How Millennials Shop for Healthcare is Significant for Doctors

Millennials are now the largest living generation. This fact along with the shift to value-based care is driving healthcare providers to better understand Millennial patients. Nuance Communications, Inc. released new data that illustrated the need for providers to transform and cater to changing patient demographics. Since patients today play a more important role in how, when, and where they receive care, providers will need to start adapting to those changes in order to grow and maybe even to stay in business.
 
Staying true to their social nature, 70% of young Millennials choose a primary care physician based on recommendations from family and friends. Unlike Baby Boomer patients, 60% of Millennials tell their friends instead of their doctors when they are unhappy with their care. This presents a whole new challenge for providers since this important information is no longer received directly, which means potential time and money spent on surveys or online investigations.
 
Today, most Millennials tend to read online reviews to make a final decision on who their primary doctor will be and that trend is bound to continue. Some millennials said they ruled out several doctors based on negative online comments. Providers certainly need to place a higher priority on these online reviews and healthcare organizations will need to find ways to help physicians optimize time spent with their patients to allow for better appointments. Many physicians also will need to start protecting their reputations, especially as millennials flock to online networks to publicize their grievances.

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