A 2017 survey of 1000 patients from NTT DATA Services and another from Accenture in 2019 revealed that patients want more from their digital healthcare experience and think healthcare tech could take some cues from retail.

Consumers — particularly those who are digital natives — are demanding simple, reliable digital interfaces for healthcare activities, such as making appointments and accessing test results. Alan Hughes of NTT DATA Services told Business Wire, “As patients seek seamless care to bring together services related to diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and health promotion, healthcare appears ripe for its own digital transformation.”

The survey further revealed a growing cohort of digital-savvy consumers with higher expectations for a digital customer experience (DCX), with 50 percent saying they would leave their current physician for one with better DCX.

Of course, this puts much of the onus for potentially expensive digital technologies on healthcare clinicians, but it is not only healthcare providers facing consumer scrutiny. Sixty-nine percent of respondents said insurers need better customer-facing technologies, and insurance companies are likely better positioned to do so. Patient financial responsibilities for healthcare increased by 11 percent in 2017, so it is not surprising that patients expect their digital healthcare experience to be more like the DCX of retail.