Deloitte explores consumer mindset around health and tech
NEW YORK - An escalating number of consumers are turning to technology to drive their health solutions, the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions reported Monday. Almost one-third of consumers who are managing major chronic conditions, like diabetes, used technology to access, store and transmit health records in the last year, as compared to 19% in 2013. Overall, 22% of consumers who are enabling their health management through technology in 2015 vs. 13% two years ago.
"Health care is becoming more digitized and consumer oriented," said Greg Scott, principal, Deloitte Consulting, and vice chairman and national sector leader for the health plans practice. "It's not an overnight change, but more like how summer turns into fall – gradual yet very perceptible."
Deloitte's report also found that 16% of respondents who needed care went online for cost information, up from 11% in 2013. Millennials in this group increased the most, 27% versus 17%. Further, 71% of all those surveyed said they have not gone online for cost information but are "very" or "somewhat" likely to use a pricing tool in the future.
When it comes to judging quality, 25% of all respondents used a scorecard to compare the performance of doctors, hospitals and/or health plans, up from 19% in 2013. The rate was highest in the youngest cohort, with 49% of millennials who received care in the last year using a scorecard compared to 31% in 2013.
The specter of a more customer-driven industry is causing many health companies to transform into retail-focused organizations, said Scott, impacting everything from strategy and scale to operations and human capital. "For the enterprise, this is about more than a cool app – this is about making the end-to-end changes needed to better identify and engage a more empowered purchaser."
The report identifies six consumer types emerging in today's market and quantifies their size – a framework that can help companies pursue customer-segmentation strategies. The "casual and cautious" make up 34% of the surveyed market, followed by the "content and compliant" at 22%, the "online and onboard" at 19%, "sick and savvy" at 11%, "out and about" at 8% and "shop and save" at 6%. The report gives depth on each segment's approach to health care.
"Not all consumers are alike in how they engage the system, and a large segment still remains disengaged," said Harry Greenspun, director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. "Companies likely won't take a one-size-fits-all approach in their marketing and operations, but a tailored strategy that considers the unique characteristics of the segments they are most interested in."
Respondents most trust physician groups/medical practices/doctor's offices as a reliable source of information on treatments, with 49% giving this category a high rating. However, the scores for health insurance and life sciences companies have doubled since 2010. Specifically, 21% gave health plans a high rating, compared to 10% in 2010, while 18% gave life sciences companies a high rating, compared to 95 in 2010.
"It's not just the hospitals and doctors who are striving to get closer to the patient – it's the entire industry," said Sarah Thomas, director of research at the Center. "The post-ACA rise of the individual market and the need for health organizations to demonstrate value are putting the patient at the center of the health ecosystem."
In other findings:
28% of respondents have used technology to measure fitness and health goals, up from 17% in 2013;
23% have used technology to monitor a health issue, versus 15% in 2013;
40% of the surveyed technology users have shared their fitness or monitoring information with their doctor;
63% of the surveyed technology users say their use of fitness or monitoring technologies has led to a significant behavior change;
13% of respondents who take prescription drugs receive electronic alerts or reminders and more than half express interest in using technology to prompt them to take their medication;
Rates of conferring with doctors via email, texting or video have doubled in the last two years, suggesting digital communication between consumers and providers may continue trending upward; and
48% of respondents prefer to partner with doctors rather than have them make decisions for them, up from 405 in 2008, and 34% strongly believe doctors should encourage patients to raise questions. However, only 16% of respondents who received care report asking their doctor to consider treatment options other than the one initially recommended.