
Q: What do you think will happen when hospitals and healthcare systems embrace digital tools on the patient side that are flexible, modern and convenient?
A. Modernized, advanced payment platforms can make the difference between a positive and negative overall patient experience. Provider groups that take advantage of platforms that meet patient demands for convenience and flexible payment options can improve their patient experience while improving collections through increased patient loyalty.
Additionally, digital tools such as flexible payment plans, pre-service cost estimates, and next-generation payment methods help improve access, affordability, and convenience of care, which can reduce the burden on patients experiencing social determinants of health problems. SDOH influences many health-related social needs, including financial strain, housing instability and poor quality, food insecurity, lack of access to health care, and inadequate educational opportunities.
Americans who experience SDOH are at greater risk of worsening health problems such as heart disease, stroke, depression, cancer and diabetes, according to the American playbook for addressing social determinants of health.
Providing patients with digital tools such as payment plans, pre-service cost estimates, and modern payment methods will not eliminate SDOH issues. However, by offering these tools, healthcare providers can do their part to make SDOH a little more manageable for their patients.
Ask. Provide a detailed example of a common patient process today compared to how it would work in a highly digital environment.
A. We live in a world that is always on the go, where we can do things on the go. Maybe you’re standing in a drive-through line and remember you’re out of printer paper, so you add it to your Amazon shopping cart.
Patients and caregivers benefit from the same flexibility. For example, with the right digital tools, a parent can receive a reminder to check in for their doctor’s appointment and pay a co-pay while watching their child’s baseball game.
Furthermore, in a modern patient payment experience, a patient can not only pay anywhere, anytime, but also with their preferred payment method, be it a credit card, debit card or a digital wallet such as Google Pay, Apple Pay or PayPal.
Follow Bill’s HIT coverage on LinkedIn: Bill Siwicki
Email him: bsiwicki@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.