Today, it’s safe to say that brands must build a seamless customer journey. But what about the health sector? Are healthcare providers investing enough effort to anticipate and address patient needs like many organizations do with their clients?
The concept of patient travel is gaining popularity in the medical community. It refers to the process that patients go through from the moment they realize they need medical assistance until they recover. It involves all parts of the healthcare ecosystem, from making an appointment to receiving treatment.
The patient experience, in most cases, involves more than one trip. Touchpoints range from interacting with a wellness app to dealing with serious injuries. The healthcare industry can transform the patient experience by examining those journeys and combining them into a single view powered by technology and operational experience.
What is the journey of a patient like in the current medical system?
Patient experiences vary from person to person; however, there are five critical points on each journey:
While these five steps have become the norm in the medical field, there are more nuances that healthcare professionals are beginning to address.
Patients interact with doctors, pharmacists, financial insurers, and other health care professionals. However, these contact points often function independently. Transforming the patient experience involves creating a broader view to identify different touchpoints in the patient journey that play a crucial role in the overall experience. Technology can play a significant role in shaping that future by bridging gaps and enabling deep collaboration.
Capturing life’s journeys
Companies in the healthcare space need to look at an expanded view of the patient journey and optimize it with technology. In other words, it’s less about a patient journey and more about capturing a life journey.