Today’s consumers reveal the future of healthcare
November 25, 2019
November 25, 2019
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.
28%
Short wait times to secure an appointment
26%
Convenient location
20%
Low cost to me
19%
Short wait times on the day of the visit
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).
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 care delivery services are making rapid inroads. Roughly 32 percent of Norwegians say they have used some form of virtual care. Many of those who have not used non-traditional care delivery services would be willing to do so.
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:
With Norwegian preferences and behaviors changing all the time, providers must stay one step ahead of the shifts.