Consumerism in healthcare: 8 things you can do to meet patient's expectations

As costs rise and patients shoulder an increasingly greater share of the financial burden, so have consumer expectations. This isn't exactly breaking news, but reasearch has shown that progress is still slow. Adopting a consumer-centirc approach is a comprehensive process that will impact virtually every part of your organization, but there's no shortage of places to start. Here are 8 things you can do to get yourself moving in the right direction.

1. Listen to patients 

Consumers expect greater access and control over the direction their care is taking. They also expect to be able to access their care in a convenient and pleasent manner. Hear why Aetna VP Dan Finke thinks it's time for us to start listening.

2. Adopt retail tactics

Loyaly programs, discounts, and even retail product offerings are all ways to keep patients engaged and loyal. Learn how one practice has been putting retail tactics to good use.

3. Pay attention to ratings

Empowered consumers shop around and pay attention to reviews. Fair or not, choosing to ignore ratings is a bad idea. See what you can do instead.

4. Invest in analytics

Progress has been slow, but asking yourself "What do consumers want" and having ways to track it, are good options. See what a survey of 200 providers found about their consumer focused strategies. 

5. Think about design

Consumerism affects all aspects of healthcare. Hear what an expert in hospital design has to say about making consumers happy. 

6. Attract empowered, educated patients

Find out how to attract active, involved patients who will make figuring out what they want a breeze.

7. Consider your web presence

Having a strong and responsive digital marketing presence is essential when more and more people are searching for a doctor online. 

8. Prepare for market disruption

Within the past year, both Amazon and CVS have made moves into the healthcare space. Is your organization ready?