The following is a guest article by Linda Comp-Noto, Division President, Healthcare Enterprise Operations at Teleperformance.
Over the past two years, there has been a sharp increase in the use of telehealth. Research from McKinsey & Company indicates that telehealth utilization has grown to levels 38 times higher than before the pandemic. Patients and providers are seeing the benefits of embracing telehealth technologies; those include convenience, cost reductions, increased safety measures for all, and better access for underserved populations. That’s especially true for telehealth services that provide human touch elements, such as concierge services. Yet implementing concierge services and other telehealth plans can be a daunting task for providers.
The importance of customer journey mapping cannot be understated. Beyond sounding like a catchy phrase, taking the steps to go through the mapping process helps companies visualize how customers interact with one’s organization. Taking the time to develop a customer journey map allows healthcare companies to figuratively step into their customers’ shoes and view the business from their perspective. Understanding the pain points that the customer can experience helps each company improve performance and raise customer satisfaction.
Here are the top three strategies for healthcare providers to consider implementing in order to improve telehealth services for their customers.
1. To improve telehealth services, analyze data to identify trends in customer feedback.
Keeping in mind that HIPPA and other privacy laws need to be enforced, every healthcare provider can leverage the analytics capabilities of all modern applications to mine for data that sheds a light on every patient interaction.
Just as important as qualitative assessments on things that can be measured, such as average hold times, are the less tangible assessments like patient sentiment. Incorporating measurement of feelings throughout the patient interaction can highlight how well your team is doing when it comes to providing empathetic support. For instance, if a senior citizen is frustrated by the complexity of what is and what isn’t covered in a health plan, it can cause a high level of stress. Having staff in place to calmly work with the patient can go a long way toward tackling difficult situations. The ability to demonstrate emotional intelligence is hard to accomplish, but for companies that train employees in this skill, the payoff can be enormous.
2. Build a concierge service to address each patient’s unique needs.
Connecting with patients is more important than ever. Many vulnerable communities can have difficulty managing critical tasks such as understanding drug interactions or scheduling a ride to the doctor. The good news is that there are multiple channels for healthcare companies to interact remotely with their customers, including text, chatbots, and email.
When designing concierge services, examine every step along the patient’s journey. Identify the critical touchpoints, understand where there might be friction for patients, and continuously assess ways that processes can be improved.
3. Troubleshoot existing programs to identify areas of improvement along the customer journey.
Digital transformation is a catchphrase that’s been overused quite a bit in the past few years. While new enterprise software or hardware is costly and may take months to implement, the value gained greatly outweighs the technical challenges involved. Mapping the customer journey forces healthcare companies to examine existing processes, determine where the weaknesses lie, and provide a roadmap to where improvement can be made.
Analyzing all of the patient touchpoints and dissecting the vast amounts of data that enterprise software applications provide gives insights into how to improve performance. For example, if your data shows that 80 percent of customer calls are due to confusion about coverage, drug interaction, or scheduling issues, you can then design digital solutions that address those specific issues.
While telehealth usage dramatically increased as a result of the global pandemic, the reality is that digital technology opens the door for companies to greatly improve customer satisfaction. Doing so strengthens patient loyalty and with it, will also strengthen your company’s brand.
