2021 State of Healthcare Report: The Patient Experience

What changes can we expect on the horizon of 2021 in the healthcare industry? At Epic Specialty Staffing, we’ve analyzed the landscape and have surveyed key themes for hospitals, healthcare providers, and organizations of note. In our second installment in this series, we explore the importance of enhancing the patient experience in a post-COVID world.

According to a report conducted by Lumeon, a leader in care automation, patient access leaders say patient experience (90%) and access to care (81%) will be the most important differentiators for winning and retaining patients in 2021, far ahead of offering patients more services (40%), or adding new services lines (33%).

Bringing Technology to the Forefront

Innovative technology has always been at the heart of the patient experience. Offering the latest machinery, procedures, and advances in medical technology are closely tied with patient satisfaction, and ultimately, treatment outcomes.In our current environment, as a direct result of COVID, patients and healthcare organizations have adapted technology as a key tool in their daily interactions. Patients want to use technology to communicate, schedule, interact, and in some cases, even visit their healthcare provider.

For healthcare providers, maintaining high-technology is key if they wish to continue providing and cultivating a high-quality patient experience.

Empowering Patients

A report that was published by Experian Health also documented that patient control over their experience would be a key theme in 2021. Patients want more control over their healthcare experience, they want to be able to book their appointments, have access to their data, and have all their options in a virtual format.

Healthcare organizations can help support this model by not only adapting to new technologies to facilitate patient empowerment, but also to help provide guidance on how to leverage these offerings. If patients can choose to conduct their appointments with a competitor virtually, your organization should do its best to give them a reason to select yours.

Seasoned Experience

Another key element of the state of healthcare in 2021 is that more and more patients will be looking to experienced medical staff, leadership, and support. The pandemic has pushed the healthcare industry and all its members to the limit, and throughout the chaos of this significant health concern comes the value of providing excellence in medical care to improve patient outcomes.

Epic Specialty Staffing is a leader in healthcare recruitment and we stand by our candidates, our partners, our clients, and every member of the healthcare industry. We have seen the challenges of 2020 and stand alongside our partners to help find solutions as this situation continues to evolve. With patient care being at the core, we look forward to our industry adapting to improve outcomes and continue to innovate in the medical field.

For more information about how Epic Specialty Staffing can help your healthcare organization, be sure to contact a member of our team today!

Next month, our third installment will focus on the growing demands of cybersecurity in 2021. Check back to learn more!