In a world of accessible digital healthcare it would seem logical for things to be simple. Everything would be contained in one place or set of experiences, all connected by easy-to-use patient and provider friendly touchpoints. Unfortunately, that is not always the experience or reality. A recent rapid rise in digitisation - fuelled by patient demand and unprecedented global health events - has meant many legacy systems or early-stage transitions to digitisation have not been able to meet the pace of demand.
At Phlo Connect we work with many healthcare providers who are fully embracing digital integration, or equally, are fully fledged digitally integrated providers from day zero. One thing we as a healthtech company and our partners have in common is the desire to create connected healthcare experiences. Be that us providing a flexible technology product stack to our partners to support their business operations, coupled with our partners understanding the changing needs of their patients and offering seamless healthcare experiences powered by Phlo.
Central to this shift is the patient themselves. What do they expect from a contemporary healthcare experience in a world that is more connected than ever? And, how important is the human relationship in a digital world? With 80 plus experts across Phlo Technologies, here are our five key patient needs that should be core considerations in the design of any forward-thinking patient healthcare experience.
Key for patients is access to the right experts that can help with their specific challenge. From hair loss to dermatology or chronic pain, patients are more discerning than ever and are keen to seek out the specialist providers who can help them. In an on-demand world of instant gratification, patients are eager to avoid long waiting lists on the NHS and source their own experts – many of which are not available through the NHS. We are seeing a mushrooming of VIMPROs (vertically integrated micro-providers) in the marketplace offering every type of specialised treatment, and the patients happy to use them.
Whether the expert a patient needs is geographically close to them or not is no longer seen as a barrier. Patients are more than comfortable consuming other services online and a mind-shift to location becoming irrelevant for specialist healthcare services is growing steadily. Online onboarding, consultations and prescription delivery are all easily achievable and able to be seamlessly integrated than ever before. For some patients, the nature of their health concern makes remote access more appealing if they are scared or embarrassed.
With busy lives, patients expect easy access to a seamless experience that feels reassuring and built for them. The key is to ensure digital patient experiences are designed to deliver an exemplary care level that is hassle-free for the patient. This means clear communication about how the process will work, what will happen (and when), how each stage is accessed and that the whole experience is flexible for the patient. At Phlo Connect, our Pharmacy services are powered by our Phlo Digital Pharmacy platform and complement any experience that requires prescription dispensing, delivered through our market leading in-app One Page Checkout.
Even with the expectation of a connected digital healthcare experience, patients still need the reassurance and comfort of human warmth. After all, healthcare is an incredibly personal experience. With technology like our Advanced Digital Signing tool and Prescriber Portal freeing up consultation time, patients can enjoy a fully human interaction that is warm, empathetic and reassuring. It is the harmonious connection in the human and technology relationship that creates joyous patient moments.
Whilst patients seek out experts for specific conditions, this is often part of a greater respect for their overall health and wellness. Where in the past patients may have taken a compartmentalised approach, there is now a growing move towards a holistic healthcare approach. This combines general physical health, mental wellness, exercise, nutrition and technology. The idea of what it means to be healthy is changing and patients see technology as a key component, all the way from healthtech wearables to monitor vital statistic to app-based trackers & assistants, and to online healthcare experiences with expert providers.
Continue the conversation with our team and explore how our flexible technology stack can help you enhance your patient experiences and health outcomes. Get in touch.
