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Study Finds 40% Uptick in Consumers Who Have Switched or Stopped Going to a Healthcare Provider Because of a Poor Digital ExperienceNEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cedar, an innovative patient engagement and financial technology platform, today announced the results of its annual Healthcare Consumer Experience Study, finding that against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital impressions matter more than ever before—28% of consumers have switched or stopped going to a healthcare provider because of a poor digital experience, a 40% increase from 2019. The latest results, conducted by Forrester Consulting from over 1,500 responses, identify trends in the patient financial experience, including the impact of COVID-19. Conducted during the pandemic, the study demonstrates the acceleration of necessary changes in digital health. When it comes to billing, even more patients are using digital tools: text message use alone has grown by over 200% in the past year, while email and patient portal use have grown by 82% and 34%, respectively. Yet, more than half of consumers (57%) have delayed care due to the pandemic, highlighting the need for improved digital health measures. While 44% of consumers would like a vaccine before engaging with care, they also generally want telemedicine options (44%), digital forms and communication (41%), and touchless check-in (37%) in light of the pandemic. "The COVID-19 pandemic has not only accelerated the adoption of digital health but has also done us the favor of identifying flaws and areas for improvement with these tools," said Florian Otto, CEO and co-founder of Cedar. "One in 10 consumers simply won't pay their bill if they can't understand it. It's clear that the financial experience is a critical component of the broader patient journey, and as a result, providers can't afford to disregard patient financial engagement now that exceptional, end-to-end digital experiences are the norm." Despite digital health tools becoming more ubiquitous with care, providers still have a long way to go in meeting consumer expectations and preferences:
Although expectations around digital tools are becoming more prevalent, subtle differences between age groups highlight the need for personalized experiences:
In addition to highlighting patient preferences for digital health experiences, survey results also suggest mounting concerns over rising healthcare costs and paying medical bills. Ninety percent of respondents express worry about rising healthcare costs over the next five years, and 84% are worried about paying their healthcare costs in the next year. Additionally, 54% have had a medical bill go to collections, with reasons including being unable to pay (24%), poor or outdated billing and notification processes (22%), believing they were billed incorrectly (17%) and finding the bill too confusing (11%). "Exceptional end-to-end patient experiences are now the norm, and that's no exception for the financial journey," said Arel Lidow, President and co-founder of Cedar. "The future is touchless and contactless, and by investing in the right patient engagement technology, providers can deliver on the financial experience patients crave, meet rising expectations around digital health tools and address concerns around healthcare costs with more transparency." For the study's complete results, download the report here. To learn how Cedar's patient financial engagement platform can help improve the end-to-end patient journey, visit: www.cedar.com. About Cedar Contact Related Images
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