The past few years have brought about a great upheaval in our very way of life. One of the deadliest global pandemics in human history is not something one can just brush off after all, and almost everyone has had to adapt in some form to continue working and living. This is true for healthcare perhaps far more than any other industry, with doctors being on the frontlines and working more than anyone else to fight the pandemic. Many patients have missed multiple years of appointments leaving them struggling to get back up to date on their healthcare, and providers struggling to maintain operation due to the lack of income. Healthcare did, however, adapt and many providers were quick to turn to telehealth as a safe way of continuing to provide healthcare services.

With the worst of the pandemic now behind us, hopefully, it is time for providers to pick back up where they left off two years ago. Patients are returning to more or less the same patterns and demands they had pre-pandemic, with the same, and perhaps even higher, expectations for the quality and standards for the care they receive.

Why do patients leave?
The truth is that most patients are very willing to switch to a different provider when their needs are not being met. A recent survey showed that 72% of patients surveyed would be willing to switch to doctors that meet their preferences. The most common complaints given include the following:

1. Poor experience with their provider
2. Poor experience with office staff
3. Slow or no response to questions or concerns
4. Long wait times

Fortunately all of the issues listed above are easily preventable.

How to stop patients from leaving
The primary focus in modern healthcare is the patient experience. And for good reason – a positive experience is the number one drive r of customer loyalty and retention. But what exactly is a positive experience, you might be wondering. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to solving the patient experience; each and every patient will have their own preferences and demands of what they expect from their healthcare experience. With that said, there are a few things that are universal:

1. A personal connection
2. Digital convenience

The same survey mentioned above also found that 8 out of 10 patients switched providers due to a negative experience at the practice or a lack of access and communication with the practice. The relationship between the patient and physician is the most important aspect of this, with 67% of patients reporting they prefer a physician that is a “good listener.” Shorter wait times and a swift response to questions are also among the most important things patients are looking for.

Most of these concerns are best addressed through the digital realm, which suits most modern patients perfectly. Modern technology also offers a great way of nurturing and maintaining a strong patient-physician relationship in between visits through communication. A better patient experience has also been linked to better patient outcomes making investing in technology a win-win situation for all parties involved.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the digital tools that can help improve patient loyalty, retention and outcomes for a healthcare practice:

• Automated Patient Satisfaction Surveys: These need to be sent out immediately following a visit. The simple act of requesting feedback serves to illustrate to the patient that the practice cares about their opinion. Asking for it immediately following a visit also yields better results for the practice as the appointment will still be fresh in patients’ minds allowing them to more accurately describe aspects of the experience they were dissatisfied with.
• Email: An easy way of staying in touch between appointments. Beyond that email is also a fantastic marketing tool, through newsletter and marketing emails that allow patients to stay up-to-date on everything happening at the practice. Other benefits include the ability to send automated reminders for appointments or to book an appointment. The practice can also send targeted marketing campaigns to patients that they know require certain services.
• Modernizing the Experience: Each and every point of the patient journey through the practice should be updated to include digital convenience. Online scheduling, registration and intake forms are a good start.