Ghost Networks: How Provider Data Inaccuracies Impact Access to Care

As the boom in digital, remote and telehealth companies sets its sights on furthering the consumerization of healthcare access – long needed to finally address glaring disparities and social factors driving gaps in access to care and good outcomes – one factor seems to have been left out of the equation: the demographic and practice information on the actual providers seeing the patient is not accurate.

The provider directory data behind the searches – whether from a voice activated smart speaker, a phone or a major insurance carrier website – is simply out of date. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid found that 45.1% of provider directory locations listed in online directories were inaccurate.

What we have is a digital technology boom for consumers to access healthcare and the fundamental data source behind it has been, well, just that – left behind. Inaccurate provider data continues to pose a significant risk to the healthcare industry’s ability to close gaps in care and drive better patient outcomes.

Ghost Networks: How provider data inaccuracies impact access to care

Online Provider Directory Review Report