Whether texting a friend, responding to work emails, booking a flight or buying a new product, today’s consumers use cell phones for countless everyday tasks—to communicate, work, travel, shop, manage their finances and more. Perhaps that’s because nearly everyone in the U.S. has one. Most Americans—97%—now own a cell phone of some kind, including 85% of Americans who own a smartphone. As mobile technology continues to play an increasingly important role in daily life, the demand for mobile options in healthcare also is rising.
Consumerism continues to reshape the healthcare landscape, and patients today are looking for the same convenience and service-oriented features in healthcare they’re used to experiencing in other industries, such as retail and banking. The COVID-19 pandemic additionally forced healthcare organizations to quickly embrace and vastly expand their use of mobile technology, chiefly to reduce virus exposure and keep patients and staff safe. That shift increased both patients’ and providers’ reliance on mobile devices to complete important care-related tasks.
There are numerous ways that mobile technology can improve the patient experience, from streamlining the check-in process and facilitating payments to supporting more efficient patient-provider communication. At the same time, mobile helps healthcare organizations save time, improve operations, engage patients in their care and boost patient satisfaction and retention. For patients and providers alike, a “mobile-first” intake strategy is not only better, it’s essential.
- 97% of Americans own a cell phone
- 84% of patients used mobile devices to check in for doctors’ appointments over the past 12 months
- 55% of patients prefer communicating with their healthcare provider via text message
- 142% increase in smartphone ownership by Americans since 2011
1. Mobile is convenient
As consumerism redefines the healthcare industry, a growing number of healthcare providers recognize the importance of aligning their processes with patient preferences for convenience. Mobile intake offers patients the convenient, service-oriented features they’re used to finding in other industries, such as retail, travel and banking. At the same time, mobile gives patients the flexibility to check in for their appointments at home or on the go or from their own device in the waiting room, while offering a more private, secure registration experience.
There’s no question about where patients stand on the subject: according to a 2021 study, 80% of patients prefer to use digital communication to interact with their healthcare provider. And as out-of-pocket costs continue to rise, patients are looking for the same convenient options for paying their medical bills that they have for other purchases. The benefits are twofold: mobile gives patients a convenient way to pay copays and balances ahead of time via automated options like card on file and payment plans, and mobile streamlines the collections process to ensure healthcare organizations get paid.
2. Mobile aligns with patient preferences
Given how many Americans own a smartphone, it’s no surprise that patients typically use their mobile devices to communicate with their healthcare providers. In a survey of more than 4,100 patients across the Phreesia network, 65% said they prefer calling their doctor’s office, while 55% said they prefer communicating via text message.
Overall, 88% of patients said they enjoy using digital messaging—emails, text messages, online portals—to communicate with their providers. In fact, 41% said the ability to do so is a “must-have.”
3. Mobile appeals to patients of all ages
While millennials often stand out for their technology use, mobile intake resonates with patients across a broad age range. Contrary to the common perception that older patients are reluctant to embrace new technology, research shows that’s far from the truth. The Pew Research Center found that 92% of adults age 65 and older own a cell phone and 61% have a smartphone. More than 90% of smartphone owners over age 50 text weekly.
In an analysis of nearly 4 million patients across the Phreesia network, 33% of patients age 66 and older who were sent an appointment prompt via text or email completed their check-in on their mobile device.
4. Mobile improves patient engagement
The versatile and immediate text-based features of mobile intake make it ideal for improving patient-provider communication, as well as boosting patient engagement and loyalty — and it can improve health outcomes. Text message-based interventions support care coordination and help ensure patients stick with follow-up care, including medication adherence.
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) examined mobile engagement tools for medication adherence among diabetic patients: when researchers sent a series of text reminders, 80% of patients responded and engaged. A separate JAMA Open Network study on text-based interventions for women with STIs found recipients were more likely to see their primary care doctors, take medications, and follow preventive care recommendations.
5. Mobile is faster and more efficient for staff
From online scheduling to automated appointment reminders, a mobile-first intake strategy is one of the most effective ways to streamline operations and boost staff efficiency. It reduces call volumes by automating confirmations and consents, freeing staff to focus on patient care.
Mobile intake also lets patients update medical and demographic info before appointments, improving wait times and cutting the paper-form burden — while reducing data entry errors and the need for patients to remember cards or checkbooks, boosting time-of-service collections. Organizations can also use mobile for post-visit satisfaction surveys, tracking Net Promoter Score and supporting CAHPS compliance.
6. Mobile meets patients where they are
Meeting patients where they are is one of the easiest ways to improve the patient experience — and now that’s online. In 2021, mobile use accounted for more than half of global website traffic.
Providers using mobile for registration, clinical workflows, payments and satisfaction surveys can engage patients before, during and after their visit. Automated texts reduce no-shows (which cost providers hundreds of dollars a day); mobile payment options boost time-of-service collections; and text-based schedule management can auto-offer earlier slots when they open up.
7. Mobile reduces reliance on hardware
Incorporating mobile into intake reduces the need to buy, maintain, and troubleshoot check-in hardware. A single hardware malfunction can take hours to fix, adding to wait times and creating front-desk bottlenecks. Mobile offers an alternative check-in path that reduces labor burden and cuts costs tied to cleaning, repairing, and replacing hardware. Organizations not ready for a full switch can run a hybrid model, letting patients choose their preferred intake tool.
