5 steps for defining your healthcare consumer experience strategy

The COVID-19 pandemic instigated a wave of new technology innovations in healthcare that coincided with a crash course in putting those technologies into practice. While each new technology served a specific purpose, such as telehealth, consumer engagement or pharmacy services, healthcare providers and payers found themselves accumulating siloed point solutions for each individual function. In turn, the CX in healthcare has become a maze of member and patient portals, applications and websites that contribute to a confusing and disjointed healthcare experience. 

Now more than ever, CX is paramount to modernizing the healthcare system. Healthcare organizations need to prioritize creating personalized, consumer-grade healthcare journeys. Consider how easy it is for most of us to access our banking services online. With just a few taps on our phones, we can complete a transaction in seconds. But, for many healthcare companies, this type of consumer-centric experience is exceedingly difficult to deliver. For payers and providers, CX transformation is a daunting task that requires seismic change, as the industry has not achieved the same level of interoperability that exists in finance, transit or e-commerce. The benefits of this transformation far outweigh the costs, and the companies that prioritize CX will profoundly increase consumer loyalty — an essential component in retaining and attracting consumers.

Step one: understand your starting point

Developing a strategy for CX transformation starts with evaluating the current CX and identifying areas for improvement. The data from the current system will reveal trends on the exact points where consumers drop off in their health journeys. This starting point also requires a deep awareness of what the consumer needs and wants to achieve, which is a key factor in delivering meaningful, personalized interactions that increase member and patient satisfaction.

A full understanding of the starting point also includes knowing where data is siloed, identifying roadblocks to data sharing and finding the technology and teams to contribute to the CX. A clear picture of the issues at hand will facilitate the most efficient path to fixing them. 

Step two: define the experience you want to deliver

Nearly every consumer industry has adopted a platform-based approach to CX because it creates a holistic, streamlined experience, as opposed to the traditionally fragmented and complex CX that has characterized healthcare. Understanding that the modern consumer expects the same platform-based approach that they enjoy with applications like Netflix, Amazon and Uber will help establish a consumer-centric mindset before executing a strategy. Conduct both quantitative consumer research (polls and surveys) and qualitative consumer research (ethnographic studies and focus groups) to better anticipate users’ needs. 

Netflix, Amazon and Uber have laid the blueprints for the kind of CX healthcare companies want to deliver. Each of them offers an omnichannel experience that allows for seamless navigation and is deeply personalized for each individual user. That deep personalization results in meaningful engagement and creates a profound sense of loyalty, which enables them to create customers for life. Use these examples as a bold jumping-off point for your own CX transformation. 

Step three: prioritize based on impact

There are many ways to measure impact when it comes to CX in healthcare, and prioritizing the initiatives and technologies that have the greatest effect on consumers will create the best CX. By encouraging consumers to make healthier choices through a positive engagement strategy, the platform contributes to immense savings downstream. Focus on what is most important for a successful member or patient experience first, then add features that support these focal points down the road. 

That focus should start with data. Data has to be interoperable between systems to make the greatest impact on the consumer’s healthcare journey. Account for every touchpoint in the CX, including billing and consumer communications, and use this data as an opportunity to keep your brand at the forefront of the CX. Aligning your values, branding and messaging will enable you to get the greatest impact out of the CX. 

Step four: identify changes needed in internal processes and team structures

The CX transformation team should include individuals from various departments, and each should have ownership of their individual CX initiatives. A strong cross-functional team consists of product leaders with technical knowledge, an engineering team to build an omnichannel platform, a research team that leverages consumer research, a data team that enables personalization, business owners who value CX, frontline clinicians who will benefit from patient engagement and marketing leaders who will attract and retain consumers. 

Communication and integration across those teams are key in developing a cohesive structure and a successful CX transformation journey. Make sure that teams are empowered to make decisions and that they are supported throughout the organization. Adopt an agile approach that enables fast decisions, tight feedback cycles and continuous improvement to drive valuable CX transformation.

Step five: define your approach to measuring CX

Measuring CX is an important step in maintaining and improving consumer engagement. However, many traditional measurement tactics fall short. According to McKinsey & Company, survey-based systems are overwhelmingly limited, reactive, ambiguous and unfocused. Organizations need to see the full picture and understand what is driving CX. Understanding consumer behaviors and harnessing predictive insights will not only help anticipate future behaviors but will allow companies to identify issues in real-time before they become widespread. 

We are at a critical juncture in the history of healthcare technology where we define what a modern CX looks like, and it all starts with a transformative shift from siloed point solutions to a consumer-centric platform approach. Platform technologies enable organizations to get real-time data about how members and patients digitally interact with their brands. This type of actionable and immediate data empowers healthcare companies to iterate and improve in a timeframe that was simply unimaginable a few years ago.