DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Healthgrades, the leading online resource for information about physicians and hospitals, recently launched a new consumer website with enhanced functionality to better address the rapidly evolving ways consumers search for a provider online. The new website, which was developed based on Healthgrades insights and market research, enables consumers to search, select and appoint with a physician according to what matters to them most.
“Across all industries, like travel, finance and real estate, transparency has transformed access to information and services,” said Scott Booker, chief executive officer, Healthgrades. “Transparency and consumer empowerment in healthcare is very clear -- three-quarters (77%) of our users report having selected a specialist without a referral and nearly one third (29%) use our site to investigate the referrals they get from primary care providers. To answer this demand, we’ve designed a new site to help consumers access the information they need to take more informed actions throughout their healthcare experience.”
Healthgrades’ upgraded site helps consumers easily research and compare providers, select a provider, and book an appointment:
Research and compare providers: According to STAX research, commissioned by Healthgrades, consumers are 82% more likely to book an appointment if the physician information includes experience, patient satisfaction scores and the quality of hospitals where they practice. The new Healthgrades website now offers expanded provider profiles to help consumers determine the right provider and facility for quality care.
Select a provider: The Healthgrades website also offers tailored search results based on criteria that is important to consumers. More than 75% of consumers that use Healthgrades research more than one physician. Consumers can find physicians who fit their specific needs, such as insurance, gender, patient satisfaction, and the ability to find the physicians that treat more than 12,000 conditions and procedures most often.
“Over the last two years Healthgrades has observed that consumers who visit the site to research a physician are 54% more likely to find and connect with a different physician than the one who they initially came to research,” said Booker. “Consumers use the information available at Healthgrades to take a much more active role in their health.”
Book an appointment
The Healthgrades website now allows more convenient options for consumers to quickly connect with healthcare providers. Consumers can now search for a provider by appointment availability and whether they accept new patients. According to Accenture, almost two thirds of health systems will offer online scheduling for all of their physicians by the end of 2019.
Health systems across the country, including Oschner Health System and Mississippi Baptist have integrated online appointment scheduling capabilities through the Healthgrades website, providing the ability to meet consumers where they are searching for health information.
Learn more about how hospitals partner with Healthgrades.
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About Healthgrades
Healthgrades, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Today, more than one million people a day use the Healthgrades website to search, compare and connect with hospitals and physicians based on the most important factors when selecting a healthcare provider: experience, hospital quality and patient satisfaction. For more information about Healthgrades, visit http://www.healthgrades.com or download the Healthgrades iPhone app.
