The question is often raised by health system executives about what patients really want in terms of services. A recent article attempted to answer this question (see: New National Patient Survey Reveals 84% Would Increase Provider Loyalty with More Holistic Health and Wellbeing Support) with an excerpt below:
A new survey by Welltok, the leading consumer health SaaS company, confirms that today's patients are indeed expecting more from their providers, which includes hospitals, health systems and physician practices...[P]roviders need to understand what consumers want and how to best support them to drive greater loyalty. [Here is a list of patient needs/wants from providers]:
- Patients Want to Be Loyal: Most adults (84%) surveyed say they would feel a greater sense of loyalty to their preferred healthcare provider if their overall health and wellbeing was being supported outside of a clinical setting (e.g., nutrition, stress management, weight loss)....
- Answer the Call for Holistic Health: Most adults say it is important that their provider organization offers programs and resources that support all aspects of health (physical, financial, emotional and social)....
- Personalization is an Expectation:....The majority of adults (84%) feel their provider would better serve them if their health interests, goals and motivations were better known [and personalized]....
- Patient Portal Limitations: While some health organizations are looking for ways to extend the utility of patient portals beyond accessing medical records/results or scheduling appointments, consumers do not seem interested....
Nothing in this list would surprise any marketing professional with familiarity about how to please consumers. They desire convenient, personalized, quality care on a continuing basis, not just when they are sick. Hence, their desire for holistic and wellness care. Some health systems are getting the message and driving the movement of selected clinical services to mall space with more effective branding and easy parking (see: Retail Clinics May Provide What Patients Want; Moving Away from Hospital Campuses). I know that the term "holistic" may have taken on some unfavorable meanings. However, I bet that it's not confusing to the people who responded to the survey reference above. Our health system is highly fragmented, often with one specialist not familiar with the actions of others. EHR availability has provided a partial solution to this problem. However, there's always room for improvement with greater integration of care.
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