Today in health, it, how well do we know? Our clients, our patients. My name is bill Russell. I'm a former CIO for a 16 hospital system and creator this week health. Instead of channels and events dedicated to transform health care, one connection at a time. We want to thank our show sponsors who are investing in developing the next generation of health leaders. Notable service now, enterprise health parlance, certified health and Panda health.

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We're going to. Keep on this topic, we would love to have you mentor someone. They can subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. All right. Let's get to the article articles. Interesting. So this article comes from Jared, a charters company. And they did a survey and there's five takeaways on healthcare, consumer preferences.

How do they prioritize the factors such as location appointment? Wait times. Availability of digital tools and even demographics. Of clinicians and staff. And do they care about online ratings and reviews and so forth and so on? So they do this They do this study. And let me give you just a few insights into it. The first is providers are talking past patients when it comes to quality. This one was interesting to me. And again, some of this is not technology specific, but. It's more just in general, understanding our consumers. This one was interesting to me because we throw out all these ratings, number one, number two, number five. Us news and world report whatever ratings we, we get, five stars, 10 stars. The reality is the patients don't understand it.

These ratings. Now you might use those ratings for clinicians to attract clinicians and bring them in. As a top ranked institution, but at the end of the day, When the patient is looking at these things, they're not looking at the external accolades. Instead. They are looking at. The caring, personal experience that patients have when they are in the room. It makes sense.

They they want to know that someone's listening to them. Someone's caring for them. So when they think about quality, they think about quality from a personal perspective, they don't think about how you ranked in some survey. They think about those personal aspects. Again, I think these insights are interesting as we develop tools, as we think about. The connection with the patient. The second thing, insurance, convenience, and good reviews matter most when thinking about choosing a PCP. Whether they're looking at a PCP or a specialist over 80% of people say that finding a provider who accepts their insurance. Is very important or important. Beyond those table stakes, though, about 70% said that a convenient location is important to finding a provider with just half giving strong credence to good online ratings and reviews. And, we used to spend time with our clinicians on the online ratings or reviews and how they could improve them. Knowing full well that a social media and reviews. Like that do make a difference when people are finding a provider to work with. The third relationships are vital and sticking with a provider. And most who have switched PCPs in the past two years said they did.

So because they or their doctor moved. Or they had changed their insurance status. So there's an energy barrier. There's a momentum barrier to making a switch at even, or perhaps, especially when a change must take place. Building a relationship matters. One respondent notice noted. I didn't like my PCP. I inherited her.

When my PCP, I had been seeing for 30 years retired. So there is a certain incumbency factor. With regard to the person that you're working with. Finally in these last two are. Specific to technology. Virtual care is well-regarded, but not a panacea consumers who use virtual care are happy with it. Just under half the people have had a virtual care visit in the past two years among that group, more than 90% said that they were very or somewhat satisfied with the experience that said a significant portion of the population isn't clear on their options. Three in 10.

We're not sure whether their health plan offers virtual care about one quarter said they didn't know if their PCP or specialist even offered the option. Among those who chose. Not to use virtual care. 55% said it was because they prefer having a face to face time. With their doctor reinforcing the personal relational nature of medical care. Okay.

So people aren't using it because they don't. No about it, or they don't know what their options are. So it's important to educate the user and then finally healthcare consumers. RNA transitional moment with digital tools over half of the people surveyed have used an app or website to schedule a medical appointment in the past year.

At the same time. Exactly. Half say that if all options were available, they would prefer making a phone call to schedule. Or cancel routine appointments. That's interesting. Here's their takeaway on that? As with health virtual care providers need to balance digital and analog scheduling methods, maintaining or strengthening phone support while expanding use of online tools. Additionally it is worth considering how to better educate and equip patients. To become more comfortable with digital tools.

Of course. None of this matters. If those tools aren't offered or if they lead to a dead end, such as an inability to get an appointment. The only thing as I was reading that one, the only thing that really jumps off the page at me is there's.

As is always the case. When people come to the technology, people there, there's no regard to costs. Hey, strengthen your online tools and your website and your. Your mobile application. Oh, by the way, and maintain a strong and robust. Analog method, meaning your staff up that help desk or to help desks. And use all those tools associated with that. I don't think we have these luxuries as much anymore.

We've got to pick a lane, really invest heavily in that lane and move people towards that lane that is more efficient. The bottom line is that healthcare is a struggling financially and maybe not everywhere, but almost everywhere. I've talked to people. Healthcare is struggling financially and it's important. That we don't act like there is an unlimited source of funds because there is not.

And in. To certain extents. To a certain extent it's important to work with marketing. To educate the community. It's important to work with the clinicians help them to understand the financial realities that are coming down. The pike and how technology can support and assist that and help the institution as a whole. To pick lanes. To understand the costs. And the burden of choosing multiple lanes while it feels good.

And everybody gets a yes. It doesn't feel good in the long run because it creates a sub. Suboptimal experience, substandard experience. Because you can't invest in all of them. You can't make any of them. Great. Experiences. And so you have mediocre experiences across sport. So again, important to to pick a lane and that's probably the hardest thing. That I would say needs to happen within healthcare is when you're talking about picking a lane, you run into politics, you run into people, you run into fiefdoms. You run into pet projects, you run into all those things, but that is the work of the executive leader in healthcare.

That's the work that only the CIO can do, and maybe the senior it leadership teams. Is to work. With the healthcare leaders. To help them understand the ramifications of their decisions. And that's a majority of the job. Organizational change management is a majority. Of the healthcare leaders. Healthcare, it leaders job today.

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