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3 ways to improve the patient experience in 2025

Published: December 4, 2024 by Experian Health

3-ways-to-improve-the-patient-experience-in-2025

Medical excellence is a given when it comes to improving the patient experience, but what about the non-clinical side of care? Long waits, confusing processes and financial uncertainty can overshadow even the best medical treatment. As many as one in four patients delay care because of hidden administrative obstacles.

As providers look to improve the patient experience in 2025, tackling these frustrations is top of mind. How easy is it for the patient to schedule their appointment? How quickly can they complete registration? Do they understand their insurance coverage, and do they have the right support to manage and pay their bills? Clear and straightforward patient access processes give patients support, convenience and control, and allow providers to focus on delivering care.

This article looks at the challenges and opportunities that may affect patient access over the next year and highlights three ways to use digital tools to improve the patient experience.

The patient experience in 2025: a rollercoaster of risks and opportunities

Over the next year, patients’ shifting needs and attitudes will change how they access care. Informed, tech-savvy patients armed with wearables and health-tracking apps want streamlined access and contact with their providers, and expect efficiency and personalization when they do seek care. At the same time, an aging population and increasing numbers of people with multiple chronic conditions drive demand for more complex and ongoing support.

On the provider side, challenges like staffing shortages and remote work demands will continue to strain patient access teams. Payers’ rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to widen the denials gap. Rising costs will persist. Amidst this uncertainty, the forthcoming change of government may bring additional regulatory and legislative changes, so providers must be ready to adapt.

Opening the digital front door is a way to elevate the patient experience to meet changing consumer expectations, while simplifying and streamlining processes so they can respond to whatever’s in store.

How can digital tools help improve the patient experience?

Digital tools take the patient journey from a series of disjointed encounters to a coordinated and personalized experience. Building on innovations that gained momentum during COVID-19, like telehealth and virtual care, these tools keep patients and providers connected throughout the care process. By tailoring experiences to individual needs in real time, digital tools integrate into daily life and meet the rising demand for convenient, tech-driven options.

Three ways to improve the patient experience

Experian Health’s latest State of Patient Access survey offers some pointers as to what providers should prioritize:

1. Expedite scheduling so patients can see their practitioner quickly

Patients measure the patient experience by how quickly they can see their doctor. In the State of Patient Access survey, both those who think patient access has improved and those who think it has worsened give this as their reason. As patients’ top priority, efficient scheduling is an obvious focus for providers who want to improve the patient experience.

Online scheduling, mobile registration and self-service portals can simplify how patients book and check in for appointments. Patient Schedule lets patients book appointments anytime they like without needing to call. It only offers specific types of appointments with the right provider and makes it easy to cancel and reschedule, so no-shows are less likely. This also increases providers’ capacity, giving patients more options so they can see their doctor sooner.

Mobile registration complements digital scheduling by allowing patients to complete registration forms anytime, anywhere. Automated registration prefills information held on file to minimize paperwork, which is good news for the 85% of patients who do not want to fill out paperwork if they’ve already provided the information. Reducing manual errors also reduces delays so that patients can get on with their visit.

2. Help patients understand their insurance coverage and bills

Patients and providers both cite financial challenges among their top priorities for improving patient access. More than eight in ten patients say pre-service price estimates help them prepare for the cost of care, while more than half say they need their provider’s help to understand what their insurance covers.

Providers should consider digital tools that support transparent pricing and billing to improve patients’ financial experiences. Experian Health’s Patient Payment Estimates generates accurate, upfront estimates of what a patient will owe, incorporating real-time pricing information, benefits and discounts. Estimates and secure payment links can be sent to patients via text or through the web-based app for a convenient and user-friendly payment experience. Additional tools can help patients find missing coverage and identify suitable payment plans, empowering patients and accelerating collections for providers.

3. Explore how automation and AI can support a better patient experience

The growing use of AI will continue to reshape all aspects of care. By processing vast amounts of information at an unprecedented rate, AI presents exciting opportunities in patient access: keeping patients informed, generating performance insights and reducing the errors, delays and bottlenecks that come with manual processes.

