Pulse Report: Healthcare, Q4 2024

To maintain and grow satisfaction, healthcare providers in regions like the US and UK should focus on incremental improvements, such as enhancing user experience with more intuitive interfaces, personalized patient support, and additional features that meet patient needs. In regions like France and Germany, the focus should be on understanding and addressing specific barriers to satisfaction. Providers can invest in localized research, focusing on patient feedback to improve services, while training patients and providers to increase awareness of the available digital health tools. Personalizing digital health tools to reflect local healthcare practices and expectations can help increase adoption and trust.

As healthcare continues to evolve, continuous feedback from patients is essential for meeting changing expectations and navigating regulatory shifts. Healthcare providers should establish continuous feedback loops with their patients. By doing so, they can rapidly identify and respond to emerging issues, whether related to usability, accessibility, or unmet patient needs. This proactive approach ensures ongoing alignment with patient expectations, fostering higher satisfaction rates and building long-term trust in digital health services.

Unlocking telehealth’s potential: bridging the usage gap

With 72% of respondents reporting occasional, rare, or no use of telehealth services, there is clear underutilization, especially among patients who could benefit from its convenience and accessibility. 

To address this gap, healthcare providers must focus on increasing awareness through educational campaigns highlighting telehealth's benefits, particularly for patients in remote areas or those with mobility limitations. Simplifying the user journey—from appointment booking to consultation—is essential to ensure patients feel confident and supported when using telehealth platforms. Intuitive telehealth tools with minimal technical barriers and training programs for older or less tech-savvy populations can further help increase adoption.

Additionally, healthcare providers should work to integrate telehealth with in-person care seamlessly. By offering telehealth as a primary option for routine checkups and follow-ups and incorporating wearable data into consultations, providers can enhance patient engagement and demonstrate telehealth’s ability to deliver consistent, high-quality care. A blended approach combining physical visits with virtual consultations will promote a more comprehensive, accessible healthcare experience for all patients.

Establishing trust in AI: a path forward for healthcare providers

While 61% of respondents express trust in AI in healthcare, 17% remain skeptical, highlighting the need for greater transparency and patient education. Trust is critical for successfully integrating AI-powered healthcare solutions, and providers must prioritize strategies to build and maintain this trust as AI becomes more embedded in care pathways.

To build patient trust in AI, healthcare providers should focus on transparency, patient education, and offering choices regarding AI use. Providers should clearly communicate the role of AI as a support mechanism for healthcare professionals, emphasizing that AI enhances decision-making without replacing human judgment. Transparency is key—explaining how AI is used in areas like diagnostics, treatment planning, and administrative tasks can reassure patients about its benefits. By involving patients in the process, through informed consent and offering choices between AI-supported or human-led interactions, providers can create a more patient-centered approach to AI integration.

Healthcare organizations should also share real-world examples where AI has demonstrably improved healthcare outcomes, such as more accurate diagnoses, faster treatment decisions, and enhanced operational efficiency. Addressing patient concerns directly and showcasing success stories can help bridge the gap for the 17% of skeptical respondents, demonstrating that AI in healthcare enhances, rather than detracts from, the quality of care.

Humanizing digital healthcare: overcoming the challenges of reduced interaction

With 31% of respondents citing reduced personal interaction as a major challenge in digital healthcare and 17% struggling with technical issues, healthcare providers must prioritize both humanizing the digital experience and addressing technical barriers to boost patient satisfaction and adoption.

To mitigate the perceived lack of personal connection in digital health services, providers should introduce features that replicate the in-person care experience. This includes offering video consultations with healthcare professionals, personalized communications, and real-time health monitoring tools that keep patients engaged and supported. Virtual care coordinators or health coaches can also be integrated to guide patients through their digital health journey, offering a more personalized and accessible touchpoint.

At the same time, addressing technical issues is crucial to ensuring seamless interactions. Providers must invest in user-friendly platforms offering intuitive navigation and comprehensive customer support services, including real-time troubleshooting for patients facing technical difficulties. Providers can proactively identify and resolve potential technical challenges by regularly updating systems based on user feedback before they disrupt the patient experience. Focusing on both personalization and technical reliability will significantly improve patient satisfaction with digital healthcare services.

Preparing for the telehealth future: engaging younger generations 

With 41% of respondents aged 18-34 expecting to rely heavily on telehealth in the future, healthcare providers have a significant opportunity to engage this digitally-savvy demographic. Younger patients are eager to adopt telehealth as a primary care option, making it crucial for providers to align their services with the expectations of this group.

To meet the needs of younger patients, healthcare providers should focus on optimizing telehealth platforms for mobile devices, integrating real-time health tracking, and leveraging wearable technology for remote monitoring. Offering on-demand consultations and digital health tools that fit seamlessly into the fast-paced lives of younger patients will position telehealth as their first-choice option. This demographic values convenience and technology-driven solutions, so ensuring that telehealth platforms are mobile-friendly, intuitive, and personalized is key to long-term engagement.

At the same time, healthcare providers must continue efforts to educate older generations about the benefits of telehealth. Offering step-by-step guides, personalized tutorials, and patient support for using telehealth services will help bridge the adoption gap. Additionally, encouraging multi-generational use, such as family consultations or shared health tracking, can increase comfort and reliance on telehealth across age groups, fostering broader adoption and satisfaction with digital healthcare services.

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