The crucial role of customer experience in Healthcare

By Rosemary Hotten, Associate Director, Digital & Customer Strategy, Customer Science Group.

In the ever-evolving landscape of Australian healthcare, the importance of customer experience (CX) – or patient experience - cannot be overstated. While leveraging data remains the linchpin of engaging customers, patients, carers, stakeholders and funders, healthcare’s unique environment and regulatory framework, emphasises the need for effectively managing innovation with good governance and information management.

In this article I delve into the multifaceted relationship between CX, data, and the Australian healthcare system, exploring its potential for accelerating benefits in customer connection, operational optimisation, information reliability, and care outcomes through your transformation journey.

Data Management for Security Safeguards

Patient information, including access restrictions, personal health preferences, advanced care plans, allergy, and adverse reaction management through to optimising patient-facing time for clinicians demands strong governance. Reviewing data management practices and business intelligence frameworks is a hot topic at present as many healthcare organisations grapple with their changing world, and security is a core focus. A current state review and understanding of the forward needs to support your strategy and growth plans can swiftly tweak governance from a ‘controlling’ to a ‘supporting’ function in an organisation.

Embracing the Opportunity

Opportunities to adopt technology into the service delivery and operations mix to manage an increasing amount of data abound, however, it remains true today – identifying and leveraging the interrelationships between such technology, people and processes throughout the patient journey is what will deliver real and measurable impact outcomes and differentiation. We often hear ‘technology is the easy bit’. Supporting your teams, and appropriate frameworks to get the most out of technology, will see the conversation morph from ‘tools’ to solutions and cement sustainable impact.

Demonstrating Value and Impact

A human-centred design approach to streamlining processes and supporting staff in change management practices to eliminate those tempting ‘workarounds’ is demonstrated to enhance overall patient, and clinician, experiences.

A recent analysis released by Gartner, looking at data from 917 organisations, shows that the number one reported enterprise-level outcome of AI as a technology solution was customer experience (reported by 60% of organisations) closely followed by improved operating margins (reported by 55%). source *Gartner 2024 CIO and Technology Executive Survey.

Leading healthcare organisations are actively focusing on understanding what success looks like from their budget allocations – baselining and often very simple monitoring measures aligned to a reputable benefits management framework, can be very powerful to demonstrate the impact you are making in value creation, patient engagement, and care outcomes.

Highlighting measurable impact outcomes is key to service excellence in healthcare delivery. It is increasingly representing a competitive advantage for progressive health organisations and can unlock future funding. The impact? It’s a convincing pathway to rally stakeholders to adopt healthcare innovation and customer – or patient and clinician - engagement.

In closing, the pivotal role of CX in Australian healthcare's digital evolution is evident. By embracing the opportunities presented by mass health data and navigating the challenges of privacy and security, the sector can welcome in a new era of efficiency, accuracy, and patient-centric care. As stakeholders evaluate the readiness to invest, the importance lies in demonstrating the tangible benefits, both in terms of cost savings and improved patient outcomes.

The healthcare sector's journey towards a digital future must be guided by a commitment to privacy, an understanding of patient experience, and an unwavering dedication to ethical healthcare practices.

Success lies in the interaction of technology, people, and processes in 2024.