ANALYST REPORT
Healthcare Roundtable: Analyst Perspectives on the Patient Experience
HEALTHCARE ROUNDTABLE: ANALYST PERSPECTIVES ON THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Featuring Insights by Brian Cantor Managing Director CMP
Audrey Steeves Sr. Content Analyst CMP
Brooke Lynch Divisional Director CMP
Dr. Shikha Desai, PhD VP Operations UnitedHealthcare
Introduction There is no shortage of opportunities to improve healthcare experiences in 2026, but the variety of areas for innovation are not all made equal. Healthcare experiences are most vastly different from other applications of experience design because the firm’s goals–profit growth and cost reduction—don’t inherently correlate with improved patient experiences. It is no secret that AI has shown tremendous promise in clinical implementations, with next-generation technology enabling earlier detection, imaging analysis, and precision tools that assist in surgery. For that reason, patients tend to be more receptive to AI in healthcare compared to other aspects of their lives as consumers and technology users. Patient experience leaders have the unique opportunity to build on this goodwill by selecting AI tools that further reduce friction and frustration within administrative contexts.
Still, the strategic selection of where to reduce inefficiencies with AI matters tremendously. In an article by the Healthcare Financial Management Association, one use case was identified as such, “AI can use NLP to analyze physician notes, operative reports and diagnostic documentation to identify services that were performed but not billed.” Effectively wedging AI between provider and patient, an initiative like this is sure to yield short-term revenue gains before the cost is ever felt. Leveraging AI in this way is devoid of patientcentricity and is plainly a mechanism that generates revenue without improving patient experiences. Alternatively, using NLP to accurately and securely transcribe patient visit notes can allow healthcare practitioners to focus more on listening, building rapport, and providing care. Understanding the difference between AI that adds value for the firm alone, and AI that adds value for patients, is the prerogative for leaders within this moment. In this report, we explore the key themes characterizing today’s healthcare experiences and how we can best serve patients using cutting-edge technology.
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HEALTHCARE ROUNDTABLE: ANALYST PERSPECTIVES ON THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
What sources of friction in healthcare experience pose the greatest threat to patient and caregiver trust? Brian: Healthcare already comes with an enormous amount of inherent friction. Medical procedures can be scary and painful. Recovery periods can be catastrophic to personal and professional lives. Financial costs can be exorbitant. This not only causes negative sentiment about healthcare but actively inhibits patients from getting care when they need it (let alone preventive care before they need it). Operational friction, be it complicated appointment and scheduling options, frustrating billing processes, unclear care access, or inconsistent messaging, exacerbates this situation and jeopardizes societal wellbeing. Many patients do not get the care they need, and those who do endure added frustration.
Brooke: Patients experience many of the same chronic challenges that arise in the customer experience. The difference, however, are the stakes associated with outcomes. For a patient, long wait times or difficulty reaching a human means a whole lot more when it comes to their health. In this sense, these challenges are far more troubling. When it comes to the healthcare experience today, patients have difficulty accessing human agents — they often face long hold times, frequent transfers or get stuck in IVR limbo. The inability to reach a human can be distressing for patients; whether it’s securing test results or scheduling their next appointment, this hold up acts as a major barrier to care. Another key challenge is fragmented information and patient records. With so much data and an abundance of provider portals and systems, it can be difficult for patients to understand and decode information. Not to mention the consistent repetition of medical information and personal details. When systems don’t talk to each other, data doesn’t transfer and insights get lost, the patient is left to put together the pieces.
In their struggle to help patients navigate these high-friction systems, providers face their own frustration and inefficiency. This prevents them from making care more affordable, accessible, and patientcentric, compounding the negative sentiment and continuing the vicious cycle. The real kicker is that organizations in fields that are noncritical – and perhaps even detrimental – to society have mastered the frictionless experience. It is exceedingly easy to rack up debt buying clothes and luxury goods one cannot truly afford. It is exceedingly easy to bet one’s life savings on the outcome of a sports game or the number of X posts a prominent businessman will share on a given day. But those who want (or need) medical care often have to jump through hoops just to find a provider, let alone set an appointment, complete intake documents, figure out payment, and actually access the care and treatment plans. And when this inefficiency fuels distrust in the healthcare system – the one we as a society need to keep us well – the risks are far greater than someone deciding to abandon a shopping cart on a convoluted website.
