Top Hospitals' Online Search Systems Have Major Failings

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

Fewer than half of hospitals allow online search for doctors by medical conditions.

Physician finder sites are often the first point of contact for a patient when accessing a hospital or health system, but a new report by Kyruus has revealed more than half of the top U.S. hospitals and health systems (52.5 percent) lack the ability for patients to narrow their search for a clinically appropriate doctor based on medical conditions or symptoms.

The study analyzed the Find-a-Doctor sites at 40 hospitals and health systems and found severe discrepancies in the online abilities, with the search functions often inaccurate or incomplete. That could lead to millions of patients seeking care from providers who either are unable to accept them in their practices, or who are inappropriate matches for treatment.

Nearly 20 million times a year patients are sent to a provider who is not the right match for their condition, according to the study’s findings. The report underscores a nationwide issue – accurately matching patients with physicians – which can lead to poorer health outcomes for patients, ineffective use of physician time, and billions of dollars in wasteful spending, according to a press release. These errors can also have a detrimental effect on an organization’s ability to connect with and retain patients at a crucial time in provider networks, when coordinated care is becoming more complicated.

“Patients come to Physician Finders expecting accurate information about physician specialties, locations and insurance plans. Instead, they often leave feeling confused by the lack of information and frustrated by the inability to book an appointment or perform other online functions that are routine in the airline and many other industries,” said Dr. Graham Gardner, Kyruus’ CEO and co-founder.

“Fortunately, increasing attention on the patient experience is prompting many healthcare systems to rethink how they can best serve patients accessing their digital channel.” The key findings from the report include:

• 52.5 percent of the nation’s top hospitals and health systems lack the ability for patients to type in their condition or symptoms and find a clinically appropriate physician
• 90 percent lack the ability to check a particular physician’s availability at a given time.
• only 15 percent note whether or not doctors are accepting new patients
• none of the top 40 hospitals or health systems allow patients to schedule their appointment online

An infographic illustrating the results of the survey and scope of the problem can be viewed here.