Patients increasingly are looking for healthcare providers that offer digital services, but many still fail to do so, according to a survey by TechnologyAdvice Research.
More than 60 percent of the 406 U.S. patients who participated in the survey said digital services are important to them when they are choosing a provider.
However, according to TechnologyAdvice Research, only one-third of respondents said their physician offered digital services.
A majority, 68 percent, wanted physicians to follow up with them after an appointment, while about 41 percent wanted the option of online scheduling; 32.8 percent wanted to ability to view their test diagnosis online.
In an annual survey conducted by Xerox, of 2,017 U.S. adults polled, 64 percent said they don't use online portals, but 57 percent of those would be more involved and productive in their healthcare if they had online access.
Still, many things also hold patients back from using such services. Despite the adoption of EHRs and portals through which patients can view their records, many organizations still charge patients for that access.
In addition, providers may in fact offer the tools, but patients may not know about them. In a survey of 430 patients, also conducted by TechnologyAdvice, about 40 percent didn't know whether their primary care physicians have patient portal systems.
To learn more:
- check out the survey results