In a survey conducted by Hero Digital in August 2020, only about half of patients reported feeling loyal to their current provider, with individuals who have relocated or changed jobs being more likely to switch. The pressures of money loss, reemployment, moving, and health concerns are motivating people to find new providers.
This transition uncovers a potential audience of about 25 million who will be searching for a provider who can give them a seamless, integrated patient experience.
Healthcare companies can appeal to this audience by creating a credible and convenient patient experience enabled by cutting-edge technology and self-serve tools. New patients will be expecting a multi-touch journey across all channels — from smart watches to telehealth to in-person appointments.
To effectively reach this audience, companies can start by mapping new patients’ engagement points, workflows, and pain points. Then, for each stage of the patient journey, companies can find differentiated opportunities to solve for their patients’ evolving needs.
Some key insights from the latest findings…
- Across healthcare relationships, only about 50% of patients feel loyal to their regular providers.
- While younger and more urban patients were already open to switching providers pre-pandemic, COVID-19 has acted as a general accelerant.
- Disruptions from COVID-19 could lead to 25 million people considering a switch of their regular healthcare providers.
- Patients who are the most at risk following COVID-19 disruptions are the most influenced by availability and technology offered by their doctors.
