American consumers have spoken: According to Fierceretail, 59% of consumers want digital healthcare to mirror retail. This means that they want a mobile experience like many retailers are now starting to offer.
The sentiment is strong. According to the same article:
The research categorized demanding consumers who are impatient and not reluctant to switch doctors as “explorers.” And almost 80% of these explorers say that digital interactions in healthcare need to improve and half of them would leave this current doctor simply for a better digital experience.
What do those “explorers” want? It is quite simple, actually. They want a one-stop-shop for their healthcare on their smartphones:
…said Alan Hughes of NTT DATA Services. “As patients seek seamless care to bring together services related to diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and health promotion, healthcare appears ripe for its own digital transformation.”
The areas with the most urgent need for transformation are:
- Searching for a doctor
- Accessing family health records
- Changing or making an appointment
If the public health systems don’t address these needs, the private sector will do it, which may create a social divide on healthcare that nobody seems to want.
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