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As consumers take a more active role in their health, their relationships with hospitals and health systems continue to evolve.

This new landscape, replete with consumers having unprecedented access to health data through wearable devices, remote monitoring and other technologies, is causing some organizations to more closely examine their engagement strategies and tactics.

Likewise, with Americans’ expectations and behaviors continuing to shift when it comes to how they monitor and act on their health concerns, today’s environment requires a deeper understanding of consumers.

A ‘Lightning’ Response to Assessment

The , for example, has developed digital research software called the that continually assesses a person’s self-reported psychological state and can measure cognitive status dynamically.

These datasets, when integrated, provide measures of holistic health and help to drive a deeper understanding of their relatedness in the moment or as a trend. This provides individuals with data and insights to make the best health and human performance decisions.

Because these tools measure the consumer continuously, the line between health and disease states blurs. This requires a redefinition of health and human performance that is much more individualized and dynamic, researchers suggest in a recent . This de-siloing of health and disease, they say, presents significant challenges for a health care system built and defined largely by what happens inside a medical facility to patients who are sick.

Building a More Consumer-Centric Organization

With each passing year, as consumers feel more empowered to manage their health and have greater access to technology to monitor and act on their conditions, their behaviors continue to change. Data from the recently released from McKinsey & Company highlight evolving behavioral shifts.

Survey respondents reported low to medium satisfaction with many steps in their health care journeys, data revealed. For example, nearly 70% expressed satisfaction with how they receive care, the follow-up process with their providers and managing how prescriptions are filled. Areas such as ease of finding care, managing their own health and wellness, and saving and paying for care scored below 60% satisfaction.

No silver bullet exists for the best way to respond to some of these issues, the report’s authors explain. An organization-wide strategy is needed, because the range of experiences that consumers in the survey noted as needing attention are multifactorial and cross-organizational silos. This takes time and focus, the report concludes. Change begins with developing cross-functional capabilities, building the governance structure to support the transformation and embedding a consumer-centric culture.

3 Tactical Shifts the Report’s Authors Recommend

1. Set a strategic vision that captures the overall value at stake and propels the organization to change its culture and ways of thinking about consumers.
2. Adopt an agile, consumer-centered operating model to refine innovations by using a test-and-learn model.
3. Build consumer-centric capabilities to reach and respond to consumers more effectively — by investing in, for example, defined metrics and personalized communications.

By surprising and delighting consumers in multiple ways over the course of a year, an organization can change even long-held attitudes and opinions, the authors state.

3 Ways to Better Engage Consumers

1 | Direct consumers to more expedient options.

While some consumers prefer to be loyal to their current physicians, many will choose to visit a new provider if they encounter difficulties in scheduling appointments with their preferred doctors. This highlights health systems’ opportunity to invest further in improving timely access — for example, by optimizing capacity through dynamic scheduling and increasing virtual or walk-in options.

2 | Become the trusted source of published medical information.

While physicians are still the most trusted source for health information, health information websites come in second, according to McKinsey research. Since consumers find value in the type of content they find on health information websites, hospitals and health systems could consider publishing their own or licensing third-party content. High-quality content can better inform consumers, increase engagement and build brand loyalty, the authors suggest.

3 | Augment the health care journey with integrated digital solutions.

Survey respondents expressed interest in digital products, particularly those that enable health information sharing with doctors, provide personalized health tips and support adherence to a doctor’s recommendations. “This suggests an opportunity for health care organizations to work with tech companies to integrate relevant tools seamlessly into health care journeys,” the authors conclude.