Do You Know How Millennials Are Finding You?

In case you weren't aware, there are more Millennials (people born between 1982 and 2000) than Baby Boomers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau -- 7.7 million more!1 This generation is definitely more tech savvy than their predecessors. You may not see as many of them in your practice because most of them are young and healthy. But, more of them are getting access to health care because of the ACA. That means a lot of them are looking for a new doctor. Do you know how Millennials are finding you? Consider the following:

• Well over half of Millennials go online to review physician ratings and to search for health information before picking a physician.2


• Millennials are are more than twice as likely to trust others personal recommendations when it comes to choosing a doctor.2

I get asked all the time by Millennials, how do I find a good doctor? Millennials really trust their friends and family for advice when it comes to their health. The first thing I tell them is to check their insurance coverage and then go to the website of their insurer to look up physicians in their area. Then I tell them to check reviews on Google and Yelp to see if they might be the kind of doctor they are looking for. I often send them to places like One Medical because it's easy to find a doctor in the Bay Area in this network.

If you want to attract Millennials to your practice, it's important to realize that they want different things from their doctors because they aren't as sick as their parents. Content marketing should help them overcome concerns, help them make decisions, or warn them about their risks. Think about the problems facing this population. A lot of them want to avoid sexually transmitted infections or optimize their fertility. Consider adding these tests to your annual physical.

I hope these tips help you understand this population better! A lot of Millennials lack a primary care doctor. Attracting them in their youth can help you maintain a steady panel and form long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships.

Works Cited:
1 https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-113.html
2 http://mobihealthnews.com/46432/survey-54-percent-of-millennials-look-online-before-choosing-a-doctor/#sthash.eJOPTpSw.dpuf