The role of the individual in healthcare is rapidly changing from passive patient to active consumer as patients are faced with increasing financial responsibility, more convenient and low-cost care delivery options and an increasing number of cost and quality assessment tools.
Kaufman, Hall & Associates recently published the results of a survey that assessed hospital and health system confidence in their consumerism strategies.
Kaufman Hall surveyed senior executives at hospital and health systems to gauge how their organizations are adapting to the changing healthcare landscape.
Below are seven takeaways from the survey:
1. Of survey participants, 96 percent say understanding patients as consumers is very important to their care strategies.
2. Thirteen percent said their organization understands healthcare consumer needs and wants very well.
3. Fifteen percent reported they were confident their organization has a clear strategy and action plan for becoming more consumer-focused.
4. Twenty-eight percent said they are minimally or not confident in their organization's consumerism strategies.
5. Twenty-nine percent reported their organization has an insufficient understanding of consumer wants and needs.
6. Of respondents, 27 percent said their CEO is responsible for their organization's consumer strategy
7. Thirteen percent said no one is responsible for consumerism strategies or that they don’t know who is responsible.
"These survey findings suggest that organizations need to take a hard look at their organizational readiness for a more activated consumer," said Kaufman Hall managing director Mark Grube. "Organizations that lack a consumer strategy will find themselves at a significant disadvantage in the face of growing competition from innovative, consumer-focused healthcare providers."