Is Age Really Just A Number?

“A wise man adapts himself to circumstances as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it.” – Chinese Proverb

The Healthcare Industry is changing dramatically, whether due to the pandemic or other market forces. Patients now have far more options when seeking primary care services, including retail clinics such as CVS or Walmart. As a healthcare provider, it is important to consider the needs and expectations of your patients when planning for the sustainability of your practice. You might be surprised to learn that many of your patients’ expectations are a product of the generation in which they were born.

 There are six generations to consider when applying the concept of generation based expectations, including: The Silent Generation (Age 75-95), Baby Boomers (Age 56-74), Gen X (Age 41-55), Millennials (Age 24-40), Gen Z (age 8-25) and Gen Alpha (Age 1-7). Each generation has its own set of expectations. For example, if your patient population is made up of The Silent Generation and Baby Boomers, they may be more resistant to virtual visits or wearable technology than the Millennials and Gen Z’s, who will likely embrace it.

 In addition, the way patients seek care varies from generation to generation. Will patients rely on word of mouth referrals or will they conduct an internet or social media search to look at Yelp reviews or quality data? Do they prefer evening or weekend appointments? Baby Boomers and The Silent Generation may prefer weekend appointments while Millennials and Gen X’s may prefer evening appointments.

We are all adapting to the current circumstances whether we want to or not – so take a long cool drink of water (or your beverage choice) and take time to reflect on all you have and will accomplish!

Source: Advisory Board, “How Consumers’ Health Care Preferences Vary by Age”, 2017.

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