Enhancing Patient Experience Through Offshoring in Healthcare

Discover the role of offshoring in improving healthcare efficiency, addressing operational challenges, and elevating the patient experience.

Executive Summary

Patient experience is now a cornerstone of success in healthcare, shaping outcomes, satisfaction, and long-term loyalty. As the industry embraces digital transformation, patient-centered care, and personalised medicine, healthcare providers face increasing demands for accessibility, efficiency, and responsiveness. Adapting to these growing expectations isn’t just important—it’s the key to staying ahead of the curve and differentiating in a crowded marketplace.

Offshoring presents a strategic advantage by streamlining operations, reducing wait times, and enabling a stronger focus on exceptional patient experience. By entrusting critical yet time-intensive administrative tasks to skilled offshore teams, healthcare businesses can cut through operational bottlenecks, optimise workflows, and focus their resources on providing their patients the best possible care. This approach alleviates pressure-points and creates opportunities to excel in today’s dynamic healthcare landscape.

Introduction

Healthcare is facing a fundamental shift. With rising patient expectations, financial pressures, and the need for greater efficiency, healthcare professionals are constantly seeking new ways to meet these challenges without compromising care. One strategy that’s gaining traction is offshoring. A solution that offers the opportunity to optimise processes, reduce overheads, and improve the quality of patient experiences.

This whitepaper dives into the growing trend of offshoring in the healthcare sector and its potential to bolster organisational competitiveness. It will also discuss the practical benefits, challenges involved, and the role offshoring can play in shaping the future of healthcare delivery. The goal of this whitepaper is to provide healthcare leaders with the insights needed to make informed decisions and better serve their patients.

The Importance of Patient Experience in Healthcare

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In the healthcare industry, patient experience goes beyond just medical treatment. It encompasses every touchpoint of a patient’s journey, from the first interaction with a healthcare practitioner to the ongoing support throughout their care. The quality of this experience can significantly impact patient outcomes, feedback, and loyalty. When patients feel understood, respected, and cared for, they are more likely to follow medical advice, return for follow-up visits, and recommend services to others.

A positive experience can be defined as one where the patient’s emotional, physical, and informational needs are met. This holistic approach shapes patient perceptions and builds trust, positioning healthcare providers as both competent and compassionate.

Improving patient experience is not just about providing excellent care—it also involves creating an environment where patients feel safe, valued, and confident. In fact, evidence shows that positive patient experience is associated with several important healthcare processes and outcomes. Additionally, facilities that prioritise patient satisfaction often achieve higher retention rates, leading to a boost in revenue from increased patient loyalty and referrals.

Today’s competitive healthcare market further amplifies the importance of patient experience. With regulatory bodies like Australia’s Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) emphasising patient-centred care, healthcare professionals must meet growing expectations while navigating strict compliance standards.

As patients increasingly weigh their options, medical professionals must innovate to give responsive, readily available, and personalised care that meets and exceeds evolving needs.

The Importance of Patient Experience in Healthcare 2

How Offshoring Improves Patient Experience

Healthcare outsourcing has become a strategic solution for healthcare businesses aiming to improve patient experience while addressing operational challenges. By outsourcing medical services to a managed offshoring company, they can simplify processes, improve response times, and allocate more resources toward providing high-quality care. Here’s how offshoring enhances the patient experience:

1. Faster Response Times

In 2017 alone, healthcare outsourcing in the US grew by 36%—and enhanced productivity was a key driving factor. Offshore teams enable healthcare businesses to reduce delays in responding to patient inquiries and scheduling needs. A study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings highlights the positive impact of quicker access to healthcare services on both patient’s good feedback and service outcomes. With offshore teams managing administrative tasks, they can ensure faster communication and resolution, especially during high-demand periods.

2. Personalised Communication

71% of consumers expect customised communication, and around 76% of these consumers get frustrated when it does not happen. This type of interaction sits at the heart of patient satisfaction—and is a clear example of where offshoring can deliver value. Offshore professionals in the healthcare industry are trained in patient communication. They can provide tailored messages, appointment reminders, and follow-ups,

0%
of consumers expect customised communication
0%
labour costs can be saved by offshoring

3. Cost-Effective Solutions

Everest Group believes that just by offshoring alone, companies can save up to 80% on labour costs. When healthcare businesses outsource administrative and back-office functions, they free up valuable resources. The money they save may then be allocated for the further betterment of their clinical care, such as hiring specialised staff and investing in advanced medical technologies.

