In a series of recent studies, healthcare consumers expressed a marked preference for personalized, accessible, and transparent healthcare. Next, we explore some of these consumer trends and how they will impact the future of healthcare. We’re also excited to announce that Canopy Health is at the forefront of consumer preferences!
Consumers Want Care That Is Coordinated and Convenient
Healthcare organizations are carefully monitoring consumers’ priorities and behaviors. The industry is beginning to recognize that consumers want a different healthcare model that delivers member-focused, personalized service. In recent years, surveys, studies, and research groups have tracked consumers’ healthcare expectations. One of their top demands is accessible, coordinated care.
According to one study, 59% of healthcare consumers want coordinated care. Today’s healthcare members demand an integrated, streamlined healthcare experience. They expect their providers to work together, share information, and understand their overall health and wellness.
However, 66% of consumers also want more accessible and convenient healthcare options. Younger consumers are particularly intolerant to long waits for appointments and are creating an increased demand for walk-in and retail clinics. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes difficult to balance convenience and coordination.
Unless providers coordinate same-day care, their patients might find their healthcare experience lacking. Retail clinics rarely have access to the robust, personalized data of an integrated healthcare system.
Digital Tools and Telehealth Are Essential to the Healthcare Experience
Many consumers want their healthcare organizations to offer digital healthcare tools. We’re increasingly reliant on electronic devices in our daily life. This has led to increasing consumer demands for telehealth, online patient portals, and digital tools that empower better healthcare decisions.
The statistics are impressive:
- 37% of consumers would be more likely to communicate with their primary care physician if they had access to a patient portal, email, or text system
- 32% would be more likely to see their doctor if they had telehealth options
- 81% of consumers aged 18-34 would use a confidential website or app to track their health data
- 66% would see a physician over video
- 50 million people would switch primary care physicians to get access to Video Visits
- Between 94 and 99% of people were “very satisfied” with their telehealth experience
- One-third of those polled preferred telehealth to a traditional in-person appointment
Younger healthcare consumers and parents are particularly interested in telehealth and digital healthcare tools.
Consumers Want Healthcare Transparency
Today’s healthcare consumers are increasingly responsible for their decisions, but it’s incredibly difficult to make good healthcare decisions if you don’t understand your options and their potential costs. As the popularity of high deductible health plans (HDHPs) grows, these individuals are gaining more visibility around the actual cost of their care. This is leading to increased interest in healthcare transparency and improved communication.
Nearly 80% of consumers want their physicians to use easy-to-understand language when discussing healthcare issues. And the majority of consumers want help from their primary care physicians when it comes to controlling healthcare costs. Millennials are fueling demand for cost transparency and health information that is clearly articulated.
We’re Meeting Healthcare Consumer Expectations
Canopy Health fulfills today’s healthcare consumer expectations. We offer a remarkable combination of communication, coordination, convenience, and expertise. Our members can choose from roughly 5,000 physicians, 18 hospitals, and modern facilities like the Berkeley Outpatient Center. We offer a wide variety of treatment options throughout the Bay Area. Soon, our members will also have the added convenience of Virtual Visits through the new MyCanopyHealth app and patient portal.
We pair this convenient access with highly coordinated care. Every Canopy Health member has a primary care physician (PCP) who oversees their healthcare and monitors their overall wellness. That physician can view all their patient’s medical records and speak with other clinicians directly about providing effective care for the best possible outcomes on a patient-by-patient basis.
Transparency is another of Canopy Health’s core values. We’re committed to sharing healthcare and pricing data with our members. We empower our members’ healthcare literacy and encourage proper utilization of healthcare through coordinated care and population health management data. Soon, our members will also have access to a cost estimator and digital tools that will help them make healthcare choices that reflect their priorities and goals.
References
Aetna (2018, June). Inaugural Health Ambitions Study. Retrieved from https://news.aetna.com/health-ambitions-survey/
Council of Accountable Physician Practices (2017). 2017 consumer healthcare priorities study: What patients and doctors want from the health care system. Pasadena, CA: Public Values Research. Retrieved from http://accountablecaredoctors.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/capp-research_what-patients-and-doctors-want.pdf
Deloitte (2016). Health plans: what matters most to the health care consumer. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/life-sciences-health-care/us-lshc-deloitte-2016-consumer-priorities-in-health-care-survey.pdf
Hedges, L. (2017.) Should you offer telemedicine services? Patients weigh in. Software Advice. Retrieved from https://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/should-you-offer-telemedicine-services/
Polinski, J., Barker, T., Gagliano, N., Sussman, A., Brennan, T., Shrank, W. (2016, March). Patients’ satisfaction with and preference for telehealth visits. Journal of General Internal Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4762824/
Telehealth Index: 2017 Consumer Survey (2017). American Well. Retrieved from https://static.americanwell.com/app/uploads/2018/03/American_Well_Telehealth_Index_2017_Consumer_Survey.pdf