As with any other industry, the healthcare sector is looking to improve the consumer experience by providing more options, easier access, and seamless, frictionless online engagement. To meet the needs of patients, the healthcare trends to watch for, according to a recent Forbes article, include more consumerization, automation, and consolidation.
Consumerization
Drive around the neighborhood and you’ll see CVS’s Minute Clinic® on any given block, offering “affordable health care services” the way in which the consumer wants – in-person or via telemedicine. There are more than 1,100 MinuteClinic locations® housed in CVS Pharmacy and Target stores across 33 states and the District of Columbia. Walgreens Boots is also getting into the action and will be opening VillageMD with 600 primary clinics coming to a neighborhood near you by 2025. The idea is to provide consumers with a one-stop shop for primary care. “Patients can drop by one location, get treated and grab their medications and some groceries on their way out,” notes the Forbes article.
Automation
Staffing shortages at hospitals and other healthcare providers are accelerating the shift to automating the patient’s journey by eliminating some of the manual administrative and clinical work involved in patient care. Manual high-touch processes are being replaced by digital assistants and apps. Patients looking for a doctor can go on a health system’s portal, chat with a digital assistant, and book an appointment based on the issue they are experiencing. This eliminates the need to speak with a healthcare worker about their symptoms until their actual visit or to make an appointment with the front office. It’s all taken care of by the digital assistant.
The digital assistant can also take care of the patient’s post-discharge follow-ups in lieu of having a nurse calling the discharged patient to ensure medications are being taken or to see if any new symptoms have developed.
Consolidation
Hospitals are looking to merge with other facilities so they can gain the benefits of greater purchasing power, stronger networks, and better negotiating leverage with payers. Larger organizations also have the resources to invest in automation and digital transformation to improve the patient experience.
There are concerns over some of these trends, including whether patient care will be compromised by large corporations, if the human touch and empathy in the patient-care experience will be eliminated by digitization, and if hospital consolidation will ultimately raise prices for patients.
We’ll be on the lookout on how these trends translate moving forward and the impact they will have on patients and potential insurance risks that may arise, particularly in the area of professional liability.
Manchester Specialty Programs specializes in providing agents and brokers with integrated business insurance solutions to meet the needs of Home Care, Allied Health and Human/Social Services organizations. For more information about how our products and services can help protect your insureds, please contact us at 855.972.9399.