Healthcare Business Trends For 2018

Healthcare Business Trends For 2018

What healthcare business trends are coming up in 2018 and how will they affect your practice? If you are considering revamping a few things to accommodate patient preferences — because they are changing — it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do so. Here’s why.

Patients are more involved in their healthcare decisions now than ever. Why? Access to readily available health and wellness information, plus more out-of-pocket expenses for individuals, make patients more likely to pick and choose who they receive their care from and when.

Because of this, the experience that patients expect to receive from health and wellness providers is evolving — and being aware of this will help your practice keep up and evolve with the times.

Here are some things to take into consideration as you work to evolve your health and wellness practice in 2018.

PATIENT INVOLVEMENT

Patients are more involved in making healthcare decisions for themselves and their loved ones than ever before. They are demanding transparency in treatment plan options and pricing. They are reading, researching, asking more questions and being their own best healthcare advocate. Looking for ways to facilitate patient involvement will help to drive brand loyalty for your practice.

PATIENT EXPECTATIONS

The consumer mindset is making its way into healthcare. Patients are expecting the same high-quality, multiple option, instantly gratifying services from their healthcare providers that they would expect from their favorite retail brands. They want options and they also want them on demand.

The impact consumerism is having on healthcare this year is huge. Offering same-day, next-day or walk-in appointments might be a good idea to answer that demand for instant gratification. As a provider, being aware of this transition will help you cater to patient preferences as well.

OTHER HEALTHCARE BUSINESS TRENDS

MARKETING DRIVEN HEALTHCARE ON THE RISE

The rise of consumerism in healthcare brings with it the increase of marketing driven healthcare services. Why? When consumers feel they have options, a good marketing strategy can help you educate patients as to what their options are and how they would benefit by visiting your practice. This helps them to understand what your practice can offer them that your competition cannot. Incorporating sound marketing practices into your practice in 2018 will help you stand out from the crowd.

THE INCREASE OF CONCIERGE HEALTHCARE SERVICES

Because of all the reasons stated above, patients are looking for a return to high-quality, one-on-one care from their providers. In a patient’s mind, doctors and healthcare providers are no longer unreachable commodities. They want the time they deserve to be seen, be heard, ask questions and be involved in the decisions that needs to be made on the best course of treatment for their health or condition.

These reasons and more are much of what is leading to the increase of concierge healthcare services. Basically stated, concierge healthcare services are membership based fees paid to a practice, where the patient receives more attention and access to their primary care physician in return. With doctors facing burnout, quantity over quality and decreased payor cooperation, this is an appealing business model for many PCPs.

SCHEDULE A STRATEGY SESSION

Whether you are looking to change your business model to keep up with the ever evolving healthcare landscape and changing patient preferences in 2018, or you are looking to make your practice standout to patients and drive more traffic to your business, Connections Healthcare Strategies can help.

We can help you incorporate these healthcare business trends into your practice. Our unique blend of relationship marketing, content creation and digital marketing strategies can help your health or wellness practice succeed in 2018. Schedule a strategy session  with us today.