Feb. 20, 2019
Younger patients are the most likely to forego a relationship with a primary care provider, and other traditional staples of healthcare, a new survey from Accenture reveals.
Gen Z and Millennials are least likely to have a primary care physician (PCP), compared to Gen X, baby boomers and the silent generation. Some younger generations say they would like to have a PCP, but have not found one that meets their preferences for affordability and convenience. Gen Z is the most likely generation to seek out wellness practices (e.g. yoga, acupuncture) beyond Western medicine.
Other Articles to Explore
Only 55 percent of Generation Z has a PCP, compared to 84 percent of Baby Boomers and 76 percent of Generation Xers. And when younger patients do avail themselves of a visit to a traditional PCP, they often are not satisfied. Thirty-two percent of Generation Z says they are “dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with aspects of traditional care. By comparison, 12 percent of Millennials, and 5 percent of Generation X, say the same.
Patients overall show satisfaction with new care models. When thinking about non-traditional healthcare services (emerging types of service delivery like walk-in or retail clinics, outpatient surgery hospitals, virtual health, on-demand services or digital therapeutics), many patients are “very satisfied” and “extremely satisfied” with the level of transparency, convenience, effectiveness, efficiency and cost of those services.
More than half of patients surveyed expect digital capabilities—and these expectations increasingly influence who patients choose as a provider. For instance, in 2019, 70 percent are more likely to choose a provider that offers reminders for follow-up care via e-mail or text, compared to 57 percent in 2016. More than half (53 percent) in 2019 are more likely to use a provider offering remote or telemonitoring devices, compared to 39 percent in 2016. Younger consumers are likelier than any other generation to choose medical providers who offer digital capabilities, such as easy access to test results via mobile or online and requesting prescription refills electronically.
