The Era of Healthcare Consumerism

As the healthcare industry progresses towards value-based care, the patients are being gradually looked as consumers and clients of the healthcare services. This change towards healthcare consumerism means that the healthcare providers are targeting the services towards patients which in turn help the patients in becoming more and more engaged in their healthcare decisions. The healthcare consumers are also beginning to do their own research in order to make informed care choices in all the healthcare options like retail clinics and the online care sites.

The variety and variability of resources and locations available today for healthcare purposes, however, also indicate that there is an increase in the competition for any healthcare provider in the market. This is why the healthcare organizations have started to put the patients at the center of their strategies so as to improve consumer loyalty by changing the ways they provide healthcare, for instance, offering easier access to the health record information and online scheduling of appointments. There are more than one ways in which the trend of healthcare consumerism is manifesting itself and technology is playing a significant role in giving impetus to this trend.

The Prime Reasons to Welcome Healthcare Consumerism

We need to look back a little to know how Healthcare Consumerism is altering and bettering the way healthcare providers are involved with patients. If we go back to just a few years, we will have to agree that the conditions of healthcare were really in desperate need of change at that time. The fundamental lack of engaging the patients, the inability of patients to get hold of their medical data, patients not getting the proper information at the proper time, and the lack of transparency were just a few of the issues that had become commonplace in the healthcare industry.

Healthcare consumerism has brought a positive revolution of sorts by eradicating these issues. This is beneficial for not just the patients but, in fact, the entire healthcare industry. Engaging the patients in the way that enables them to understand their condition and empowering them to monitor it tenuously lets the patients take charge of their own lives and the resultant effect is also felt in the spiraling down of the healthcare costs.

The Avenues Helping to bring about Healthcare Consumerism

Technology plays a big role in the attainment and improvements brought about in healthcare consumerism. However, the avenues are not just limited to technology alone.  The following are some of the key ways in which the era of healthcare consumerism has been brought about:

Value-based supply chain leading to value-based care

There are certain modernizations that though the patients cannot see, but it goes a long way in providing positive consumer experience and patient satisfaction. Establishment of a value-based supply chain is imperative in supporting value-based care. These behind the scene acts also include optimization of inventories to make sure that the right kinds of supplies remain in the hands of caregivers when they need them.

Determination of the cost of care

Healthcare organizations need to be able to figure out the true costs to carry out the activities needed to deliver high-quality care to the patients. As reimbursement changes towards value-based care models, it is imperative that care providers can completely comprehend the cost of care in relation to varying reimbursement levels and clinical quality.

Incorporation is the key

The increasing prevalence of Electronic Health Records (EHR) has played a significant role in providing personalized care, and it is integral to ensuring a better patient experience. The change that the new age healthcare consumerism has brought about is interoperability where the EHRs can be interactive to each other. There is the rising trend of streamlining the aggregation and exchange of clinical information within the organization, its partners, and facilities.

Advancement of employee potential

Hospitals are not just focused on the patients but also on the advancement of the potential of the workforce. It is natural for patients to be concerned about whether they are in the correct hands or not. Thankfully, now there is an extensive screening to ensure that all the staff is just the right fit for the role. Besides, the automated scheduling system also ensures that the staff is not overworked and their skills match the needs of the patients rightly

As mentioned before, healthcare consumerism is a lot about having the right kind of employees to manage the affairs. Proper training and guidance go a long way in bringing forth such individuals who can add to the ongoing advancements in the field. This is the part where we, the International Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR), come into the picture. We are a premier institute involved in research, academics, and training of the medical professionals of the country. Our executive training programs ensure that the students of today turn out to be the stalwarts of the healthcare world in the times to come.

We, at IIHMR, New Delhi, take pride in providing the students with appropriate knowledge and skills which enable them to successfully take up the responsibilities of the leaders and managers in the healthcare industry. If you want to work in the service of people and join in the rapidly advancing healthcare sector, IIHMR can very well be your stepping stone in the direction.

International Institute of Health Management Research
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Plot No. 3, Sector 18A, Phase- II, Dwarka, New Delhi- 110075
Phone: 91-011-30418900
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