Booking a doctor appointment online is not just for the tech-savvy 20-somethings; the internet is changing the way Australians of all ages access healthcare.
Gone are the days where patients are happy to wait on hold to book an appointment, or give up precious time in a waiting room to see their favourite health practitioner.
Patients today are empowered consumers. This shift presents numerous challenges for medical practices, keeping patients satisfied is no longer solely about the outcome of a patient’s appointment — it’s about how ease of access, and how efficient their experience is.
68% of HealthEngine users are aged between 30 and 59 years old.
Here are the top three things to keep in mind when you’re planning the evolution of your practice:
1. Everyone books health appointments online. It’s not just the 20-somethings!
Online health appointments are being made by a much wider demographic than is perceived by health practitioners. Metrix, an Australian based research consultancy, performed an analysis of HealthEngine customers.
They found that although HealthEngine users are more likely to be aged 30–44 years old than they are under 30. In fact, 68% are aged between 30 and 59 years.
2. Once patients go online to book a health appointment, they don’t look back
Once someone books online, there’s no going back to phone calls. For the majority of patients who use an online booking service to make a health appointment, online becomes the primary mode of booking.
The better customer experience makes calling the practice feel like a chore in comparison. In fact, users will use online bookings an average of 4 times per year for each family member.
Once someone books online, there’s no going back to phone calls.
3. Patients book online for the freedom of coordinating their own healthcare
The number one trigger for patients to book an appointment online with HealthEngine is the ability to see available appointments.
From there they can book appointments that they know will fit their schedule. 79% of patients surveyed selected this as the reason they first turned to online bookings.
In Summary
For many practitioners, seeing patients as digital consumers is a new concept. Medical practices that understand are adapting to the changing landscape of healthcare needs.
These practices are enjoying the benefits of increased market share, greater patient retention, better patient healthcare experiences, and enhanced workplace satisfaction.
