New HIMSS Survey, Sponsored by SR Health, Unveils Post-Pandemic Patient Communication Expectations

The latest patient survey data shows patients expect more regular and digital communications from providers regardless of age or geographic region

LEHI, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SR Health by Solutionreach, the leader in patient engagement solutions and innovation, is excited to share the results of the new HIMSS survey, “Patient Communication Preferences in 2021,” sponsored by SR Health.

This new survey found that patients want more digital communication, especially text messaging, and that age continues to be less of a barrier to electronic forms of communication. The key takeaways from the survey were:

• Since the pandemic began, more regular communication is expected from healthcare providers.

• During the pandemic, emailing and texting healthcare providers has increased with almost half of patients saying they prefer to communicate with healthcare providers via text.

• Those ages 50 and over want to receive text messages from healthcare providers; with a majority saying they’d like things like appointment reminders, visit instructions, and similar communications via text.

• More than one-third of patients would be willing to switch providers to receive more modern communication like real-time text messaging.

“The pandemic has definitely pushed the fast-forward button on the use of some key technologies that patients wanted but providers were slow to adopt,” says Josh Weiner, CEO of SR Health by Solutionreach. “Patients want more regular and immediate interactions with providers and to be more engaged in their overall healthcare and wellbeing. Nothing is more effective for that kind of communication than text. Ideally, today, every healthcare interaction should begin with a text message.”

Additional data from the survey that supports the benefits of using text to engage patients, include:

• Overall, 65 percent of people would like to receive healthcare text messages.

• Text communication rose by 14 percent during the pandemic.

• Eighty-seven percent of respondents said convenience was the reason they prefer messaging with providers.

A total of 250 people completed the survey, which was conducted by HIMSS in March 2021. Consumers qualified for the survey by having an in-person, video, phone call, or text message communication with a healthcare provider in the past 12 months. The survey pool represented a wide range of consumers along with gender, age, and other census demographics. This was a blind data collection effort and no vendors were named.

A white paper with the survey results can be downloaded here. To learn more about SR Health, visit www.srhealth.com.

About SR Health

SR Health by Solutionreach is transforming healthcare through communication by making it accessible, modern, and personal. By helping providers create the Perfect Appointment Workflow that connects them with patients throughout the care journey, healthcare organizations can optimize health and financial outcomes while creating a better patient experience. Solutionreach is the leader in patient engagement solutions and innovation. The first to send a text message in healthcare, the company now serves over 25,000 customers and facilitates one billion messages a year to 80 million patients in the U.S. To learn more, schedule a consultation now at www.srhealth.com.