Patients want more communication. While the majority prefer phone interactions when consultations aren’t face to face, a majority are also open to giving their doctors real-time access to health information via connected devices and apps.

60% of survey respondents would give their doctors real-time access to health information via connected devices and apps (compared with just 37% who are open to providing their insurer with such information).
“Overall, we’re seeing positive trends in the healthcare industry when it comes to personalized patient engagement – including providers and payers – as well as the adoption of new technology, but there’s still quite a bit of work to be done,” said Kelli Bravo, vice president and industry market lead, healthcare and life sciences, at Pegasystems.

The results indicate the industry has room for improvement to create better interactions via other channels such as online chat, web portal, messaging app or text. However, 85% of decision makers said they believe their organization already offers the latest technology to give members and patients options to engage with their organization.

See more from N. Eddy for Healthcare It News

I think patients disagree with healthcare organisations! How do we increase our presence with patients without increasing overheads, or working harder?

Clinicians and their staff estimate that half of their time is taken having the same conversations, or delivering the same information – albeit to new patients (personal study, as yet unpublished). This information is ideal for creating educational videos (boring) – or interactive virtual reality that recreates the consulting room or environment of your choice, and can even take them inside an operating room, or the body.

Imagine having better informed patients, without taking up more staff time! Fewer questions mean fewer interruptions, fewer phone calls and more realistic expectations. Everyone wins – healthcare becomes one step closer to a cheaper, safer and better experience.

Tech can help. Virtual reality (VR) delivers standard, repetitive information in an engaging way to complement the efforts of staff and clinicians.