healthcare consumerism
Published March 24, 2017

Strengthening Your Consumer-Based Platform: A Series–Part 1 Access

Earlier this year, we noted the importance of healthcare “consumerism,” a topic once largely confined to conceptual discussion that has now become an urgent competitive reality for healthcare providers.  Recently, a senior executive for a large multi-facility system told us, “Our consumer strategy has emerged along a similar trajectory to our data strategy.  Where data and consumer activity were once considered peripheral bi-products of healthcare operations, they are now regarded as central to our competitive advantage and require a thoughtful strategy.”  We couldn’t agree more.

Despite significant uncertainty in the legislative and regulatory environment, the underlying dynamics that have driven the rise in healthcare “consumerism” will continue to reward providers that develop effective consumer-based platforms.   Previously, we identified five key principles of a strong consumer-based platform:

  • Accessibility
  • Convenience
  • Affordability
  • Transparency
  • Tailored Care

In this article, the first in a series, we take a closer look at the importance of patient and consumer accessibility.

In the last two decades, consumers have experienced an unprecedented and technology-driven expansion in access to information and the ability to compare similar services and products (financial services and travel serving as two commonly cited examples).  Increasingly, this also extends to the capability to arrange or adjust the timing of services with enhanced flexibility and minimum interruption to access or quality.  In light of these trends, it was inevitable that convenient access became a core expectation for many healthcare consumers.

To successfully improve access, healthcare providers should:

  • Consider increasing the number, improving the proximity, and diversifying the mix of care settings associated with access points available to potential patients. This includes, but is not limited to, primary care clinics, urgent care centers, freestanding emergency departments, and retail clinics.  For example, providers may consider desired drive times and flexible routing when siting locations for new facilities and/or access points.
  • Investigate extended and/or non-traditional hours at owned or affiliated physician practices. Another effective and complimentary approach to leverage this strategy is the appropriate use of physician extenders.
  • Evaluate offering same-day consults for appropriate health screening, physical therapy, behavioral health, and pediatric services at physician practice locations. Similarly, at surgical practices, ambulatory surgery centers, and some urgent care facilities, providing same-day surgery for appropriate outpatient procedures can significantly enhance consumer convenience and experience.
  • Examine whether opportunities exist to improve care integration, reduce duplication, and leverage shared resources across the provider network to maximize convenience and availability of care to patients.
  • Assess available capabilities and market preferences for the deployment of telehealth and virtual visit capabilities.  The increasing availability and sophistication of telehealth services and mobile/wearable health products not only hold the promise of greater convenience for healthcare consumers, but the potential for greater access to critical specialties in otherwise underserved areas.  In addition, utilization of health kiosks in retail locations with high foot traffic has the potential to increase “first encounter” capture of new patients and drive future consumer preference.

In truth, there is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution to achieving the right consumer-based access strategy.   Each market has geographic and consumer characteristics that make it unique, requiring providers to carefully consider the factors specific to their markets: population and demographic trends, drive times from multiple areas, available technology and required infrastructure, competitor activity, and status of integration across care settings and facility types.

Additionally, as provider organizations consider their current portfolio of access points, it is worth noting that they need not own all of the assets or operations for each site.  In fact, trading limited physical integration to focus on technology-enabled sharing of information across a geographically diverse network is not only possible, but in certain scenarios, may actually be desirable.

In part two of our series on healthcare consumerism, we will build upon our discussion of accessibility to take a closer look at the principal of “convenience” as it relates to healthcare scheduling, transactions, and consumer-facing healthcare communication.

Read Part 2: Convenience

Read Part 3: Affordability

For more information about developing effective consumer-based platforms, contact one of our executives below at PYA, (800) 270-9629.

Executive Contacts

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