Within the next 10 years, patients anticipate that their healthcare providers will be able to provide more tailored treatments based on their individual genomes, offer virtual consultations, and utilize artificial intelligence to help with diagnoses. In this blog post, we explore 7 ways in which healthcare providers can improve the patient experience by 2023.

 

Introduction: Patient Expectations

Patient expectations are constantly evolving, and healthcare providers need to be able to adapt in order to meet them. Today’s patients expect convenience, quick turnaround times, and a high level of customer service. In order to provide the best possible care, it’s important for healthcare providers to understand what these expectations are and how they can be met.

 

Patients are demanding more from their healthcare providers. The shift to personalization in the era of social media has led to patients expecting to be treated as individuals with unique needs, concerns, and goals. Healthcare providers are responding by offering individualized care plans that meet these patient expectations.

middle aged affluent woman using macbook pro to check online telemedicine booking appointment from overseas

Patients want the option to choose their doctor

Flexible benefits packages offer patients more options in selecting health care plans that work best for them depending on variables like age or location of workplace as well – factors which affect how much coverage will cost each month.

 

When patients have this option, they’re less likely to miss their appointments. They are happier with the doctor who is treating them and they feel better about themselves. This can lead to patients experiencing fewer symptoms or being healthier overall. 

 

Doctors also benefit from patients having the ability to choose their doctor because this leads to improved patient outcomes, including patients being more satisfied with care received. 

 

Patients are significantly more likely to return for follow up appointments when they were allowed to choose their doctor during their initial appointment. By allowing patients to choose their doctor, it strengthens the healthcare team because patients are less hesitant about asking questions or sharing information that might be helpful in diagnosis or treatment of a certain affliction.

There needs to be a way to verify the credentials of specialists

One way to verify credentials is to check with the relevant licensing board. This board will be able to tell you if the specialist is licensed in your state. You can also check with professional organizations, like the American Medical Association. These organizations will be able to tell you if the specialist is a member of their organization.

 

Another way to verify credentials is to ask for references. The specialist should be able to provide you with a list of previous patients who were happy with their care. You can also do an online search for reviews of the specialist.

woman doctor checking patient files on ipad

Patients want an easier way to give a feedback on their experience

In the age of online reviews, patients want to be able to share their experiences with healthcare providers quickly and easily. However, giving feedback can be difficult, especially if patients don’t feel like they have the time or knowledge to do so.

 

One way to make it easier for patients to give feedback is by offering an online form. This form can be easily accessed from a provider’s website and can allow patients to provide feedback on a variety of topics, such as the quality of care they received, the friendliness of the staff, and the ease of making appointments.

 

Another way to make it easier for patients to give feedback is by providing kiosks in the waiting room. These kiosks can allow patients to provide feedback on their experience without having to wait. 

 

Patients are more likely to give better feedback when they are in a positive state of mind – when patients are feeling happy, patients may be more inclined to leave positive reviews.

 

One way that providers can make patients feel at ease is by telling patients what the goal of receiving their feedback is. By informing patients how their feedback will help in improving the patient experience, patients will be more likely to provide good feedback.

10min is too short to get an understanding about their care

In a study by the Commonwealth Fund, it was found that consultation times in the United States are getting shorter. The average consultation time dropped from 18 minutes in 2005 to 10 minutes in 2016. This is especially concerning because patients need more time to discuss their health concerns and treatment options with their doctors.

Besides the lack of consultation time, patients also feel that their healthcare experience is not meeting their expectations. In a survey by Gallup, it was found that only 34% of American adults are very satisfied with the quality of healthcare they received. Patients often cited long wait times and rushed appointments as some of the main reasons for their dissatisfaction.

It’s clear that consultation times need to be lengthened in order to provide patients with adequate consultation time. At the same time, healthcare experiences need to be improved so that patients feel their time is better spent in consultation with their physicians.

Doctors need to slow down and allow patients to talk

It can be quite frustrating for a patient when they are in the medical office and they have to listen to the doctor talk so quickly, not allowing them time to respond. The bedside manner of doctors nowadays is terrible, because they always think that they know best and don’t even consider what patients might need.

 

Doctors need to take some time out and learn how to communicate with their patients better. It’s all about getting information across and making sure that both parties understand each other correctly. 

