The trend is impossible to ignore. In all aspects of life, consumers are excited about the possibilities of choice, in the freedom to seek out the best deal, the most convenient option, whatever best suits their busy lifestyle. Health care is no exception – today’s patients want an experience that’s quick, personalized, local, and overall less of a hassle than trekking down to a centralized medical facility to wait for hours with hundreds of other patients.
As a health care provider, you’d hope that your credentials alone would draw in patients, but that’s not necessarily so in today’s market. A recent survey by the Advisory lays it bare: affiliation with a hospital or university system barely makes the top 20 attributes patients look for when choosing a provider. Today’s patients care about convenience: are you easy to get to, hassle-free when they’re in the building, and more affordable than the competition? Now you’re talking.
It’s a new world out there for health care real estate, and the reality is that all the degrees on your wall don’t make a difference if a consumer thinks your offices are a pain in the neck to visit. In that same Advisory poll a majority of respondents, even Baby Boomers, expressed a preference for online visits over visiting an office or clinic that’s close to their work or errands. Maybe it’s not s surprise that even older patients have been spooked out of the experience of even walking into a doctor’s office – they’re the ones who have been putting up with the old system the longest and they’re tired of long waits, outrageous fees for simple visits, and being herded in and out of large medical facilities like cattle.
So what now? You need a facility that’s professionally maintained, in a location central to where most of your consumers live (these days, the suburbs), selected by experts who have spent years helping doctors reach their patients with accessible, convenient offices that patients love to visit. If you’re ready to make the move, reach out today.