Future-proof your practice with digital patient experiences

How do you future-proof your independent healthcare practice? 

Modernize your patient experience without compromising the humanized care you provide.

That’s the differentiator for your independent practice. With health system- and corporate-based providers growing in influence and scale, private practices need to double down on providing the best patient experience possible.

And technology can help you do that.

According to the Tebra Patient Perspectives report, 65% of patients are willing to switch providers if their preferences aren’t met. Meeting expectations in clinical care and their overall experience with your practice is crucial.

Independent practices that invest in digital infrastructure to enhance the patient experience will experience better patient acquisition and retention, in addition to smoother workflows. This will ultimately provide a competitive edge in the healthcare landscape.

In this article, we’ll answer these questions:

Let’s dive in.

For those still navigating the concept of the digital patient experience, here’s a deeper dive into the definition.

The digital patient experience encompasses every digital touch point a patient has with your practice. This starts with their search for a healthcare provider. According to Tebra's Patient Perspectives report, 77% of patients search online for a provider.

But that’s not where it stops. The digital patient experience extends from a patient's first search to the first time they come across your practice online to booking an appointment, paying their bills, viewing their medical records through an online portal, and communicating with your healthcare team via text, email, or in-portal messaging.

Here is the full scope of the patient journey:

Learn more about the new patient experience.

By integrating these digital interactions into the patient journey, your practice can offer a level of convenience and care that stands out in the modern healthcare landscape. Here’s why that’s important.

Technology is the cornerstone of modernizing your practice operations. But it’s more than just a tool — it’s a partner that helps you streamline and elevate the patient experience.

Technology has also become a deciding factor for many patients when they pick a healthcare provider. According to Tebra’s Independent Provider Playbook, around 61% of patients choose healthcare system-based providers over independent practices for digital convenience. Only 20% of patients select independent providers for the same reason.

That means if you embrace digital healthcare tools, an additional 41% of patients could consider your practice an option over the competition.

In Tebra’s Patient Perspectives report, patients shared which healthcare interactions they prefer to be digital. Here are their answers:

Plus, patients are willing to leave your practice for more tech-savvy healthcare options. Patients would switch doctors for:

Patients want a more digital healthcare experience. Embracing digital tools isn’t just about keeping up with the trends — it’s about staying competitive to attract and retain your patients.

From telehealth to advanced data security, technology offers innovative ways to connect, protect, and streamline the patient experience.

The technology is out there to improve the patient experience — healthcare practices just have to embrace it.

Let’s explore examples of the digital patient experience and how to implement them in your own practice. They include your practice website, digital patient intake, telehealth, online payment options, and patient portals.

Your practice website is often the first interaction your patients will have with you and your healthcare team — so it needs to be good.

Plus, according to Tebra's Patient Perspectives report, over half (53%) of patients say a practice’s website is extremely or very important when choosing a healthcare provider. Here are a few basic principles to follow:

Halcyon Health is an excellent example of a simple website with all the elements patients seek.

The top 3 most essential pieces of information on a provider’s website, according to patients, are:

Halcyon Health's homepage clearly states its type of care and whether it is accepting new patients. A quick click over to its staff page shares information on the practice healthcare team. The site uses a simple, clear design that gets the point across in a readable way.

Your appointment scheduling system is a critical bridge between patients and the care they need. The ease and speed with which patients can book an appointment is the key to enhancing the digital patient experience and the patient experience as a whole.

According to Tebra’s Patient Perspectives report, 48% of patients want easier ways to book an appointment. That’s not just a nice-to-have — 68% of patients are more likely to choose healthcare providers that offer online appointment scheduling. 41% also said they would be willing to switch providers for easier ways to book an appointment.

Appointment scheduling and reminders also pop up in patients’ digital preferences. The top 3 experiences patients would prefer to be digital are:

Appointment scheduling, along with availability, is a top concern among patients. Online booking allows patients to schedule appointments when it’s convenient for them — without waiting for business hours or spending time on hold.

By prioritizing patient scheduling and appointment reminders, your practice can significantly improve the accessibility and convenience of your healthcare services, aligning with patient preferences and fostering loyalty.

The waiting room experience sets the tone for a patient’s visit, and nothing amplifies the discomfort of waiting quite like filling out endless forms. Patients are frequently told to arrive at their appointments 15 minutes early to give them time for forms. But 17% of patients said waiting in the waiting room for up to 15 minutes is too long, and 39% allow for 16 to 30 minutes, according to a recent Tebra survey.

