The 2024 Healthcare Marketing Outlook: Patient Sentiment Pt 1

In addition to broad healthcare themes such as those, more granular trends were revealed in our recent report, Patient Insights Unveiled: Exploring patient care shopping habits and the impact of social media, thought leadership, and advertising. In May 2023, we launched a survey asking patients in the Southeastern United States several questions about their healthcare — such as the process for selecting primary and specialist care and how they interact with practice advertising, websites, and appointment-setting channels (both human and electronic).

Because we also asked their age, we were able to segment the responses by generation (as of May 2023). We also focused on responses in the Southeast reflecting the customs and preferences of patients in this area.

What we found was illuminating and useful for practice marketers of all sizes. More specifically, we discovered that each generation has unique needs, habits, and methods for researching health information, booking appointments, and ultimately finding physicians. Patient acquisition and retention isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Marketers, doctors, and managers need to know how each generation approaches key healthcare moments: researching conditions, seeking advice, and deciding on a practice.