A Scalable New Way to Humanize Healthcare

A compelling insight with far reaching implications has emerged from recent research involving nearly 12,000 U.S. adults: there are four very different approaches that patients use to engage with healthcare providers and insurance carriers, and each patient's preferred approach has a profound impact on their perceptions, relationships with providers, adherence to treatment, and overall health outcomes.

As a result, it's essential for healthcare providers and insurers to find scalable ways to humanize care with more personalized experiences that better align with each patient's preferred approach, or CareStyle?. Doing so will keep them more fully engaged in their care and deliver better outcomes.

Yet a surprisingly large proportion of US adults aren't currently receiving care that sufficiently addresses the needs and preferences of their CareStyle?. As a result, only 43% of U.S. adults feel they have a strong relationship with their primary care provider.

One of the most surprising findings? Over 40% of U.S. adults fall into?the "Disengaged Passive" CareStyle?. ?This patient type is much less interested in health issues, prone to riskier lifestyles, and less trusting of healthcare providers and carriers. In stark contrast, Proactive Reliant patients are the complete opposite, but make up only 19% of adults, as illustrated below.

By scalably identifying and addressing these varied CareStyles?, providers and insurers have the opportunity to transform healthcare delivery and more fully engage each patient type in their care.

Below is a high-level profile of each patient CareStyle?. Deeper insights and care personalization strategies for each patient type can be found in our full CareStyles? research report.

Disengaged Passive - 42% of US Adults

Disengaged Passives do not believe it’s important to stay informed about health issues, do not actively try to prevent disease or try to understand their personal health risks. Disengaged Passives are much less likely to engage in preventative care or respond to feedback requests, so they are greatly under-represented in most care provider experience data. They are generally distrusting of care providers and do not rely on them in making decisions about their health. As a consequence, their relationships with care providers, as well as their primary insurance carriers, are the weakest of all patient CareStyles?.

Proactive Skeptics - 14% of US adults

Proactive Skeptics are highly proactive in maintaining their health, avoiding illness and staying informed about health issues. Proactive Skeptics are more likely to have a college education and are more independent in making healthcare decisions. They are somewhat skeptical of care providers and do not defer to or rely heavily on them in making decisions about their health. As a result, their relationships with care providers, are weaker than some other patient CareStyles?.

Uncertain Reliant - 26% of US adults

Uncertain Reliants believe it’s important to stay informed about health issues and to work together with care providers to manage their health. Uncertain Reliants are less likely to have a college education, and often struggle to understand health issues and health-related information they read. They are very trusting of care providers, and rely heavily on them to explain what they need to know and make the right decisions about their health. As a result, their relationships with care providers, as well as their primary insurance carriers, are stronger than some other patient CareStyles?.

Proactive Reliant - 19% of US adults

Proactive Reliants are highly proactive in maintaining their health, avoiding illness and staying informed about health issues. Proactive Reliants are very trusting of care providers and actively work together with them to manage their health. They are more likely to engage in preventative care and to respond to feedback requests, causing them to be substantially overrepresented in most care provider experience data. They rely heavily on care providers’ advice and often defer to them in decisions about their health. As a result, their relationships with care providers are the strongest of all patient CareStyles?.

Deeper profile details and personalization strategies for each Patient CareStyle? can be found in our full research report here.

To learn more about how leveraging Patient CareStyles? can help your organization deliver more personalized and engaging care at scale, please contact Fidelum Health here.