Instead of making long wait times worse, offer your patients the opportunity to fill out their forms online before they step foot in the practice.

The shift in patient preferences to digital includes filling out forms. In fact, 68% of patients prefer to fill out forms digitally — an increase of 5 percentage points over 2022, the Tebra Patient Perspectives report found.

Impressively, 92% of patients would fill out registration forms online before their appointment. This overwhelming majority shows that your patients are ready and willing for you to make the switch to digital forms.

The benefits aren’t just for your patients. According to zHealth, digital patient intake can also save 6 to 12 minutes of staff time per patient visit. This gives your staff more time with patients instead of transferring information into your systems and aligns with your patient-centered approach.

Adopting these strategies streamlines the intake process and demonstrates your commitment to the patient experience — helping your practice set the new standard in patient care.

Telehealth has felt like a big leap in healthcare, but it’s far from patients' expectations. In 2020 and shortly after, telehealth appointments were at an all-time high. In Tebra’s Patient Perspectives report, only 23% of patients said they had both in-person and virtual appointments, and 5% said they had telehealth appointments exclusively.

It feels like a step back — especially from patient expectations. 53% of patients would prefer virtual appointments for follow-ups and check-ins that don’t need a physical examination, according to Tebra’s Patient Perspectives report. When possible, telehealth appointments are a convenient and often more accessible way for patients to receive healthcare.

Moreover, 56% of patients are willing to do a telehealth session if their provider is unavailable in person, and 24% said it depends on the circumstances.

While the digital vs. in-person appointment debate is real (51% of patients don’t feel like they receive the same level of care via telehealth compared to in person), it’s still a crucial piece of the digital patient experience, especially for common but infectious ailments such as COVID-19 to help prevent spread in your office.

The payment process is a critical moment in the patient journey. It presents an easy opportunity to reinforce the seamless and engaging healthcare experience your practice provides. By integrating digital payment options, you cater to the convenience your patients expect and elevate their overall interaction with your practice.

Patients appreciate digital payment offerings. Tebra’s Patient Perspectives report found that 61% would prefer to pay their bills online. Patients get an easy-to-read digital statement, and your practice gets faster payments. 72% of patients are more likely to settle their bills immediately when they receive a payment link via email or text.

Despite patients’ clear preference for digital payment methods, 45% of healthcare providers, both independent and system-based, have yet to offer online payment solutions. This gap is a missed opportunity to enhance patient satisfaction.

By strategically integrating digital options into your practice, you’ll meet patient expectations and position your practice for greater financial stability and growth.

Patient portals stand at the forefront of transforming patient experiences, offering a blend of convenience, engagement, and empowerment right at their fingertips.

Nearly ⅓ of patients prefer to use patient portals over other forms of communication, such as text messaging and email, to obtain health information or provide feedback. Practices have embraced patient portals, with 73% of patients reporting that their doctor uses one. But there’s definitely room for improvement.

Patients cite limited communication (38%), delays in discussing test results (22%), and navigation difficulties (17%) as their main concerns.

It’s important to note that the content in patient portals falls under regulations, including the 21st Century Cures Act. While portals aren’t specifically mentioned, information blocking can apply to the information available in portals. The rules aim to prevent practices that could obstruct the access, exchange, or use of electronic health information (EHI). 

Even though portals aren’t mentioned, much of the healthcare industry has expanded the information available to patients through portals as a defense against the open-ended definition, including lab results, surgical reports, and doctors’ notes. Remember these tips to ensure compliance.

A functional and user-friendly portal can offer your patients the seamless healthcare experience they seek and strengthen their connections with your practice.

Start where it’s going to be more impactful for your patients. Add to and improve your digital experiences one at a time where it counts. Since patients cite easier ways to book an appointment as what they want most from their healthcare provider, you may want to start with online scheduling.

If you’re ready to transform your patient experience, start by looking for a platform or portal that meets the specific needs of the healthcare industry. Tebra is an all-in-one platform for independent practice success that can help you transform your patients’ experience — and your own. Once you’ve built that base, you can add features, including online appointment scheduling, telehealth appointments, and more.

No matter where you start, the important thing is to keep the patient at the center of your approach. Consider conducting your own surveys to see which digital touch points your patients want most. Then, deliver on them.

The best way to future-proof your practice? Embrace digital innovation and the digital patient experience. 

As you strive to stand out in a competitive field, prioritizing the digital patient experience is not about just keeping pace — it’s about leading the charge to more patient-centered care.

Ready to elevate your practice’s digital presence? Learn more about how Tebra can help improve your patient experience.