Healthcare Consumerism and Convenience

As the private healthcare and healthcare insurance industries change, convenience has become one of the main qualities consumers look for in treatment.

The nature of healthcare is changing. Over the last several years, and predicted into the next, healthcare companies are joining together with dental insurers to give people comprehensive coverage. Such ideas as holistic healthcare, and multiple types of healthcare (dental, eye, etc.) are joining up to provide full-healthcare service to the people. One of the biggest market drivers now is convenience. How does convenience effect what healthcare is available? How will it effect the future of the healthcare market for consumers and providers?

Why is this change happening?

What has provoked a change in making healthcare more convenient? It’s the era we live in. Companies that focus on delivery, speed, and efficiency of service are at the forefront now. DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub, Amazon, Ebay…the list goes on of companies who know how important it is to deliver exactly what the consumer wants directly to them. This isn’t just a physical manifestation, it’s also become a part of the collective American psyche. People want to get exactly what they pay for. Although this has always been the case, now that companies are realizing it tangibly, consumers are looking for it in other fields as well. These other fields include, but are not limited to healthcare.

What do the changes look like?

Speed and efficiency in delivery in healthcare aren’t too different than they are for other businesses. Consumers want urgent need items…well…urgently. They are not only looking for companies that can deliver medical equipment and medicine quickly, but they are willing to pay extra for the convenience.

HNI Healthcare, DocASAP, and Hinge Health, are all online businesses offering deliveries and short wait times for their clients. They focus on things like:

• Streamlining physician management, which frees up time for doctors and decreases wait times for consumers.
• Holistic advice, preventative medicine, and consultation. Hinge Health specializes in back and joint pain, and part of their services involve stretches, exercises, and advice on avoiding injuries in the first place. Nothing is more convenient than avoiding trauma that leads to injury and medical treatment in the first place. A huge benefit of preventative care and holistic medicine is that it takes people away from some of the biggest problems facing healthcare patients today: unnecessary surgeries and opiates.
• Online appointment scheduling.
• Analytics to match patients with the healthcare providers most suited to them. Elderly patients can be matched with providers focusing on geriatrics, families with family healthcare professionals, and so on. The power of computing and the web is enabling people to ensure that they get better, more personalized treatment.

What can we expect to see in the future?

Speed and efficiency

The companies providing convenient service will learn and improve. They will match patients even more closely with medical professionals who are experts in their needs. They will also have faster delivery of medical supplies, drugs, equipment, and services. Finally, we can expect even easier and faster access to professionals. Appointments can be made in seconds online, or even scheduled via virtual assistants to enable faster efficient service.

Better care over all

The best way that healthcare providers can improve of course, is by providing higher quality care. More fast and efficient services, doctors being matched to patients whose problems they are already experts on, and better use of doctors’ and patients’ time all qualitatively improve health and healthcare.

Integration with holistic medicine

One of the ways that they do this is communicating via technology to enable consumers not only to know what their own healthcare needs are, but to take care of themselves. Healthcare providers can use all kinds of new technology to really get to know their patients.

For example, dentists can look at smart toothbrush data from their patients and know what oral problems they have before they even set foot in the dental office. Additionally of course, these toothbrushes use apps that can inform their owners where they need to pay more attention to brushing, and how to brush better.

Knowing and engaging the patient

As healthcare providers get to know their patients more via technology and better service, they will know how to treat them better. Why is this a good thing? Knowledge is the first step. Once a patient’s health issues are known by a professional, they can be treated. But, it is also important because this knowledge can be used to engage the patient – when both dentists and patients know existing problems, the patients can change their habits and lifestyles to be better.

Gone will be the days when everything is cool until you have a rotten tooth, or pull a muscle. With better doctor/patient integration and communication, we are learning how to avoid the biggest pitfalls of health in the first place.

So what should you do if you are looking for care?

Make sure to get personalized, high-quality care that is right for you. Healthcare isn’t a one-size fits all product, so don’t treat it as such. At Josey Lane Dentistry, we focus on the patient’s health, lifestyle, and concerns. Our treatment is tailor-made for each patient so we can not only treat you, but improve your oral health by improving your lifestyle. If you want to set up an appointment in the Carrollton area, or maybe you just need advice on how to take the best care of your teeth, contact us today, and let’s start the journey towards better oral health together.