The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions conducts a biennial survey to understand how consumers make health care decisions, and published some interesting insights. They analyzed the responses from surveys administered before and during COVID-19, and broke down responses among demographic groups: Gen Z (born 1997 or later); Millennials (born 1982-1996); Gen X (born 1965-1981); Baby boomers (born 1946-1964); and Seniors (born 1900-1945). Some interesting conclusions are summarized below.
- More than half of seniors (63%) and boomers (57%) are likely to be vocal about disagreeing with their doctor, compared to 50% of Gen X and 46% of millennials & Gen Z. In early 2020, 51% of consumers (no demographics cited) were likely or extremely likely to tell their doctors when they disagreed with them.
- The use of tools to measure fitness and track health improvements has risen from just 17% of consumers in 2013. In 2020, 42% of consumers measured fitness and health improvement goals like exercise, weight & sleep via tools and 28% monitored health functions, such as blood pressure, blood sugar and mood.
- Along these lines, Gen Z and millennials are more likely than older consumers to believe that trackers change their behaviors; 87% of Gen Z and 85% of millennials believe their behaviors have changed a great deal or moderate amount compared to 69% of boomers and 47% of seniors.
- Consumers have increased virtual visits and interactions with health care technology and are more willing to share their personal data; the largest increase was seen among Gen X and baby boomers.
- Fewer consumers were happy with their virtual visit clinicians and wait times, showing that consumers expect high quality interactions with clinicians who listen and take their time.
- A Deloitte COVID-19 survey revealed that 66% of respondents believe they need to be physically examined by a clinician and 56% don’t believe they receive from a virtual visit the same value and quality care as from an in-person visit.
- About a third of consumers are comfortable using at-home diagnostics for various reasons, but close to half of Gen Z and millennials feel this way.
Naturally, this data has big implications for healthcare organizations and other vendors:
- There is a need for tools to assist people in better managing their health, such as improving medication adherence and patient satisfaction, and the data shows these are likely to be well-received.
- Interoperability is the new ‘in-thing’ as consumers clamor for more of a one-stop shop for all their medical information.
- Organizations need to build trust among their patients so they’ll feel comfortable sharing data. This includes clarifying the ownership of the information; 65% of consumers believe they should own their own health data, compared to 30% who believe their doctors should own it.
- Lastly, the patient experience is paramount, and providers should invest in improving technological capabilities to deliver more satisfying and high-quality care. It’s interesting to note that 85% of physicians across the country believe they could benefit from training to improve virtual visit skills, especially conveying empathy.