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HEALTHCARE ROUNDTABLE: ANALYST PERSPECTIVES ON THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
What sources of friction for healthcare providers pose the greatest threat to morale and retention? Brooke: One of the greatest burdens providers face is unnecessary administrative and backend work. Documentation has always been a point of friction — it is time consuming, redundant and tedious, often with little to no payoff. Systems are still disconnected and insights often get lost. Administrative work, at best, is annoying, and at worst it takes precious time away from patient care. Technology offers strong potential for eliminating these tasks, but must be implemented intentionally.
Another source of chronic concern is staffing and capacity. Across the US there are physician and nursing shortages that are only increasing. According to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, shortages across almost all specialties; 30 out of the 35 physician specialties modeled are projected to experience shortages in 2038.
With these shortages comes burnout, moral injury and high turnover. The more cases, the greater the opportunity for error, fatigue and dwindling satisfaction. As we look to the future of care, it is worth considering the tools, technology and resources that will be needed to support this gap in staffing.
Brian: We can deny it all we want, but AI has obviously closed any academic knowledge gap with humanity. Where humans still reign irrefutably supreme, however, is in their ability to feel and do. These attributes are, of course, the heart of the healthcare system. The real power of staff is not in their ability to recall facts from medical school or policy training but in their ability to leverage this knowledge when creating environments that make patients feel safe and stay healthy. Unfortunately, these attributes are particularly conditional on the environment. When someone is having a bad day, distracted by slow or frustrated systems, or covering for a short-staffed team, they lose the ability to communicate the warmth that makes them human. They lose the ability to connect with patients on a level deeper than a record in a system. Factors like fragmented health records and systems, unintuitive technological tools, convoluted billing codes and insurance processes, ineffective scheduling systems, unpredictable workflow assignments, and inadequate care coordination create the kind of friction that prevents staff from being present – and human – when interacting with patients. This, of course, assumes they can even interact with patients; difficulty reaching patients in an era of conflicting records and unpredictable responsiveness (especially given the distrust many have toward phonebased communication) is another major source of friction and frustration. There is also a compounding effect. When they cannot deliver clear, effective, human-centric care to patients, providers will face emotional consequences. This makes them even less engaged and motivated, further heightening the probability of poor performance and eventual departure.
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HEALTHCARE ROUNDTABLE: ANALYST PERSPECTIVES ON THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
What makes healthcare experience design different from other industries? From other regulated industries? Dr. Shikha Desai: After more than 26 years leading healthcare operations, one thing has remained constant: healthcare is unlike any other industry because every interaction carries real consequences. A question about eligibility, a claim, or an appeal isn’t simply a transaction. It can influence whether someone accesses care, understands their financial responsibility, or feels confident navigating an already complex system. What makes healthcare experience unique is balancing empathy with operational excellence. Organizations must navigate complex regulations, multiple stakeholders, evolving technology, and highly interconnected processes while still delivering experiences that feel simple, clear, and trustworthy.
Despite the diversity of those roles, one lesson has remained constant: people don’t care how we’re organized internally. They simply expect the first person they reach to either resolve their question or confidently guide them to the right next step. Great healthcare experience begins by organizing around that expectation.
Throughout my career, I’ve led teams and transformations across claims, contact centers, technology, digital modernization, workforce development, and operational strategy.
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HEALTHCARE ROUNDTABLE: ANALYST PERSPECTIVES ON THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Understanding the high stakes of healthcare experiences, how does this urgency and importance shape the channel mix? Brian: Over the past decade, we at CMP have noticed a mistake in how organizations approach the idea of “omnichannel.” They think of channels as different options for achieving the same outcome. Instead, they should be thinking of channels as different tools in a single toolbox. They are instruments with their own distinct purposes and advantages.
