Millennials And Health Care Expectations – The Harbinger of Revolution in Delivering Comprehensive Care

Millennials – the generation that grew up devouring the explosion of innovative technologies and the age-group that believes in finding answers on their own – are the current focus of most verticals, from e-commerce to healthcare. This target audience is now well into their 30s and has emerged as the most influential customers, especially for the healthcare sector. Although the healthcare sector realizes the power of the millennials, there’s still a huge gap between what the care landscape has to offer and the expectations of this age-group.

Gap between Millennial Expectations and Care Reality

What’s causing this gap? Let’s look at 5 reasons contribute to this confusing scenario:

Impatient, on-demand reality

The care ecosystem is still predominantly in its traditional “wait in queue” model while the “right here right now” world of millennials expects their care interaction to match their other day-to-day experiences – a mobile-app-based, on-demand service.

Customer-centric experience:

With every business aiming at delivering a customer-centric experience, the millennials are loving the personalized attention they receive from all quarters. This expectation extends to the healthcare landscape too, which is unfortunately stuck in its traditional system-based approaches.

Independent decision-making

Gone are the days where patients had to blindly follow the doctor’s instructions without any questions. Today’s patients are “customers” who expect to be treated like equals, making significant contributions to every decision taken regarding their health. Social media platforms and opinions of peers deliver the background they require to make sound decisions. But not all providers and comfortable making this transition.

Easy access to information

This age-group clearly also has easy access to trusted information – through the Internet, which is accessible at their fingertips. Trusted research reports and studies deliver “authentic” information to these patients, which can be used as their strongest weapon to assess their provider’s capability.

Technological innovations

The most important of all contributors to the millennials’ expectations is the exponential technological improvements over the last few decades. With every field embracing the power of technology to deliver a great experience, the expectations from healthcare are no different.

Technology-Driven Solutions
Despite the sky-high expectations from the millennials, the healthcare landscape has not moved at the desired pace to catch up with the millennials’ wish list. But many care players have played their cards right with the support of technology-driven solutions. What are these perfect moves that have made a lot of difference?

No more queues

“Visiting” the doctor no longer means waiting in long queues – app-based appointment booking at the click of a button ensures a confirmed pre-paid appointment.

Virtual visits to the doctor

Studies indicate that more than 50% of millennials prefer a virtual mode of care interactions to the traditional approach. Telemedicine as an option has evolved as quite a popular option in care provision.

Hassle-free and secure care

Millennials expect hassle-free care – they do not appreciate the stress of maintaining sheets of paperwork – from diagnostic reports to insurance payments. Secure, permission-based online platforms that maintain the entire health records – history and current treatments – at one place is quite an attractive option.

Transparent care process

The age of blind faith in the system of healthcare is long gone. Today’s millennials appreciate a transparent care process, right from reviewing trusted online and offline sources for a detailed feedback on their care providers to assessing effects of prescribed medications.

Wellness rather than just treatment

From the ever-increasing demand for fitness wearable to remote monitoring of body parameters in real time, healthcare on-demand focuses not only on treatment and diagnostics but also on holistic well-being.

Yes, the millennials have reshaped the healthcare landscape and are leading a technology-driven revolution to transform healthcare from a rigid system to a patient-centric experience. With the aim of establishing a healthy living, today’s care system is looking at partnering with the millennials through the bridge of technology. Where are you in your care journey of delivering a millennial-friendly experience?