4. Telehealth Support

Offshore teams play a crucial role in boosting telemedicine services, from managing patient data to coordinating virtual appointments. This ensures that practitioners can scale telemedicine offerings without overburdening in-house staff. The rise of telemedicine, predicted to be a USD 432 billion industry by 2032, highlights the critical role offshoring can play in enabling seamless virtual care experiences.

By strategically integrating offshore teams, healthcare businesses can significantly improve the patient experience. Simplified processes, quicker response times, personalised communication, cost savings, and enhanced telemedicine support are just some of the advantages. Embracing offshoring allows them to optimise their operations, improve efficiency, and deliver exceptional care while adapting to the changing healthcare landscape.

Essential Offshoring Roles to Enhance Patient Experience

Healthcare providers can significantly improve patient outcomes by outsourcing specific non-clinical tasks to offshore teams. Medical outsourcing allows stakeholders to focus more on direct patient care while improving overall business performance.

Here are the key roles healthcare providers can offshore to enhance the patient experience:

1. Patient Support Representatives

Handling patient inquiries, coordinating appointments, and following up on care are crucial for building trust and ensuring positive experiences. Offshore Patient Support Representatives provide quick and compassionate assistance, offering round-the-clock service across various time zones. This ensures that patients receive the timely responses they deserve, regardless of their location.

2. Health Information Managers

Proper management of patient records is essential for quality healthcare. Offshore Health Information Managers organise, maintain, and ensure the availability of critical health data, reducing inefficiencies and ensuring compliance with regulations.

3. Medical Billing Specialists and Claims Processors

Billing errors and delays often lead to frustration, disrupting patient experience. Offshore Medical Billing Specialists and Claims Processors can manage coding, claims submissions, and payment tracking accurately. Their expertise can help accelerate reimbursements and reduce administrative burdens, providing patients with a smoother experience.

4. Medical Transcriptionists

Accurate transcription of clinical notes, reports, and other medical documentation is crucial for organised healthcare systems. Offshore Medical Transcriptionists ensure these tasks are handled efficiently, enabling onshore teams to focus on quality care.

5. Telehealth Coordinators

As telehealth services continue to grow, offshore Telehealth Coordinators can assist with scheduling virtual consultations, managing telehealth platforms, and troubleshooting technical issues. Their role ensures that patients can receive remote care without interruption.

6. Pharmacy Billing Officers

The timely processing of pharmacy billing ensures that patients receive their prescriptions without delays. Offshore Pharmacy Billing Officers manage these tasks accurately and efficiently, improving patient experience and ensuring smooth pharmacy procedures.

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Addressing Patient Privacy and Compliance

Ensuring patient privacy and regulatory compliance is critical in healthcare when outsourcing medical services. Given the sensitive nature of patient information, maintaining robust data security measures and aligning with Australian regulations is important when leveraging managed offshoring. Unlike traditional outsourcing, managed offshoring provides the necessary infrastructure, policies, and oversight to ensure compliance—safeguarding data while allowing healthcare providers to benefit from an efficient, skilled offshore team.

Robust Data Security Measures

Managed offshoring teams should implement industry-leading practices to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of patient information. Key security protocols include:

  • Compliance with Privacy Laws: Your offshoring partner should be registered in the countries that they are operating in, and should adhere to their respective Privacy Laws. For instance, Twoconnect, a managed offshoring company, operates both out of the Philippines and in Australia. In turn, they are registered with the Philippine National Privacy Commission under the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and strictly adhere to the Australian Privacy Principles (APP).

  • Dedicated Infrastructure: Offshore employees should work on dedicated, password-protected systems with multiple layers of security, such as Webroot Endpoint Protection and Windows Defender. The offshore company must maintain an internal Security Operations Center (SOC) that manages device security and implements proactive measures for real-time threat detection.

  • Secure Access: Offshore teams access client systems using dedicated IP addresses and multi-factor authentication. No patient data should be stored locally or transferred outside the Practice Management Software (PMS).

