March 5, 2013

With day two of HIMSS underway, I wanted to take the opportunity to share more about the Cisco Customer Experience Report focused on health care. In this study, conducted in early 2013 and released just yesterday, consumers and health care decision makers across the globe were surveyed on sharing personal health data, participating in in-person medical consultation versus remote care and using technology to make recommendations on personal health.

The results of the report demonstrate that as information, technology, bandwidth, and integration of the network become the center of the "new world," both human and digital aspects are key parts to the overall patient experience. These components lead to more real-time, meaningful patient and doctor interaction.

A few of the highlights within each portion of the study are included below and are discussed in more detail by Kathy English and Joel Conover in the embedded video. For more information about the study and additional data points, be sure to view our press release. Also, don't miss our infographic on the digital impact of customer experience for a visual representation of this report.

Privacy and Personal Service

It may be no surprise that health care practitioners are more willing to share personal and private information than consumers. The interesting point to consider is the degree to which all clinicians and consumers are willing to share personal health information and to improve the quality of care and how this varies by geography. In the U.S., close to sixty percent of HCDMs expressed confidence while only forty percent of consumers shared that sentiment.

In-Person vs. Virtual Customer Service

If you, as a consumer, feel you get the best treatment face-to-face and aren't willing to consider virtual access to clinicians, you are in the minority. The study found that while consumers still depend heavily on in person medical treatments, given a choice between virtual access to care and human contact, three quarters of consumers find access to care more important than physical human contact with their care provider  and are comfortable with the use of technology for the clinician interaction. The report also found that consumers will overlook cost, convenience and travel, to be treated at a perceived leading health care provider to gain access to trusted care and expertise.

How Much Do Consumers and HCDMs Rely on Technology? 

Nearly one in four of the survey respondents said that they currently receive health-related reminders on their device and that trend is only increasing. The study found that interest in accessing health information on mobile devices is growing rapidly. About 4 in 10 consumers indicate they would be interested in receiving recommendations about doctors, hospitals, medication, etc., automatically through their computer or mobile devices.

Interested in hearing more about the connection of devices and the critical role they play in the future of health care? Read our first blog post from HIMSS, focused on Dave Evans, Chief Futurist at Cisco's presentation on the Internet of Everything during Cisco's Community for Connected Health Summit on March 4. If you're attending HIMSS this week, tell us what you're enjoying most about this year's event and be sure to stop by and see us at booth#2329.