Last year marked the first time that millennials (aged 18 to 34) surpassed Generation X in size, and became a majority of the American workforce, according to Pew Research Center (Beckers Hospital, 2015). Their purchasing power continues to grow, and they are a major influence on every industry out there, including healthcare!
We are seeing the rise of ‘millennial physicians’! By 2025 (less than a decade from now) millennials will make up the majority of the healthcare workplace filing the gap left behind by retiring baby boomers (HHN, 2013). Also, the majority of today’s healthcare professionals (HCPs) are already ‘digital natives” – individuals who have grown up with digital technologies and are familiar/comfortable with using digital tools – which is changing the healthcare environment (EPG Health, 2015).
The habits and mindsets of these millennials don’t typically align with traditional models of healthcare delivery, healthcare organizations and pharma sales and marketing must adapt and take notice, as this group presents new and distinct challenges (HFA, 2015).
Today we’re going to be covering 3 important things to know about millennials healthcare providers and their patients in the new healthcare environment.
1. They want fast care
Millennials are often referred to as the drive-thru or on-demand generation. Because of the proliferation of the Internet and smartphones, millennials have grown-up with instant access to information, shopping, contacts, etc. They are also increasingly time-strapped and therefore place a high value on efficiency, which translates to their healthcare service needs.
Millennials desire fast care that is delivered immediately and efficiently. “While older generations see primary care physicians as their first line of defense against non-critical health concerns, Millennials see them as a last resort. Instead, as many as 34% prefer retail clinics and 24% prefer acute care clinics.” (HFA, 2015). They are reaching out to places that can provide quick care and instant gratification, giving them direct answers to their health needs.
The lack of access to healthcare providers is a growing problem and wait times for primary care physicians are notoriously long, many young millennial professionals simply do not have the time to sit around and wait. Instead, they are turning to mobile healthcare apps such as Doctors on Demand. The app pairs users (patients) with local licensed doctors; they can interact and talk in real-time online for clinical diagnosis, check-ups, and prescriptions.
This form of telehealth (using screen-sharing or Skype to support long-distance healthcare) is a growing trend that both millennial patients and doctors are taking note of.
(Beckers Hospital, 2015)
These digital health initiatives are streamlining the care process and helping to improve patient outcomes.
2. They love new technologies
Millennials love healthcare-tech trends; they’re the leading force behind digital innovations.
“It’s no surprise that people of all ages are using technology to manage their health, from simply searching for health information online to using mobile apps and more. The difference is that Millennials are early adopters, so when you see them forming new tech habits, you can expect others to catch up.” (HFA, 2015).
For example, Millennials have recently driven the use of wearables in conjunction with health apps. Wearables (Apple Watch, FitBit, HealthPatch, etc.) can be used for monitoring patient behaviour, improving drug adherence, follow-up observation, and electronic data collection. This growing trend is just one example of new healthcare technologies that are benefiting the healthcare cycle and bringing about positive changes.
In order to become the top choice for millennials, healthcare brands must begin to view their patients as target consumers (where as previously their main source of concern was HCPs). This requires an evolution of care delivery models and communication channels (HFA, 2015).
What about millennial HCPs? “Not even the most hidebound hospital executives should be surprised to know that Millennials will look to IT to communicate with colleagues and patients, to place and fill medical orders, and to find answers to almost any question that may arise – even before they consult with their more experienced elders.” (HHN, 2013).
Healthcare applications, such as pharma sales enablement, help to connect pharma sales reps (PSRs) with millennial physicians via the digital technologies that they desire. Sales enablement works as an aid for reps and physicians, allowing HCPs to place and fill sample orders, contact reps to request information or visits, engage in digital product details (saving time and resources), as well as providing them with access to e-CME (electronic continuing medical education) content libraries, etc.
3. They crave online content
The on-demand millennial generation are turning to online sources for healthcare information. They are focused on doing their homework, with the rising costs of healthcare services, waiting times, and the increased number of reliable self-help resources available online; many millennials are taking control of their own healthcare (HFA, 2015).
They are turning to the Internet before seeing a doctor, with more than 54% of young millennials stating that they search online for health information before seeing a physician (Business Wire, 2015). They also rely upon online ratings and reviews for selecting a doctor.
“Having been raised with nearly constant access to information online, and an array of expectations that go along with this access, Millennials take a different approach to choosing their doctors and evaluating their needs than previous generations.” (Media Post, 2016).
Social media is increasing in prominence within the healthcare world, with the majority of marketers agreeing that it is important for their business, and up to 40% of consumers stating that information they found on social media affected the way that they dealt with their health. Click here for more information on how social media is affecting the healthcare industry.
This need for instant access to online content is also apparent for millennial doctors.
(Stat source: EPG Health, 2015)
Also, right now there is a lack of correlation between what modern HCPs demand and what the industry is supplying in regards to medical content.
“A gap exists between how doctors want to view online content and how pharma is currently presenting it. Industry needs to put significantly more emphasis on the format of the online medical content that it provides. Medical content that provides a valuable and convenient user experience for HCPs will help them in practice and attract better engagement and trust.” (EPG Health, 2015).
So, how are HCPs accessing online medical content?
- Home computer or laptop (86%)
- Mobile phone (69%)
- Personal workplace computer (67%)
- Tablet device (62%)
- (EPG Health, 2015)
This is affecting the role of the healthcare sales rep (HSR) in the modern healthcare environment. Over half of HCPs place limited or no value on pharma reps as a source of medical information; time and trust issues are affecting their consumption of content and rep engagement (EPG Health, 2015).
In the digital world HSRs need an innovative way of reaching, engaging and delivering content to modern physicians.
Modern HSRs need to deliver high quality and credible content that is directly related to a particular physician’s daily practice and needs. Their content libraries must have filters at allow for quick and easy searches, and they must be simply designed for convenient access and an enjoyable consumer experiences. Additionally, content must be available to users across all devices (tablets to smartphones), without the hassle of additional software, both offline and online.
This is exactly the kind of solution that we put in place for GSK. We worked with them to improve their client interactions, global accessibility, and campaign performance. To find out how check out our detailed case study below.
Digital content management via sales enablement is the answer to the millennial HCP’s desire for instant access to online content. Healthcare sales reps can create and coordinate playlists and folders of relevant content for all HCP personas. Meanwhile, advanced search features and tags allow reps to easily find the right content pieces during their brief HCPs visits, or during remote digital details.
Content consumption tracking with predictive analytics provide an intuitive feature for future content planning. Allowing users to see who accessed content, when they accessed it, which slides or pages they visited, the amount of time they spent on each one, etc. This creates valuable insights into the needs and content preferences of millennial HCPs, allowing healthcare sales organizations to improve their communications and deliver more value.
In the way that telehealth is benefiting millennial patient-doctor relationships, remote digital detailing (screen sharing – a feature of sales enablement) is the answer for rep-doctor relationships. This method is both effective for delivering timely communications, and for building trust by creating a virtual presence with the healthcare sales rep.
If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of sales enablement for healthcare sales, and how digital technologies are bridging the gap between baby boomer and millennial healthcare providers; request a demo below and allow one of our sales specialists to show you how effective your sales teams can be.
