While some healthcare professionals are effectively leveraging the Web to connect with time-strapped patients, many providers still have significant work to do on mobile if they are to meet consumers' needs, according to a report from Kentico.

Kentico?s digital experience research showed that consumers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of mobile options when it comes to communicating with healthcare experts or navigating wellness sites on smartphones. Although several marketers, such as Web MD, have made a strong push for applications centering on healthcare, doctors and providers must roll out a greater presence on mobile and SMS to connect with consumers.

?At the bare minimum, healthcare providers need to join other industries in optimizing their Web sites for mobile now that more than half of digital content is consumed via mobile devices,? said Jim Panagas, director of public relations at Kentico, Bedford, NH. ?Mobile consumption is still mostly about having a specific need while on-the-go, so these sites need to be set up in a way that gets visitors to the right place in the fastest time.

?These sites need to be easy to navigate with super-fast load times,? he said. ?Information needs to be highly discoverable, and users should be able to contact the provider with a single click.

?Smart watches and other wearables are still in their infancy, but they too need to be considered as personal health has been one of the key early drivers of these devices.?

Making slow strides
Kentico?s survey found that 40 percent of respondents claimed they have experienced difficulty in navigating healthcare sites on their smartphones.

The significantly high number paints a worrying picture for these providers, particularly those who are lesser-known and seeking to garner as many new clients as possible. If a site is not mobile-optimized, it will more often than not turn away a user from continuing his or her browsing, and likely deter the person from visiting again.

Therefore, establishing mobile-first options on healthcare sites should be a top priority for marketers. Possible features could include a chat box to speak to a live representative, filtering tools to sort through based on ailments and a user-friendly interface.

?Look at what MasterCard, Amazon.com and many airlines have accomplished in terms of real-time mobile communications,? Mr. Panagas said. ?They are responding to the same demands that are now being made of the healthcare industry.?

Additionally, 71 percent of consumers believe healthcare sites could be more useful, and named three top complaints: difficulty in finding correct information, a lack of contact choices and not being able to speak with a live representative.

Texting was also discovered to be the third most preferred communication channel with healthcare professionals. However, only 11 percent of survey participants admitted to being able to talk with their providers in this manner.

An even more concerning statistic revealed that 34 percent of consumers cannot reach their providers via email, further highlighting the necessity for mobile-optimized methods of communication.

The industry winners
A select amount of brands and marketers are succeeding in this sector and offering examples for other professionals to emulate in their own platforms.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is offering members around-the-clock medical access from the convenience of any location with LiveHealth Online, an online care service that provides live video visits with doctors via mobile, tablet or desktop devices (see story).

Meanwhile, Walgreens and WebMD are poised to lead the mhealth sector this year as they strengthen the connection between mobile health platforms and loyalty programs with their collaboration on a digital wellness program that incorporates Walgreens Balance Rewards (see story).

?The younger the consumer, the more likely they are going to want to interact with their healthcare provider digitally through a mobile device,? Mr. Panagas said. ?The writing is on the wall: routinely corresponding with patients via phone and postal mail is simply not going to be tenable in another 5-10 years.

?The next generation is heavily vested in real-time communication,? he said. ?Imagine how delighted patients would be to get reminders on their mobile device about a doctor appointment or that an appointment time has been changed?

?Or to speak with someone in a Web site chat window rather than have to wait on hold for long periods of time on the phone? Or to receive truly personalized communication such as being reminded ?to fast for your blood test tomorrow morning? or ?let us know if the medication we prescribed is working for you.??

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York