18 Stats on Mobile and Digital Patient Engagement

COVID-19 upped the ante for robust digital experiences in healthcare, with 60% of consumers expecting their healthcare digital experience to mirror that of retail. 

Whether you call it your digital front door or something else, a digital strategy that engages patients is a critical piece of health system success today. And, your mobile presence can't be under-stated. In a recent survey, 90% of healthcare executives said that a robust patient-facing mobile platform was key to achieving their digital strategy goals.

If you still aren't sure that mobile engagement for healthcare consumers is important enough to move to the top of your list, consider these stats:

1. According to Pew Research, 97% of Americans own a cell phone and 85% own a smartphone.
   
   
2. 71% of patients prefer to use a mobile device with their healthcare provider.
   
   
3. Mobile is now the #1 starting point for online activity (mobile at 53% vs desktop at 47%).
   
   
4. Virtually all patients—93 percent to be exact—say that they expect healthcare organizations to use digital tools when interacting with them.
   
   
5. 90% of patients no longer feel obligated to stay with healthcare providers that don’t deliver an overall satisfactory digital experience.
   
   
6. 28% of consumers reported having switched or stopped going to a health care provider because of a poor digital experience.
   
   
7. 26% of consumers said they would switch to a new healthcare provider for high-quality digital services and 50% of consumers said that a bad digital experience can ruin the entire experience with a provider.
   
   
8. 90% of patients want to self-manage their healthcare leveraging technology, such as accessing medical information, refilling prescriptions and booking appointments online.
   
   
9. Over 60% of patients say digital services play an important role when choosing a physician.
   
   
10. Roughly 4 in 5 Americans want the ability to use technology when managing their healthcare experience.
    
    
11. 81% of patients prefer to use digital tools.
    
    
12. 67% of patients prefer online booking.
    
    
13. 68% of patients are more likely to choose a provider who offers the ability to book, change or cancel appointments online.
    
    
14. 75% patients want appointment reminders via a mobile device.
    
    
15. 61% of patients believe using a patient portal improves the patient physician relationship.
    
    
16. 92% of patients feel more connected to the hospital and take better care of themselves because of the digital patient education they receive.
    
    
17. 53% of patients would switch medical providers if they could get access to touchless patient intake/registration tools.
    
    
18. 68% of consumers prefer electronic payment methods to pay their medical bills.
    
    

Data points like these really showcase the desire among patients for digital tools, mobile engagement, and specific tools like scheduling, check-in, and others that reduce friction in the patient experience.

The original version of this page was published at:  https://www.goziohealth.com/blog/18-stats-on-mobile-and-digital-patient-engagement