  • Data Privacy Training: As part of onboarding, offshore employees should undergo comprehensive training on data privacy and cybersecurity best practices, with regular refreshers to ensure ongoing compliance.

Regulatory Considerations

Healthcare institutions must ensure that their privacy policies meet the requirements of the APP, which stress transparency and accountability when handling personal data overseas. An offshoring team should adhere to:

1. Privacy Policy Integration:

Offshoring companies must guide healthcare practices to update their privacy policies to reflect offshore operations, outlining the location and security measures for managing data overseas.

2. Reasonable Steps for Compliance:

Companies that provide healthcare outsourcing services should ensure that all offshore staff adhere strictly to privacy laws, guided by detailed policies, contracts, and regular audits.

Maintaining Quality and Accountability

It’s vital for offshoring teams to maintain high standards. A trusted offshoring partner should guarantee the following:

  • Incident Response: A clear and efficient process must be in place to address data breaches swiftly.

  • Liability Assurance: They must offer comprehensive insurance coverage, including Cyber Security and Professional Indemnity, ensuring protection for clients entrusting sensitive data.

  • Client Exclusivity: Offshore staff should work exclusively for a single healthcare organisation to provide focused attention and protect intellectual property.

Case Studies: Real-World Impact of Offshoring on Patient Experience

Through strategic offshoring, The Back Dr and Clearhead serve as prime examples of how healthcare practitioners can improve the quality of care. By delegating critical back-office and customer support tasks to offshore teams, they streamlined their processes, allowing them to dedicate more resources to achieving exceptional patient outcomes.

These real-world examples underscore not only the immediate cost-saving effect of offshoring, but also the long-term benefits of enhanced efficiency and responsiveness. Partnering with an experienced offshore expert enabled these healthcare businesses to leverage specialised expertise, improve services, and maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic healthcare landscape.

The Back Dr: Increase in Patient Consultations by 30%

Challenges: The Back Dr, a chiropractic clinic, was encountering significant administrative strain as its demand grew. Tasks like scheduling appointments, managing patient data, and processing insurance claims were taking up vital resources, which limited the clinic’s ability to engage new patients and provide timely care.

Solution: To address these challenges, The Back Dr brought in a dedicated offshore team, including a Patient Administrative Officer with a medical background. This tailored approach ensured that administrative tasks were handled efficiently and with a deep understanding of patient care processes. Additionally, a Customer Concierge was introduced to improve transactions using CRM tools, build a robust lead pipeline, and provide excellent customer support. This combination allowed internal resources to focus on high-quality care that aligns with specific needs.

30%
Increase in Patient Consultations:
By offloading administrative tasks and improving lead management, the clinic was able to accommodate more patients and maximise its operational capacity.

Improved Accuracy in Patient Data:
The Patient Administrative Officer’s medical expertise facilitated better coordination with doctors, ensuring accurate and reliable patient records.

Higher Patient Satisfaction Rating:
Streamlined processes resulted in shorter wait times, faster responses to inquiries, and seamless appointment scheduling, significantly enhancing the patient experience.

Clearhead: Driving Growth and Cost Efficiency in Mental Healthcare

Challenges: As Clearhead expanded its presence in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, the growing administrative demands began to stretch internal resources. The challenge was to scale their operations while simultaneously controlling cost and maintaining the quality of service they offered to their users. Clearhead turned to managed offshoring for a cost-efficient and scalable solution.

Solution: To meet these needs, Clearhead offshored three Therapy Support Officers with experience in mental health care. These professionals were tasked with managing administrative functions such as client communication, maintaining accurate records, and assisting the workflows essential for seamless service. Their expertise minimised onboarding time and enabled Clearhead to handle its growing user base without compromising on care quality.

These case studies from The Back Dr and Clearhead highlight how strategic offshoring can alleviate burdens, reduce costs, and, most importantly, improve care quality. Partnering with a reputable managed offshoring company, such as Twoconnect, offers measurable advantages, such as enhanced service delivery and capacity.

65%
Reduction in Operational Expenses:
Clearhead significantly lowered costs by tapping into offshore talent pools, reallocating savings to strengthen platform offerings and expand accessibility.

