20 Facts to Support Your Shift to the Golden Record in Healthcare

Like the city of El Dorado, the Golden Record in healthcare was long thought to be an elusive myth. But with the power of today’s technologies, the Golden Record—a single, comprehensive view of a patient’s healthcare record across the entire continuum of care—is quickly moving from fiction to fact.

Creating a unified view of patient data not only empowers patients to take charge of their health story, but also lets you enhance their care and the overall experience they have with your organization.

Whether you’ve shifted parts of your practice to a more virtual model of care or are continuing to take a hybrid approach, staying up to date on trends in the industry can inform your path to the Golden Record, one step at a time.

We’ve gathered some statistics to show the transformation in healthcare and the opportunity in striving for the Golden Record below.

Healthcare Has Experienced a Seismic Shift Since the Pandemic

It’s no secret that COVID-19 drastically altered the approach the healthcare industry took to patient care. From virtual appointments and digital transformations, a significant amount of change rippled across the world.

• At the height of the pandemic in April 2020, over 32% of total outpatient visits occurred via telehealth. (McKinsey)
• In 2020, 59% of patients said they interacted differently with their healthcare providers than they did pre-pandemic. (Avtex Omnichannel Healthcare Experience Report)
• During the first months of the pandemic, the percentage of healthcare consultations that were carried out remotely shot up from 0.1% to 43.5%. (Forbes)
• 63% of C-suite and technology executive leaders said COVID-19 made their organizations embrace digital transformation sooner than they expected. (Celerity)

The Healthcare Industry Must Adapt, or Fall Behind

While the pandemic may have kickstarted some of the digital transformations in healthcare, there are still opportunities to enhance the patient experience. With the sheer amount of healthcare data available, unifying it into a Golden Record that combines information from EHR, billing, contact center, apps, and even patients’ visits to your website is key. Like the transition from paper records to digital ones, the shift to a Golden Record may not be easy, but the payoff can be significant.

• Healthcare data now makes up approximately 30% of the world’s data volume. (RBC)
• 77% of patients surveyed were somewhat/very willing to share their health data for early detection of illness, more accurate diagnosis, and to help treat an illness. (Statista)
• 80% of health systems said they plan to increase their investment levels in digital health over the next five years. (HIMSS)
• 71% said they will maintain or increase their use of digital health tools after the pandemic. (HIMSS)
• 62% of clinicians haven’t yet begun working with AI/ML tools but are interested in doing so. (HIMSS)
• 80% report that they expect to use AI in clinical settings for detection of diseases,
• and 73% expect AI/ML to deliver administrative benefits related to patient management. (HIMSS)
• Around 200 hospitals in 34 states now have some version of the hospital-at-home model, speaking to changes in an ever-evolving industry. (Forrester)

Emerging Technologies Grow—Along with Budgets

• It's predicted that by 2022, 70% of customer interactions will involve emerging technologies such as machine learning (ML) applications, chatbots and mobile messaging. (Gartner)
• Worldwide artificial intelligence (AI) software revenue is forecast to total $62.5 billion in 2022. (Gartner)

Patients Expect More from Their Healthcare Experience

In the age of star ratings and almost instant reviews online, patients have come to expect more from all their experiences—including the ones they have in healthcare. The ease that comes with ordering a product online has now translated across industries, creating higher expectations around simple processes and one-click wonders.

• 68% of patients said their healthcare providers need to improve how they interact with patients. (Avtex Omnichannel Healthcare Report)
• 7 in 10 patients want their experience with healthcare providers to be as easy as their brand interactions in other industries. (Avtex Omnichannel Healthcare Report)
• 63% of patients reported that they’d use at-home medical tests in the future to send data to their doctor. (HIMSS)
• 22% of consumers said that the availability of telehealth would factor into their willingness to give a provider a five-star review. (Forbes)
• 44% of consumers mostly or always prefer to use digital communications. (Forbes)
• 80% of people surveyed said they prefer to use digital communications with their healthcare providers—such as online messaging or virtual appointments—at least some of the time. (Forbes)