It may seem deceptively simple, but the fact is that millennials (generally, Americans born between 1981 and 1996) tend to approach their business dealings—which includes healthcare choices, in their view—from a tech-savvy perspective because they’re the first generation to grow up with easy access to computers, and the internet specifically. That goes down to how they make decisions on which healthcare settings to visit when they or their families (yes, millennials are even having children) need to see a provider. They expect the same sense of immediacy they get from instant messaging. According to an article just published in Forbes, they also expect you to respond in a similar fashion. Neglect them at your peril; as a group, millennials comprise around 25% of the U.S. population. The article boils down the best ways to appeal to millennials when it comes to healthcare to five points:
- “Millennials want digital access to healthcare services.” In addition to growing up with computers and an online community, they also take cell phone use as a given. Around 82% use Facebook, and about half use Instagram and Snapchat.
- “Millennials seek medical information from various sources, not just physicians.” Quoting a survey by Grayhealth and Kantar Health, the Forbes article reports that only 41% of millennials trust physicians as “the best source of health information.” (In other words, the growing use of advanced-practice providers in urgent care is likely to appeal to these patients.)
- “Millennials want cost transparency.” They’re also willing to do their research online before making healthcare decisions. If they don’t know what a particular test is going to cost in your urgent care center, they’re may just take their business to another operation where they know what to expect.
- “Millennials, not primary care doctors, orchestrate their care.” JUCM News has detailed how few millennials have a traditional primary care provider. As such, they don’t build trusting relationships with a go-to doctor—they trust their own decision-making prowess instead.
- “Millennials view health holistically.” Exercise and eating right are just as important as antibiotics for many millennials. Being “healthy” is not just the absence of illness, but an actual feeling of well-being. Consequently, wellness programs tend to be a big hit. This may be especially good to know if you’re urgent care business offers occupational medicine services.
Another consideration: If millennials constitute a quarter of the U.S. population, that means they also take up the same proportion of the prospective-employee pool. To ensure you’re prepared for that evolving dynamic, read Millennials Are the Biggest Segment Of The Workforce—What Does That Mean For Urgent Care?