·
69%
of respondents in the GCC regard digital and mobile healthcare as the future
·
78%
of patients eager to use new health technologies to make healthcare decisions
·
83%
of respondents believe there should be a greater investment in healthcare
technology
Dubai, UAE – 21
June 2017: Consumers across the GCC expect more from healthcare providers than
just meeting their basic physical needs; 69% of respondents in the EY Report ‘What
is the cure for a better patient experience in the GCC?’ believe that
digital and mobile healthcare is the future; with 78% eager to use new health
technologies to empower themselves in making health decisions. A further 83% of
respondents believe there should be a greater investment in healthcare
technology.
The patient
experience is comprised of the various interactions that patients have with a
healthcare system and is a critical component of overall healthcare quality. A
positive patient experience focuses on the whole delivery of an interaction,
from booking timely appointments to having their medical history easily
accessible to healthcare staff across clinics.
However,
according to EY report findings, 85% of respondents feel that not enough is
being done to improve patient experience. Furthermore, 38% of those surveyed
have trust in their local healthcare system and most patients reported they
would opt to get care for serious conditions outside the GCC region.
From regulatory
bodies to providers, many healthcare organizations in the GCC region lack a
mature patient experience management function despite 82% of healthcare
professionals indicating that patient experience is a priority in their
organization. In the same survey, 51% of the healthcare professionals rate
overall healthcare quality as inconsistent. Andrea Longhi,
EY MENA Healthcare Advisory Services Leader, says:
“Inconsistent
quality of care has been a uniform challenge across the GCC. Establishing a
patient experience management function will help improve accessibility to
patients, quality of service, consistency and affinity. It will help patients
appreciate the value of what they are paying for, improve loyalty and medical
outcomes as healthcare providers recognize the importance of going beyond
exemplary medical care to engage with patients.”
The absence of
a comprehensive patient experience management function also leaves patients frustrated
when clinical staff have no prior knowledge of their medical history, which is
linked to a slower resolution time and inconsistent diagnosis. Limited
engagement with clinical staff and the lack of consistency has only 40% of
respondents believing that they were being adequately informed about their
health. Furthermore, only 34% of patients are relying on their physician for
healthcare information above any other source.
Mohammad Sear,
Executive Director, Advisory, EY, says:
"Patient
centricity is the key to sustainably delivering better experiences. To achieve
this, stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem must make patient experience a
top priority at all times.
Healthcare needs
to go digital
With the
digital revolution, patients are becoming more aware, expectations are rising
and demand to be involved in every step of the treatment is increasing.
Dr. Fadi
Al-Buhairan, EY MENA Digital Healthcare Leader, says:
Although advances in the digital space are being
made at a national level in some countries, data is currently collected,owned, and managed by
different healthcare provider functions, resulting in a lack of consistent
information. In addition, methods of public reporting of quality, patient
satisfaction data, and other indicators of patient experience are not
standardized, creating a gray area for regulatory authorities to redesign the
health delivery system and improve patient experience. Potential solutions for
the GCC healthcare system include the digitization of electronic medical
records, mobile applications, remote patient monitoring, and the automation of
medical centers.”