Faster Scalability:
The streamlined onboarding of experienced Therapy Support Officers allowed Clearhead to meet the demands of their growing international market efficiently.

100% Revenue Growth:
Improved operational capacity and cost savings contributed to doubling Clearhead’s revenue in the past year.

Best Practices for Selecting an Offshore Partner for Healthcare

To ensure you select the right offshore partner and optimise patient care, consider the following best practices:

1. Expertise in Healthcare Operations and Regional Knowledge

An ideal offshoring partner should have extensive experience within the healthcare sector, including a deep understanding of patient confidentiality, regulatory compliance, and specialised roles like medical billing and clinical documentation. Furthermore, regional expertise in healthcare practices within Australia and New Zealand is essential. A team with local knowledge ensures smoother integration into your workflows, contributing to higher patient satisfaction and seamless operations.

2. Commitment to Data Privacy and Compliance

The protection of patient data is non-negotiable. An offshore partner must comply with privacy laws like the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and the Privacy Laws from where they are operating from. Additionally, advanced security infrastructure, such as dedicated Security Operations Centers (SOC) and three-factor authentication, is important for safeguarding sensitive data.

3. Rigorous Recruitment and Seamless Onboarding

A strong offshoring partner maintains a balance between speed and quality, ensuring you secure the right talent without unnecessary delays. Through a holistic sourcing strategy, a managed offshoring partner can assess candidates not just for technical skills but also for cultural and operational fit. A structured onboarding process further sets offshore professionals up for success, integrating them smoothly into your team with the right tools, training, and support from day one.

4. Transparent Communication and Performance Management

Effective performance management is important for aligning individual and business goals. Customised support and role-specific training help enhance skills while ensuring employees are motivated in both their current roles and future career aspirations. This approach drives organisational success and fosters a motivated, engaged offshore team dedicated to contributing to long-term growth.

By focusing on these best practices, you’ll ensure a simple but well organised set of systems, improved patient outcomes, and a scalable solution to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare industry.

The Future of Offshoring and Patient Experience

Offshoring will continue to play a critical role in the evolution of healthcare as digital health solutions, such as telemedicine, wearable devices, and remote monitoring, redefine how care is administered. Offshore teams are integral in contributing to these innovations by providing skilled professionals capable of managing the operational demands of these new technologies.

Supporting Digital Health Transformation

As digital health solutions become more prevalent, offshore teams help bolster these innovations by managing patient data, providing telehealth services, and offering around-the-clock assistance. Offshore professionals, including patient support representatives and telehealth coordinators, ensure that the growing digital healthcare ecosystem runs smoothly, enhancing the quality of care.

Innovations in Offshoring for Patient Care

Offshoring is evolving to meet the demands of increasingly personalised care. Offshore roles, such as health information managers and clinical coordinators, are instrumental in virtual care management, monitoring patient progress, and following up on care. Additionally, offshore specialists tailor communications to individual patient needs, strengthening relationships and improving satisfaction.

Building a Patient-Centered Future

As healthcare organisations embrace more integrated and technology-driven care models, offshoring will continue to be a vital strategy. By reducing costs and introducing innovative solutions, offshoring allows healthcare businesses to prioritise exceptional patient experiences.

By bridging digital health innovations with operational excellence, offshoring is not just providing a helping hand to the future of healthcare—it’s shaping a new era of patient care. This evolving model ensures that care is not only accessible and customised but also consistently of the highest quality.

Conclusion

As healthcare organisations navigate an increasingly complex landscape, embracing managed offshoring presents a strategic opportunity to not only optimise patient experience and quality of care, but also improve operations. When healthcare providers tap into global talent, they streamline non-clinical tasks, reduce costs, and refocus resources on what matters most—improving patient outcomes.

Managed offshoring is more than just a cost-saving measure; it’s an essential tool for future-proofing healthcare. It allows organisations to stay agile, adapt to rapid industry growth, and elevate their overall service offering. With the right offshoring partner, they can unlock new efficiencies and gain a competitive edge, all while remaining fully committed to their core mission of patient care.

The future of healthcare relies on smart, sustainable decisions. Managed offshoring isn’t just a solution for today; it’s an investment in tomorrow’s healthcare delivery.

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