New Standards Of Healthcare Demanded By Millennials

Healthcare over the last fifty years has been greatly dictated by the expectations of the baby boomer generation; visits to the doctor were met with the same enthusiasm as a night out with patients dressed up for the occasion and the diagnosis given was accepted without even a second thought.

Millennials, however, were born into an era where information is simply a search away and, as this generation starts to spill out into the world, the trust between a doctor and patient is no longer as easily earned.

With one in four people using the internet to self-diagnose instead of visiting a doctor, one can only imagine what patients do with the health information available to them on the world wide web. Comparing, researching and discussing symptoms and diagnoses should be expected from healthcare providers in the age of the Millennial.

Diagnosing Millennials For Success

The world wide web offers an array of information regarding the human body, the illnesses that attack us and the medication and natural remedies available to assist. Online groups, discussion forums and portals have also enabled people to connect with those facing similar challenges and compare information.
The responsibility of health diagnosis and treatment is, therefore, now divided between doctor’s and their patients with mutual respect and knowledge shared between the two parties, proving that the demission of one-way communication is not only applicable to the world of branding but has entered the GP’s office as well.

Health practitioners are expected to explain a diagnosis and are often questioned on how they reached a certain conclusion and why they choose a particular method of treatment. Should they offer advice that is not up to standard or unknown treatments, that information will, in all probability, be dissected by thousands in online health discussion forums.
The amount of knowledge hosted and shared on the World Wide Web has placed new demands on healthcare providers with patients no longer seek only a diagnosis, but also demanding conversations, guidance and good service.

As a result, healthcare practitioners are obliged to either heed to the demands of Millennials or suffer the digital consequences which comprise the risk of popping up in online discussions, bad online reviews, and an overall questionable reputation.

To run a practice in demand in the digital age, practitioners need to keep the following in mind:

• Reviews and RatingsThe World Wide Web serves as an open channel for patients to voice their opinions and experiencers regarding healthcare. Having an unpleasant experience with a doctor or a hospital can easily be logged online and viewed by anyone searching for or investigating that particular service provider.
• Diagnosis research and comparisonThe term ‘Dr Google’ has become well-known owing to the trend for people to grab their phones and search their symptoms even before they think about going to see a medical practitioner. This stresses the importance of adequately explaining diagnosis and treatment with patient to ensure they don’t feel like they still need to make use of ‘Dr Google’ after consulting with a practitioner but also keep credibility by providing all the necessary information.
• Fees and Payment expectations

A survey undertaken by a health insurer indicated that patients’ satisfaction with their healthcare providers directly correlate to their satisfaction with the billing procedure. Survey participants indicated that not knowing upfront what the cost of treatments are, treatment inclusions and exclusions, and billing procedures and policies lead to the most unhappiness and unwillingness to use the service provider again in future.

This stresses the importance for health practitioners to ensure that patients are informed regarding their treatment and their wallets, highlighting the need for two-way conversation and excellent service as demanded by millennials.

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