A look back at hospital marketing trends: On demand everything

2016 hospital marketing trends wrap-report

Note: This is part of a series of blog posts related to our 2016 Hospital Marketing Trends White Paper. We will review and discuss one trend a week, providing feedback about what happened in 2016 and what’s to expect in 2017. If you’re interested in finding out more, then download our 2017 Hospital Marketing Trends white paper today. 

Due to significant changes in government and our current political climate, the future of healthcare is more uncertain than ever before. Although we can’t predict what’s in store for next year, when you’re informed about the past, planning for the future is easier.

We recently challenged our agency to review our 2016 Hospital Marketing Trends white paper and report about what stayed the same and what changed for the future.

Here’s what we came up with:

What we said:

With 24/7 customer service lines, online and mobile platforms, consumers no longer expect to be restricted to normal business hours. The same goes for healthcare. Hospitals and physician practices can catch up by adopting online appointment scheduling or physician app communication. Today’s healthcare consumers value convenience. For this same reason, retail clinics, such as Walgreens and CVS, and urgent care centers, are growing in popularity.

What happened:

In 2016, the idea of “On demand everything” was no longer an option. Instead, it was a necessity. Amazon’s “buy buttons” are so convenient that you don’t even have to visit the grocery store to restock your toilet paper. Now you can press a button and have it delivered in two business days. Healthcare consumers expect convenience, especially the millennial generation. Extended clinic hours and the ability to fill subscriptions virtually are hot buttons for young consumers. Moving forward, patients will value the convenience of a virtual checkup right in their home because it eliminates wait times and travel. To be profitable down the road, hospitals and health systems should consider investing in telehealth.

– Julia Kernan