For Healthcare Consumers, It’s All About Experience
Tech giants like Google and Amazon owe their success to their highly personalized, highly convenient customer experience. Now, people want (and often expect) this approach from the healthcare industry too. A recent Deloitte survey shows what today’s healthcare consumers are looking for:
- More personalized care
- Choices that fit their budget
- Greater convenience
- Online access
To keep pace with changing trends, healthcare marketers should move beyond a strategy that simply treats its audience as prospective patients. Address your audience as sophisticated and highly selective consumers by highlighting the benefits that simplify and add convenience to their experience.
A number of consumer-friendly innovations are changing how patients receive care. These three benefits may be especially valuable to include in your hospital marketing.
- Telehealth
Telehealth is helping to meet the demand for healthcare in the comfort of one’s home. Whether it means a video consultation with a specialist or remote monitoring of a condition, telehealth can be valuable to patients with busy schedules, a lack of transportation, or a condition that limits their ability to travel. And, promoting your telehealth services can be a great way to reach more patients in rural areas. - Primary Care Telemedicine
Millennial-driven trends are radically changing how primary care is delivered. A recent PwC survey found that only 61 percent of millennials rely on a primary care physician, compared to 80 percent of baby boomers. But this doesn’t mean the demand for primary care has declined. Now, consumers often turn to in-store clinics and urgent care centers for affordable, on-demand care.Health systems that offer primary care telemedicine are uniquely positioned to compete with industry disruptors like urgent care centers (of which there are now more than 10,000 across the country). That’s because primary care telemedicine offers even greater convenience than a walk-in clinic, backed by the resources of your health system.
- Online Access
Many consumers in the Information Age want to manage their healthcare from one convenient online portal, just as they would for an online retailer or bank. A recent Salesforce survey found that more than 70 percent of millennials would prefer to schedule appointments, pay medical bills, and manage their medical records online or on a mobile app.But many hospitals and health systems have been slow to provide this user-friendly interface. If your organization has a patient portal that’s worth bragging about, brag away.
All About Experience
Today’s healthcare consumers can choose from a wide selection of providers. Show prospects how you can save them time and provide a more personalized experience, and they’ll be more likely to choose you.
Hospitals and health systems across the country rely on Lightstream to reach increasingly sophisticated consumers. To learn how we can support your healthcare marketing team, reach out today.
