Improving Access to Health Care: Insights Study Provides a Peek into Consumer Mindset in 2024
Latest research reveals a gap between the experiences health care organizations provide and what consumers expect.
// By Wendy Margolin //
In an age where health care access is a primary concern, people can’t love a brand they can’t use.
This was the resounding message from a 2024 National Consumer Insights Survey (NCIS) by Klein & Partners. Of the over 1,000 household health care decision makers surveyed nationwide, 63 percent said they had difficulty accessing primary care and typically wait twice as long as they find acceptable.
That feedback matters to health care organizations and the marketing communications professionals who promote them. As anyone who’s struggled to secure an appointment or sat too long in a practice waiting room knows, loyalty toward a health care brand only lasts as long as the service is deemed worthwhile.
For some of the population surveyed, especially members of GenZ, that’s not long.
Rob Klein, founder and CEO, Klein & Partners
Long wait times can lead some patients to look for other means of care. This may be an urgent care center, a big box store or another health system.
“The days of people just staying because the pain of switching was greater than the pain of staying is starting to flip now. That’s either an opportunity for you or a threat,” says Rob Klein, founder and CEO of Klein & Partners.
Klein presented the results of the NCIS research during a Strategic Health Care Marketing webinar on July 17. Here, we’ll share highlights from the 2024 edition of the survey. What will it take to deliver experiences that meet consumer expectations, and where should health care organizations focus?