6 Things Millennials Expect from Healthcare

As a generation, millennials are seen as disruptors who are driving changes in many industries, including healthcare and medicine.

Joe Harpaz, writing for Forbes, has come up with 6 things millennials expect from clinicians, facilities, and other healthcare providers:

Convenience: Surveys have shown that many millennials prefer walk-in clinics to visiting a primary care practice, prioritizing efficiency over long-lasting physician relationships.

Online resources: Millennials regularly make medical decisions based on online advice and use online reviews to select a doctor or practice.

Transparency: Millennials tend to request cost estimates before a medical appointment, and also often compare those estimates before choosing a clinician.

Care on the move: The vast majority of millennials would prefer to schedule appointments and receive follow-up information through a dedicated app, and many would also like to use an app for a telehealth visit rather than make an in-person appointment.

Holistic approach: In general, this generation thinks of health as comprising mental well-being and overall wellness in addition to physical health.

Competition: If given the option, millennials prefer to evaluate their health insurance options online, and they typically prioritize cost above all else — including brand loyalty — when choosing a plan.

So, what to do? Shifting your practice’s mindset to a more consumer-focused space doesn’t have to mean catering specifically to a new generation’s whims.

Evaluating younger adult patients’ medical needs with their wishes is a balanced approach for your practice’s business.

One suggestion we have is to make trusted, evidence-based resources easily available for your patients to access via your website and social media presence (you have one, right?)

Positioning your practice as a digital resource for your patients can help build and sustain your relationship with them, even though it’s not a face-to-face interaction, whether you’re in primary care or a specialty. Not to mention, it will help counteract some of the medical misinformation that’s endemic online and particularly on social media.

Meeting your patients on their terms is an evolution that will take time, but it’s the best way to ensure your practice and your patients’ long-term health.