Today’s consumers reveal the future of healthcare

Speed and convenience are top factors influencing care choices

Short wait times to secure an appointment and convenient locations are major influences on patients’ decisions about where to seek medical treatment or service. Norway’s universal healthcare system provides tax-funded services for every citizen. This is supplemented with occupational healthcare coverage. Hence Norwegians are cost-aware and prefer public health services over privately-paid health services.

What influences decisions about when and where to seek medical treatment or services?

Transparency and time savings are critical to greater satisfaction

Transparency about care is equally important to the satisfaction of younger and older Norwegians (52 percent believe it to be a very important or critically important factor). However, younger generations place greater importance on convenience of appointment times (44 percent compared to 37 percent of older generations), whether the cost will be covered by insurance (40 percent compared to 31 percent), and responsiveness to follow-up questions (40 percent compared to 32 percent).

Expectations for digital capabilities are on the rise

More than three-quarters of Norwegians surveyed make care choices based on a provider’s digital capabilities, including requesting receiving prescription refills or receiving follow-up notifications via email or text. These expectations increasingly influence who these patients choose in a provider. For instance, in 2019, 74 percent are more likely to choose a provider that offers communication through secure email, compared to 50 percent in 2016. More than half (54 percent) in 2019 are more likely to use a provider offering remote or telemonitoring devices, compared to 29 percent in 2016.

Non-traditional services are gaining popularity

Non-traditional care delivery services are making rapid inroads. Roughly 32 percent of Norwegians say they have used some form of virtual care, and walk-in/retail clinics have already gone mainstream (59 percent). Many of those who have not used non-traditional care delivery services would be willing to do so.

Cross-country findings: How do citizens' attitudes across leading digital health nations compare?

How do Norway's survey findings compare to responses from other leading digital health nations? Accenture tested the common factors that influence people's care choices, understanding that needs and preferences are partly shaped by the realities of different national healthcare systems and demographics.
Watch this Slideshare to:

• Learn the key factors that influence citizens' care decisions.
• Understand people's interest in—and actual use of—digital and virtual healthcare services.
• Uncover different generational views on digital health.