The push for consumerism in the healthcare industry is a trend that is slowly gaining momentum. The goal is to empower patients with the tools and information needed to be responsible for their health. This means that patients will be more involved in preventative care activities. It also means that they will be more involved in choosing when, where and how to get the services that they need.
You might be thinking that opening the door for patients to shop around will lead to less business or force you to lower your rates to compete for business. There are many factors that patients consider when choosing where to receive care. Reputation, quality of care, amenities offered, and a personable doctor and staff are all among the top factors. Price alone is seldom the only factor considered.
With consumerism, doctors will benefit from better patients that are more likely to buy-in and commit to prescribed treatment plans. Patients will be more informed about their health and better prepared for appointments. As a result, doctors will see more effectiveness in their facetime with patients.
Consumerism in healthcare should be something to be embraced by doctors and medical staff. Fighting it is futile as today’s patients are demanding and driving the change. Instead, doctors can focus on the ways that the move towards consumerism will improve their practice.
Right now, the culture in the healthcare industry is heavily regulated and information on cost of services, clinical quality, and patient satisfaction are not readily available. The consumerism trend will make access to this information more available to all so that patients can shop around and decide where to receive services.
Maybe you have already noticed some of the changes that are coming with the move towards consumerism. An increased number of walk-in clinics, growing importance placed on patient surveys, and flexible medicine like virtual visits are just some of the ways that the healthcare industry is adapting.
Unfortunately, the change is slow to come and patients are growing increasingly dissatisfied with the state of healthcare in the United States. Nearly every other industry from banking to education has already given in to the demands of consumers wanting to be more involved and have more choices.
In the healthcare industry it is no longer a question of if the industry will move towards consumerism, but of how and when. Patients will no longer be satisfied to blindly pursue healthcare plans without knowing the options or costs of treatment. Creating policies in your practice to cater to this idea of consumerism in healthcare will only help you in the years to come.
The team at LPZ Claim Solutions can take medical billing services off of your plate so that you can grow your practice in the ways that you need to in the years to come to cater to your patients’ needs.
For more information on packages and services that LPZ Claim Solutions provides give us a call at 480-207-6367 or email [email protected].