This perspective is what should be fueling the channel mix. Providers and health systems should think about the different phases of the journey, the different intentions, sentiments, and expectations patients have at these phases, and then select the most suitable tool from their toolbox.
Digital channels are predicated on speed and clear presentation of information; this means they should be used in situations where patients have to parse through a lot of information in a short amount of time. Face-to-face interactions are about communicating emotional accountability; they should be reserved for situations where an abundance of humanity is essential to the success of the experience. This leads to an optichannel approach where all channels are used, in concert, to create the best possible experience. It shifts the narrative from business-first to patient-first. When they are routed to AI-based options at appropriate times, patients will not lament the provider “clearly caring more about saving money than giving them good care.” They will celebrate the provider for its situational empathy: recognizing that speed, not overthe-top conversation, is what mattered most in that moment. They will also appreciate the fact that this construct makes it easier to engage in human conversations – and receive real medical care – when it is most necessary.
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HEALTHCARE ROUNDTABLE: ANALYST PERSPECTIVES ON THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Creating a unified patient experience across different providers and payers continues to be a challenge, what are the most critical dimensions of the journey to unify? Dr. Shikha Desai: A unified healthcare experience begins with a shared commitment to making the journey easier for the person navigating it. Throughout my career, I’ve found that the greatest opportunities come from connecting experiences rather than optimizing individual departments. People shouldn’t have to determine whether a question belongs with a provider, a health plan, a pharmacy, or another partner. They simply want confidence that someone can guide them to the right next step.
Technology is a powerful enabler, but technology alone doesn’t create a unified experience. The real differentiator isn’t technology. It’s equipping people with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to guide someone to the right next step, regardless of organizational boundaries.
When we reduce friction at those transition points, we build trust, improve outcomes, and make healthcare easier to navigate. The future of healthcare experience isn’t about creating more touchpoints. It’s about creating more connected ones.
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HEALTHCARE ROUNDTABLE: ANALYST PERSPECTIVES ON THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
How is bedside manner and the centering of the human experience being prioritized as healthcare experiences are increasingly digital-first? Brian: According to CMP’s Annual Consumer Preferences Survey, the overwhelming majority of individuals do not feel AI is adding value to their experiences. This naturally fuels an aura of skepticism around the automation transformation: consumers see it as an exercise in reducing costs rather than strengthening connections “We put profit over people” is not exactly a noble cause, in any industry. It is not exactly the type of thing that any business would put in their marketing copy. But while customers may not openly celebrate brands that seem aggressively cost-conscious, they are not irrational or unrealistic. They know that most enterprises with which they do business ultimately are for-profit. And even though they may feel very passionate about a particular customer service issue as it is happening, they recognize that it is typically low-stakes in the grand scheme of things. As such, they can understand why their favorite retail store or software company might overemphasize its cost-effective, AI-powered channels. They can understand why these types of providers may be scaling back the human touch. They can understand why these enterprises will look for every conceivable opportunity to “upsell” their customers.
But healthcare is one of the rare exceptions to this rule. Patients still understand that medical organizations are businesses, but given the very real stakes of healthcare, they want assurance that the pursuit of profit will never overshadow the commitment to patient well-being. Bedside interactions, both literal and figurative ones, are where providers cultivate this trust. It is where they connect with patients on a human level and confirm their personal investment in keeping them healthy. Not merely about demonstrating empathy and accountability, these human-centered interactions are where the best providers demonstrate credibility and expertise. AI has taken the “WebMD conundrum” to a new level; everyone has instant access to the complete academic library of medical information. What they don’t have is a real-world perspective for making sense of this information – and the practical experience to perform surgeries or prescribe care baesd on that analysis. By taking the chance to show why they are more than just someone who memorized the contents of medical textbooks, they build confidence in an era where everyone has the knowledge but few have the know-how.
Looking to dive deeper into the future of Patient Experience with other senior leaders? Request an invitation to the CCW Executive Exchange Healthcare this September 14-16 in Scottsdale
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