We’ve never had more access to revolutionary tech than in 2024. Healthcare providers have a wealth of tools, from mass notifications to automated billings. 

However, even in this era of tech, providers still face challenges ranging from administrative to those that can jeopardize patient safety. With issues like data protection, outages, and even customer service, providers face more challenges than ever. 

Explore our guide to the most common communication challenges and how to overcome them. 

Outdated technology 

According to the Healthcare Innovation Group, about 90% of US hospitals still use pagers for day-to-day communications. Around 45% of these healthcare organizations are overpaying to maintain these legacy pager services. Outside of the costs, they’re also one-way systems that have no way to respond. While pagers can still play a role in healthcare communications, many practices are moving towards a more modern form of communication, such as secure, HIPAA-compliant messaging apps. 

However, pagers aren’t the thing that are outdated in the US healthcare industry. Palo Alto Networks found that 83% of healthcare systems run on outdated software. And that can make their systems far more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. This can damage patient trust and safety. But it also risks your reputation as a healthcare provider. For growing healthcare practices, taking stock of aging technology and looking specifically at networked computers and older equipment is essential.

Understand that patient behavior has changed

Patients have more ways of contacting their healthcare provider than ever before. From patient portals to social media, there are plenty of ways for growing practices to welcome new customers. However, this does come with a caveat. The team at HubSpot Research found that over 90% of US consumers rate an “immediate” response as essential or very important when they have a customer service question. 

So, what is an immediate response? Around 60% of customers define “immediate” as 10 minutes or less. That target can be tricky to manage for a busy healthcare provider. 

To tackle this, healthcare providers need to prioritize a responsive communication strategy. For some providers, this may mean investing in your site and creating detailed FAQs that can help customers find the answers they need. 

Another option is to employ a medical answering service to take calls when your team is unavailable. These vendors can help your practice intake new patients and deal with common questions outside of business hours. 

Ensuring you’ve trained reception staff to support and triage patients effectively is also essential. A survey by Qualtrics established that about half of respondents cited “poor communication” as a frustration, with “having to repeatedly explain their situation to different people” as experiences that bothered them a lot at urgent care facilities.

Digital experience is paramount 

A 2020 survey by Cedar found that 42% of healthcare consumers could change providers if they don’t offer a good digital experience, while 28% reported that they have already changed providers from 2019 due to poor digital experience. Taking the time to review your digital offering, from how you can support virtual appointments or contactless check-ins, can offer huge value to younger patients. In addition to this, a mobile-optimized website and clear routes for patients to get in touch can vastly improve patient experiences.

Effective communication always starts with trust 

Patients will always respond to empathy and trust. In a vulnerable setting such as the healthcare industry, ensuring that every person within your practice is trained effectively in supporting patients with clear and honest communication is essential. From the first call to the first time they walk through the door, patients need to feel like they can entrust you with their health.