My last blog analyzed the five key points for designing and implementing a practical, patient-centered website. The final blog in this series provides examples of how to innovate a healthcare website, and boost credibility.
Healthcare organizations can provide the bare minimum features of a patient-centered website, but the true innovators will level-up to accommodate advanced needs.
Financial Tools
The cost per capita for healthcare is higher in the US than anywhere else in the world, so improving the patient’s financial experience should be a top priority. Of course, reducing the cost of care tops the list; but beyond that, organizations can ease financial stress with offerings such as online cost, coverage, and co-pay calculators.
Symptom Checkers
Patients also want to know the cause of their aches and pains. Provide a symptom checker and tie it into the find-a-doctor and appointment tools. They want to explore these symptoms more deeply, so offer a comprehensive health library with videos explaining conditions and the devices that treat them. Also provide a calendar of live events hosted by the hospital or clinic, searchable by condition and topic.
Up-to-Date Content
After investing the time and resources to create an exceptional online experience, commit to keeping it current. Too many organizations invest in their websites, only to quickly divert resources elsewhere once the site is live. In reality, a website’s transformation is never complete. Innovation occurs constantly in healthcare with medical breakthroughs, new drugs, new devices, and new treatments. This requires a constant review of a site for outdated content or ideas. It’s disconcerting to read about “state-of-the-art technology” that’s been around for 10 or 15 years. Finding the perfect doctor only to find that she has long since moved elsewhere is downright frustrating.
It’s More Than a Website
This guide exposes just the tip of the iceberg for creating a positive online patient experience; each of these fundamental practices deserves a deeper dive. But the bottom line is that the patient experience begins well before any face-to-face engagement. Improving the online experience will have a trickle-down effect through every interaction a patient has with their healthcare provider.
To learn how to break through the clutter with these 5 tips for building a patient-centered website, you can click here, or submit the form below.
