Virtual Triage Adoption Increase in 2023 as Self-Service Patient Care Routing Sees Growth Among Health Systems

New research of digital patient tools finds online scheduling and AI virtual assistants growth across the top 647 U.S. health systems

CHICAGO, July 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearstep, a leader in patient-facing digital triage and AI healthcare assistants, released its mid-year research report with insights on U.S. health system adoption of online scheduling and artificial intelligence (AI) virtual assistant solutions.

The study, which analyzes the websites and web applications of the top 647 U.S. health systems, sheds new light on the adoption of digital self-service solutions to meet rising consumer demand and offers valuable insights for healthcare leaders.

Key findings from the research include:

1. Of the 647 health systems, 74% adopted public-facing online scheduling, of which 20% have adopted robust online scheduling that includes specialist appointments.
2. The implementation of robust virtual triage AI assistants saw a YoY increase of 5%, and the implementation of AI assistants for patient services saw a YoY increase of 15%.

These findings highlight the shift from reactive virtual solution adoption seen during the pandemic to proactive, strategic implementation to increase patient access, route patients more efficiently, automate common patient services, deliver autonomous and enhanced patient experiences, and operate more efficiently overall.

"Many health system leaders understand that to solve challenges in patient access and provider labor sustainably, we must accelerate investments in digital and AI rather than pull back," said Adeel Malik, CEO and Co-founder at Clearstep. "According to a recent Health Management Academy survey, almost half of the executives report their health system is currently using AI solutions for the workforce, while all others report their health system is evaluating or considering AI solutions. The demand for advancing AI self-service technology like Clearstep is growing. We're witnessing this at Clearstep, where we've nearly doubled our customer base in the first six months of 2023. We expect adoption to accelerate further over the next 24 months, particularly as more executives realize the substantial results that can be expected. Some clients have seen 4-10x return with Clearstep within one year."

The study includes a guide for healthcare organizations exploring virtual assistant solution providers with requirements, goals, and questions leaders should consider when sourcing virtual triage solutions.  

"Trust is paramount and a foundational element of everything we do at Clearstep," said Bilal Naved, Chief Product Officer and Co-founder at Clearstep. "From the accuracy of the AI clinical logic that powers our digital triage engine to our security and compliance measures, we are committed to meeting patient and health systems' evolving needs without sacrificing safety. We want to be a catalyst for improving patient access, and the workforce issues the industry currently faces. That's why we've compiled these recommendations to support those making decisions that benefit their patient populations, care teams, and stakeholders."

About Clearstep

Clearstep is a leading digital health company helping healthcare organizations, and patients create an individual roadmap to the right care at the right time and place. Leveraging clinically validated and secure AI virtual healthcare assistants, Clearstep partners with health systems, hospitals, medical groups, retail pharmacies, population health organizations, and payers to activate its technology across websites, mobile applications, and patient portals. Clearstep reduces administrative burdens for care teams by automating symptom checks, triage, common patient services, remote patient monitoring, and clinical workflows – ultimately improving efficiencies, experiences, and outcomes. Learn more at clearstep.health.

SOURCE Clearstep