Digital Access Dominates: 80% of Consumers Prioritize Scheduling Care Online, Reveals Kyruus’ 2023 Care Access Benchmark Report

New data provides insights into patient access expectations for providers and health plans

BOSTON, MA – October 10, 2023 – Kyruus, the leader in healthcare provider data management, price transparency, and patient access and engagement, announced the release of its “Care Access Benchmark Report” for providers and health plans. In July of 2023, the company partnered with Wakefield Research to better understand how consumer preferences for finding, selecting, and accessing care have evolved, and how preferences might differ by generation. A total of 1,000 healthcare consumers were surveyed. Key findings include:

• Digital access is a top priority: Almost 80 percent of all consumers would schedule care from a health plan website if given the option, and 75 percent of millennials scheduled their last appointment online. When selecting a new provider, 61 percent of consumers say the ability to schedule appointments online is extremely or very important. A mere 36 percent of those surveyed said they were confident they were matched with a provider who could meet their clinical needs when scheduling an appointment over the phone.
• Lack of health plan price transparency creates care barriers: 96 percent of those surveyed said they consider cost when making healthcare decisions, and 44 percent agreed that a lack of price transparency from their health plan prevents them from seeking healthcare. More than a quarter (26 percent) said their health plan doesn’t offer transparency tools, while 64 percent of consumers agree they need more help navigating these tools.
• Data inaccuracies erode trust: More than half (58 percent) of those surveyed confirmed they relied on a health plan website or app when searching for care online, and 29 percent ranked their health plan’s website as the most trusted source for information. A whopping 77 percent said inaccurate provider information on their health plan’s website impacts their level of trust, yet 40 percent noted they had found inaccurate provider information on their site.

Gail Airasian, Chief Strategy Officer at Kyruus, explained why recognizing the gaps between what consumers want and what health plans and providers deliver is crucial to improving care access. “Accurate data, price transparency, and easy-to-use tools are paramount to an optimized experience,” she confirmed.

Airasian was also careful to note a patient’s digital expectations vary by age. “Generational differences among consumers showcase the continued need for a multi-channel focus on care access—meaning a wide variety of options are still vital to truly serve patients,” she added.

Kyruus will use the data learned from this report to guide its path forward in better addressing the needs of its customers and its customers’ patients and continue to provide solutions that address care access and price transparency. Kyruus will be attending HLTH 2023 in Las Vegas and will be available to further discuss the 2023 Care Access Benchmark Report.

To schedule an interview with Gail Airasian at HLTH, please contact Jeff Rusack at Kyruus@KNBComms.com. 

About Kyruus
Kyruus is on a mission to connect people to the right care. Serving more than 500 healthcare organizations and 100 health plan brands, its platform includes solutions for provider data management, price transparency, provider search and scheduling, and digital patient intake — all to help people navigate and access the care they need.  Kyruus provides a better healthcare journey, resulting in more satisfied members and patients, more aligned and engaged clinicians, and improved financial performance for the organizations it serves.