The US Health Insurers Customer Experience Index Rankings, 2024 paint a bleak picture of the health sector struggling to keep up with other sectors regarding Customer Experience (CX) and Digital Maturity. Unfortunately, this is not a one-off occurrence. This is the second time since 2021 that the industry average rating has shown a significant statistical decline, with nearly one-third of the industry earning a poor rating. Ten brands, including some industry heavyweights, scored their lowest ratings in the last five years.1 Even though a recent Forrester Research report highlights that US consumers’ perception of CX quality has fallen for the third year and sits at its lowest point since the inception of the CX index in 2016, the health sector has traditionally been behind the curve when it comes to prioritizing CX or in case of healthcare the Patient Experience.
Can Healthcare Keep Up? The Challenge of Delivering a Modern Patient Experience
The healthcare sector’s struggles to meet customers’ expectations stem from very little investment in improving the CX, i.e., patient experience, due primarily to a significantly low digital maturity level.2 The right Digital CX for your organization will determine the success of your brand and whether it can meet the consumer perception of CX quality in terms of effectiveness, ease of use, and emotional connection. Technological advancements have always required adapting to prevailing changes to succeed, but we have never witnessed such a rapid transformation in the CX landscape as we currently see, shaping right before our eyes. AI-powered tools are ushering in a new era in which data and intelligent experiences transform the customer journey for a more personalized experience. AI is not expected to replace Health Care Providers (HCPs); it will instead augment their capabilities to deliver impact for patients and healthcare systems.3 Unfortunately, the healthcare industry hasn’t been able to leverage the full potential of these AI-powered tools that have the potential to enhance customer experience, bring cost savings, boost efficiency, and bring accessibility to healthcare services.
AI-Powered Tools: Empowering Patients at Every Touchpoint
AI-powered tools can significantly improve customer experience by providing personalized, efficient, and timely services that simplify patient interactions along the patient journey. AI chatbots and virtual assistants offer 24/7 support for routine queries and schedule appointments without delay, freeing human agents for more complex tasks. Furthermore, automating tasks such as appointment reminders and insurance verification minimizes errors and streamlines processes. These AI-powered tools can also provide valuable insights regarding the patient’s needs and preferences, helping human agents tailor their support to offer personalized care.
Accessibility and Self-Service for a More Patient-Centric Experience
Patients want to be in control throughout their patient journey. To successfully provide such a patient-centric experience, one needs to improve the accessibility of healthcare services, and self-service is an essential component of this. To make healthcare information readily accessible, multilingual support must be available to help break down the language barriers, and this can be quickly done through AI chatbots offering multilingual support. Similarly, AI-powered tools such as appointment scheduling and remote patient monitoring allow patients to manage their information and access services independently. All this directly leads to a more patient-centric experience where triage processes are streamlined, helping direct patients to the appropriate care level and improving care coordination among healthcare providers.
Cutting Costs, Not Care: How AI Streamlines Healthcare Operations Without Sacrificing Quality
AI tools can automate nearly 45% of administrative tasks in the healthcare sector, such as billing, claims processing, and appointment scheduling, amounting to annual savings of $150 billion. Similarly, AI tools can detect fraudulent claims in healthcare, helping to prevent financial losses and ensure compliance with regulatory standards, thus saving up to $200 billion in insurance payouts.4 This, along with optimum workforce management and workflow optimization through AI-driven analytics, streamlines data for better decision-making and reduces manual intervention, leading to faster turnaround times and optimum resource allocation for increased savings. Furthermore, AI-powered tools ensure smooth communication and coordination between healthcare providers and patients.
AI for Healthcare: Ensuring Patient Trust and Overcoming Implementation Challenges
The potential of AI-powered tools can only be realized if the integration across the patient journey is seamless and considers the patient’s expectations. The pitfalls of misguided implementation can adversely impact patient satisfaction and trust in the various AI solutions. One of the main challenges is integrating AI solutions with your existing system and its subsequent adoption by your team, which might not be well-versed in how best to gain maximum traction from these tools. For the implementation to go smoothly, it is best to partner with a technology partner with expertise in AI tools and is a leader in providing the best CX through its services. A seasoned technology partner can implement the AI solutions in a phased manner that starts with a pilot project and eventually scales up as systems and processes are refined. The other big challenge is ensuring patient data security and meeting all the data privacy regulations by implementing stringent security measures.
Premier Empowering CX Transformations
Since 2003, Premier has delivered exceptional client value, consistently exceeding industry benchmarks with an 85% client CSAT and an NPS score 20% higher than average. Partner with Premier and leverage AI-powered tools optimized for your needs to achieve significant revenue growth. Premier solutions foster superior customer experiences that drive increased retention and brand advocacy and maximize customer lifetime value.
Premier combines a broader talent pool, reduced labor costs, and the power of digital transformation through PremierTech Solutions. Managed by a dedicated team that understands your unique needs, Premier helps foster long-term partnerships built on trust and shared success. Premier is committed to pioneering innovative technology solutions that tackle customer pain points, elevate satisfaction, and drive operational efficiency.
Premier differentiates itself through the PremierSync framework, which offers co-sourcing solutions tailored to your specific challenges. Ultimately, Premier acts as an extension of your team, helping you unlock the full potential of exceptional CX and achieve sustainable business growth. Don’t settle for average—experience the difference Premier can make through the AI-led transformation of your CX.