One of the highest-ranking challenges for providers in the State of Patient Access survey was the difficulty of managing multiple solutions to run patient eligibility and coverage checks. Patient Access Curator uses AI to address this with a single-click solution that captures all patient data at registration. It checks and verifies eligibility, Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers, coordination of benefits and demographics, delivering results in just 30 seconds. This prevents denials on the front end and takes the pain out of registration and scheduling for patients.

Read the blog: How Patient Access Curator uses real-time, automated discovery to prevent denials and improve patient access

Put patients in the driver’s seat in 2025

As competition intensifies with new providers and disruptive technologies entering the market, patient satisfaction will no longer be optional — it will define success in 2025. Investing in digital patient access tools gives patients the autonomy, choice and convenience they crave as modern digital consumers. Simplifying and streamlining access will not only help meet and exceed patient expectations, but will help providers future-proof their operations and build a sustainable revenue cycle for the years ahead.

Find out more about how Experian Health’s patient engagement solutions will help providers improve the patient experience in 2025.

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This can result in unpaid medical bills, leaving billing teams chasing patient collections or writing off bad debt. During the prior authorization process, providers submit a rationale for a proposed treatment to the payer. The request is approved or denied based on certain criteria, including payer policies and medical necessity. The payer may reject a prior authorization request if the treatment or service isn't covered under the patient's insurance plan, if it's not considered medically necessary or if a more affordable alternative is available. Simple paperwork errors, like missed deadlines or incomplete documentation when submitting a prior authorization, may also result in a denial. Challenges of manual prior authorization processes Despite the importance of prior authorizations in the revenue cycle, tedious manual prior authorization processes present challenges for many healthcare providers. Some of the key obstacles providers face using manual prior authorization include: Heavy administrative burden Healthcare providers spend a significant amount of time starting, completing and revising prior authorization paperwork. An AMA survey found that 86% of physicians say prior authorization has increased healthcare resource usage. At the same time, additional AMA data reports that providers spend around 13 hours working on 39 prior authorizations each week, and nearly one-third of providers report that these prior authorization requests usually end up being denied. Changing payer policies Keeping up with multiple payers and ever-evolving payer policies adds strain on staff and ultimately results in prior authorization denials. Changes are often unannounced, making it hard for providers to stay on top of updates. As a result, prior authorization submissions aren’t always accurate and may be based on outdated rules. This can lead to instant rejection and wasted time correcting and resubmitting requests. Inefficient workflows Prior authorization requirements can be complicated, especially when providers are juggling different payers, standards and service lines. Coping with these complexities often puts strain on manual systems, especially when multiple staff and notetaking methods are involved. Staff members may each get different pieces of information from payer websites (or over the phone) and not have the ability to benefit from their shared knowledge efficiently. Navigating communication hurdles and rapid payer information changes can result in workflow inefficiencies that snowball quickly. How prior authorization software can improve efficiency Replacing manual prior authorizations processes with automated prior authorization software can help providers improve efficiency. Here are some key ways providers benefit from automated prior authorization solutions, like Experian Health's Authorizations. Reduces manual interventions: This solution limits guesswork, human errors, and misinterpretations by automating data originating from the EMRs. Automation saves staff time and energy and prevents frustration. Stays current with latest payer policies: The prior authorization system stays up-to-date with the latest regulations and payer requirements. Automatic updates provide staff with the most current information, eliminating the need for staff to visit multiple payer websites or cross-check data by hand. Provides real-time updates: Providers can promptly clear authorizations for service by proactively identifying authorization status as pending, denied or authorized. This allows physicians to make timely treatment plans and for patients to avoid disruptions in care. Reduces risk of denials: Through automation, electronic prior authorization software ensures the accuracy and completeness of submissions by automatically checking with payers and vendors to validate that the authorization is on file. Payers and providers also get a shared view of account information, reducing the need for prolonged discussions about the status of authorization and rework requests. Key features to look for in prior authorization software When implementing prior authorization software, look for a solution that offers a wide range of features to automate and streamline the prior authorization process. 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Learn more about how Experian Health's electronic prior authorization software, Authorizations, uses automation to achieve greater consistency and efficiency for healthcare organizations. Learn more Contact us

Published: July 30, 2025 by Experian Health

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