december 12, 2024
Patient access is at the heart of any healthcare organization, second only to the delivery of services. But the path from finding a doctor to booking an appointment is rarely simple. It’s often a complex, non-linear process involving a mix of online research, website provider searches, geolocation tools, calls to and from call centers, chatbot interactions, and email or SMS confirmations.
Users often begin their journey in one channel and finish in another, either by choice or because of how the process is set up. Everyone has their own channel preferences — some say, “I will only speak to a real person,” while others prefer to handle all their scheduling quietly, online at work. Each channel has its own unique use cases, costs-per-interaction, benefits and limitations.
Patients today expect smooth transitions across touchpoints, whether they begin with a chatbot, switch to an app or connect with a call center representative. To meet these expectations, healthcare providers must master multichannel access, creating seamless and impactful patient experiences that set them apart from the competition.
The multichannel landscape
A well-run call center is often considered the gold standard for managing complex scheduling tasks, such as specialist appointments or primary care visits involving delays or callbacks. Operators bring strong problem-solving skills, using workflows and scripts to address issues and assist patients. However, long wait times and a growing preference to avoid phone calls often drive patients to explore other options.
Many patients turn to web or mobile apps for scheduling, using provider search tools on healthcare websites. While convenient, these tools often lack the nuance of call centers, sometimes requiring call backs to resolve complex details missed by automated systems.
Chatbots provide a middle ground, offering quick and quiet scheduling for those who prefer minimal interaction. Their natural language capabilities appeal to users who like to ask specific questions, but most healthcare chatbots still have significant limitations in handling complex cases.
As these channels evolve, the boundaries between them are beginning to blur. Channels are converging into more unified, data-driven experiences, reshaping the way patient access is managed.
A new playbook for consumer healthcare
Here is a guide to key healthcare channels and how they are evolving to reflect the impact of new technologies and changing patient and provider needs.
Web and mobile app searches
Web and mobile app searches for finding and scheduling healthcare providers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. This shift is being driven by the use of detailed metadata to split the difference between convenience and relevancy. As a result, these tools are now capturing nuances that once required the expertise of a call center.
Better search implementations have significantly reduced errors, like sending a patient needing a neurology exam to an ambulatory care center just because they handle concussion checks. Similarly, many healthcare providers are bringing a larger proportion of specialist scheduling online, using advanced contextual forms that automate triage. These forms can intelligently screen patients based on their specific needs, reducing the need for human intervention while ensuring people are directed to the right care.
Provider search is a low-overhead form of engagement, and these enhanced features significantly boost patient convenience. This changing landscape is transforming provider search into a more sophisticated tool, capable of handling tasks that once required more manual input. However, successful automation is highly dependent on accurate data and workflows.
Chatbots
Chatbots are improving content accuracy through integration with master data management systems. These systems provide real-time updates on critical information like doctors, locations, treatments, intake triage rules and insurance providers. Even so, many chatbots are still limited by rigid programming.
These limitations may soon fade with the emergence of patient-facing chatbots powered by large language models (LLMs) and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). While concerns about inaccuracies and legal risks are slowing this technological revolution, the pace of development and improved governance suggest a major shift is on the horizon. Within a year, today’s intent-based chatbots are likely to be replaced by more adaptable and sophisticated LLM solutions.
These advanced chatbots will better understand the varied ways people communicate across a wide range of topics. Although challenges such as timing, costs and internal politics remain, the shift is expected to drive an innovation wave similar to the rise of online scheduling a decade ago — only with a faster adoption curve.
Call centers
Call centers are also set to evolve as AI co-pilot tools replace rigid scripts and incorporate new data points, bringing greater nuance to interactions. While this shift comes with risks, the growing accuracy and capabilities of digital channels make it likely that call centers will transition to more advanced, AI-supported triage and customer service. This evolution could allow smaller teams to handle tasks more efficiently while maintaining high-quality support.
A dynamic multichannel future
It’s hard to predict exactly how the changes in digital channels will unfold, but one thing is clear: the way patients access care is transforming rapidly. As competition grows, we’re likely to see significant differences in the experiences offered by different consumer healthcare providers, making the push for better patient engagement more important than ever.
For a closer look at the trends explored here alongside actionable insights to help you stay ahead in the consumer healthcare market, download our 2025 Emerging Experiences in U.S. Consumer Healthcare report .
