In 2019, we published the second Consumerization of Healthcare report which explored how consumers engaged with their healthcare providers, what loyalty meant in a healthcare context and how expectations were set in the context of digital experiences1. Fast forward a year later, the Covid-19 pandemic hit and the landscape changed dramatically. Resources within healthcare organizations were diverted – in 2019 the preferred way to contact a provider was over the telephone while, during the pandemic, many organizations switched to online inquiries to reduce the burden on their employees.
Among the many adjustments that were undertaken, back-office staff had to work remotely, while patient-facing professionals tackled telehealth and virtual consultations – often for the first time. Consumers’ priorities also changed. Reluctant to make in-person trips to doctors’ offices or pharmacies, they changed the way they accessed healthcare. Direct to consumer (DTC) offerings surged and demand rose for advisory content that patients could trust during anxious moments in the dead of night.
This report draws on interviews with five respected senior executives from across the four main pillars of healthcare – Providers, Manufacturers of Medical Devices, Payers and Pharmaceuticals – to discover what – in their opinion – will be the impact of the pandemic on the future delivery of healthcare. Its findings are augmented by the results of Adobe’s latest report 2021 Digital Trends: Healthcare & Pharma in Focus, now in its 11th year.