It’s not lost on most hospitals that there are now more than 165,000 healthcare apps available for download or that 72% of all internet users in the U.S. look for health information online, says a new research survey from health information technology vendor Kaufman Hall.

But the research, which includes detailed survey results from about 125 hospitals nationwide, finds that while giving patients more access to digital healthcare tools is a high priority many institutions still have a long way to go to the develop the web and mobile features consumers want.

Kaufman Hall says an analysis of its survey data reveals that consumerism is a high priority for most healthcare organizations, but many have been slow to build capabilities to meet core consumerism objectives. For example, 90% of organizations identify improving the consumer experience as a high priority, but only 30% have built capabilities to do so. 58% of hospitals also call offering digital tools and information to enable consumer engagement high priorities, but just 14% of hospitals now have those digital features online.

Other key findings include:

• Nearly three-fourths of organizations rate poorly in terms of using consumer insights for decision-making.
• Less than 10% of organizations are pursuing pricing strategies and price transparency as high priorities.

“In the age of Amazon and Netflix, consumers expect more from their healthcare providers,” says Kaufman Hall managing director Paul Crnkovich.

Consumers’ top priority is accessibility of care, the survey says, yet the survey results show significant room for improvement, Kaufman Hall says. Virtual access to physicians through telehealth visits is particularly low, with just 23% of respondents noting their organizations offered significant access to virtual doctor visits compared with 77% that had no or only limited telehealth programs.

Hospitals are seeking to address the biggest complaints they get from consumers, the survey says. 60% of respondents say their organizations are working to offer online scheduling and 52% of hospitals are implementing same-day options for patients to speak with a physician, Kaufman Hall says.  42% of hospitals also are increasing telehealth visits.

More consumers want hospitals to offer more price transparency in the form of tools and programs to research and comparison shop the price of medical procedures, the survey says. But 59% of hospitals still only offer any procedure pricing by phone after a patient makes a request. Only 22% of hospitals offer pricing on their website, 20% offer online price-comparison tools and 15% have an online price-comparison tool that provides data on the negotiated rates between the hospital and the insurer. 18% have no price-comparison program online or otherwise. “For healthcare executives, consumerism should not be just another item to be checked off a list. It should be a core capability, as it is key to long-term growth,” Crnkovich says.