WHY PRESS GANEY

Healthcare consumers have more choices—and more control—than ever before. From primary care to specialty visits, urgent care, and virtual appointments, people now map their care journey across multiple access points. In this environment, loyalty to a single provider or health system can’t be taken for granted.

The average “retention rate” of patients for a health system within a five-year period is 43%, a distinct difference from other industries where loyalty and retention is a focus of brand, marketing, and service efforts.

Cost considerations aside—switching can reduce provider organization revenues by as much as 10%—switching can also be damaging to brand and even provider reputation, as consumer perception of care may be impacted by these behavioral changes.

What patients value most

Our Healthcare consumer experience 2025 report highlights that access and frictionless experiences are some of the biggest factors in how patients choose providers. When asked what influenced their decision, two experience signals stood out:

Availability of accurate and relevant information online (e.g., address, accepted insurance, specialty, hours): 49%

Ability to schedule or reschedule an appointment online: 43%

Access pre- and post-visit is equally important. Appointment availability, pre‑appointment instructions, and follow-up communication all influence whether patients feel supported or frustrated. These touchpoints shape trust in the organization.

Administrative friction and access challenges

While access and convenience may drive decisions, they’re also some of the biggest pain points. Patients told us exactly what frustrates them most:

Scheduling appointments: (35%)

Making payments: (22%)

Contesting a payment: (15%)

These friction points have real consequences. They don’t just affect experience, but whether patients return or look for alternatives the next time they need care. Compounding the issue, two major access-related factors also rank among the top drivers of patient loyalty:

Appointment availability: (49%)

Pre‑ and post‑appointment communication: (45%)

Healthcare organizations don’t lose patients over clinical care alone. They can lose them because experiences around that care feel difficult. Administrative tasks like finding information, booking care, and managing bills often feel harder than they should. These are operational details to healthcare organizations, but to patients, they are part of the journey. They shape trust, expectations, and loyalty.

The digital experience gap

The good news is that most healthcare organizations recognize the importance of digital convenience. Many have invested in online scheduling, patient portals, and self-service tools. The challenge, though, is that these tools don’t always deliver the simple, intuitive experience patients expect.

Consider online scheduling. While 50% of consumers say they use online scheduling often, only 25% rate the experience as excellent. This gap between adoption and experience is indicative of cumbersome workflows, interfaces that don’t match patient expectations, and processes that require too many steps.

Part of the issue is that healthcare’s digital transformation has historically lagged behind other industries. Retail companies, airlines, financial institutions, and many more have spent years refining digital journeys that feel seamless from end to end. Patients bring these expectations to every healthcare interaction. They’re not necessarily comparing one health system to another—at least, not at first. They’re comparing the healthcare experience to their banking app, their online retail experience, their ability to book travel in seconds.

In this context, healthcare organizations don’t risk losing patients because they lack digital tools. They lose them when those tools are hard to use.

The feedback blind spot

Post-visit surveys, provider ratings, and facility feedback are standard across healthcare. But they only capture part of the story. What’s missing are insights from the moments that happen outside the four walls of care.

A patient can receive excellent clinical care and still feel frustrated if they struggled to:

Find accurate information on the website

Book an appointment

Resolve a billing issue

Navigate the call center for help

These administrative and digital moments may seem secondary, but they carry real weight. Without feedback from these stages, health systems can’t fully see where friction exists—or where competitors may be delivering a smoother experience.

Focus on high-impact digital and contact center touchpoints

To create truly frictionless experiences, healthcare organizations need to intentionally measure and improve these administrative interactions. These insights should inform both digital strategy and operational priorities.

Website touchpoints include:

Scheduling an appointment

Paying a bill

Resolving a billing question

Finding a doctor through the provider directory

General usability: Did patients find what they were looking for?

High-volume call center interactions include:

Scheduling or changing appointments

Making payments

Resolving billing issues

Prescription-related questions

These are the moments where seamlessness makes the biggest difference.

Why all of this matters

Unchecked friction leads to silent churn. Patients rarely announce that they’re leaving—they’ll just go. With more options than ever, the threshold for “good enough” keeps rising. Organizations that listen across digital and administrative touchpoints gain a clearer understanding of patient expectations, real-world pain points, and competitive risks.

As organizations prepare for the next wave of digital transformation, expanding feedback collection beyond clinical care will be essential. The ones that will win are those that capture feedback across every click and call. They are the ones that reduce friction—turning convenience into trust and loyalty along the way.

Reach out to one of our brand and marketing experts to learn what’s possible on the HX platform.

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