More Americans are using technology to improve their health and navigate health-related purchasing options, according to a new report from The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.
The report found that 22% of respondents used technology to access, store and transmit health records in the last year, compared with 13% in 2013. Use was higher for those with major chronic conditions: 32% compared with 19% in 2013.
“Healthcare is becoming more digitized and consumer-oriented,” said Greg Scott, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and vice chairman and national sector leader for the health plans practice. “It’s not an overnight change, but more like how summer turns into fall — gradual yet very perceptible.”
The specter of a more customer-driven industry is causing many health-related firms to transform into retail-focused organizations, said Scott, affecting everything from strategy and scale to operations and human capital. “For the enterprise, this is about more than a cool app — this is about making the end-to-end changes needed to better identify and engage a more empowered purchaser.”
From the December 01, 2015 Issue of McKnight's Senior Living
