Providers and Patients Still See Patient Access Very Differently, Survey Finds
Experian Health’s 2026 State of Patient Access report — drawn from surveys of more than 1,000 patients and 200 healthcare decision-makers — reveals a persistent gap between how providers and patients perceive access improvement. Forty-six percent of providers say access has improved over the past year, while only 18% of patients agree. Speed to appointment remains the top patient concern for the fourth consecutive year. Financial friction is compounding the problem: nearly one-third of patients say paying for care has gotten worse, and fewer than two in five feel confident they can afford their care. The share of patients receiving pre-service cost estimates rose to 45%, and accuracy is improving — the share reporting their final bill was “much more expensive” than the estimate fell from 44% to 26%.
The provider-patient perception gap points to a clear operational blind spot: internal metrics show progress, but patients still aren’t feeling it. For multi-site operators, accelerating time-to-appointment and improving upfront cost transparency — not just adding digital tools — remain the highest-leverage access interventions.
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