 

One way to help improve communication is to ask patients questions about their medical history. This will give you a better understanding of what is going on and will help you provide the best care possible. Patients will also feel appreciated when they know that their doctor has taken the time to read up on their file.

 

Another way to improve communication is by listening carefully to what the patient has to say. Do not interrupt them, because they might not have the chance to finish what they were saying. Allow them to talk without interruption so that you can get a clear picture of what is happening.

Patients do not appreciate the racism and sexism of healthcare

There is a long history of racism in healthcare, where minority patients have often been treated unfairly or received poorer quality care. This includes everything from being ignored or dismissed by healthcare professionals to receiving incorrect or substandard treatment.

 

One study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine looked at the attitudes of healthcare providers towards race and found that a majority of participants displayed some form of racism. In fact, many healthcare providers felt that minorities were undeserving of healthcare or that they were a burden on the system.

 

These attitudes can have a direct impact on the care that patients receive. For example, one study found that black patients are more likely to be prescribed opioids for pain relief, even when their condition does not warrant it. This could mean that healthcare providers are downplaying the pain experienced by black patients while over-prescribing medication for white patients.

 

Some healthcare professionals’ attitudes towards race may be influenced by their own life experiences or social environment. For instance, healthcare workers who have faced discrimination themselves are more likely to hold racist beliefs against other minority groups. This can result in healthcare providers treating patients differently based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and even disabilities.

 

White patients also sometimes receive preferential treatment when it comes to healthcare services. One study found that healthcare workers were less likely to perceive Hispanic women as being at risk of low birth weight babies compared with non-Hispanic white women – despite both groups sharing almost identical rates of low birth weight.

 

Not surprisingly, healthcare is a field that is dominated by men. from the top-down, healthcare decision-making is made by men. This means that the healthcare system often does not reflect the needs of women and girls.

 

Sexism in healthcare takes many forms. it can be as blatant as healthcare providers refusing to treat women patients, or as subtle as not providing adequate healthcare for women and girls. one example of sexism in healthcare is the way that heart disease is often considered a “man’s disease”. Research shows that heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined, but women’s symptoms are often dismissed as stress or anxiety.

 

Such discriminatory attitudes towards women also play a role in healthcare. for example, healthcare providers often discourage women from participating in sports and other forms of exercise. healthcare providers also make assumptions about the health status of women and girls based on their appearance or behavior.

 

Occult sexism in healthcare can manifest in many ways: providers assuming that the female gender has inferior intelligence; healthcare professionals ignoring symptoms related to gynecological cancers; leading to medical institutions failing to provide adequate care for pregnant women

elderly woman using telemedicine apps to talk with her geriatric specialist from her home

Elderly patients need more compassion in modern medicine

Older patients are often among the most vulnerable in our healthcare system. They can face discrimination and a lack of compassion from healthcare professionals.

 

Dr. Tara Macdonald, a geriatrician at the University of Toronto, says that “the elderly are often seen as a burden, or as people who are no longer contributing to society.” This attitude can lead to healthcare providers not providing the same level of care and compassion that they would for other patients.

 

This problem is only compounded by the fact that many elderly patients are already dealing with health issues and maybe feeling scared or alone. Dr. Macdonald says that “healthcare providers need to remember that these patients are humans with feelings and experiences.”

 

Compassion is key in healthcare, and we must remember to treat our elderly patients with the respect they deserve. Healthcare providers must make a conscious effort to be compassionate and understanding and to remember that these patients are individuals with lives and stories of their own. Only then can we provide them with the care they need.

Conclusion

In light of the increasing demand for healthcare innovation, it’s more important than ever that stakeholders and end users be taken into account in impactful product development. 2022 will be a year of great opportunities to provide better medical care by addressing these expectations.

If you would like to see how The VIOS Clinic can satisfy your unique healthcare needs, visit our main page to know more.

BLOG AUTHOR

Dr. Ismail Sayeed

Dr. Sayeed is the Medical Director of ViOS, Inc. He is a deeply committed physician entrepreneur & medical blog writer. While building the global infrastructure of the VIOS Clinic, he is dedicated to educate people on the potential of specialist telemedicine for managing chronic diseases.

Read more about him in his author bio

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