Three recent surveys seem to agree; “location” is a highly significant consideration. What’s more, according to Healthgrades data, “convenient location” is more than twice as important to consumers selecting a physician or a hospital than success rates or outcome data.
Here are some of data points that I recently shared in my marketing talk at the Cleveland Clinic Patient Experience Summit. Many hospital marketers, CEOs and healthcare/patient experience pros at the Summit were shocked that people choose hospitals based upon location and friendly staff vs. quality.
Choice of Physician: Consumers who have selected a physician in the past three years are more concerned about convenient location (62%); friendly office staff (56%); than success rates (22%).
Choice of Hospital: Consumers who have selected a hospital in the past three years are more likely to choose a hospital based on convenient location (58%); amount of copay (45%); than based on outcomes data (30%).
And, for the still-to-be-convinced crowd, the findings run parallel to a prior Healthgrades study about consumer choices:
Factors Most Often Considered When Selecting a Physician
And a third survey—this one by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)—similarly revealed “location” as one the five most important factors adults consider when choosing a physician for themselves or a loved one:
And where do consumer/patients find information? The AOA survey reports that adults use the following top five resources when finding a physician:
The selection of a physician or medical facility nearly always employs a combination of reasons. And an increasingly informed and engaged public means more people are shopping carefully…and often, close to home.
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