Maximizing Marketing Strategies Using Primary Care Patient Models

Maximizing Marketing Strategies Using Primary Care Patient Models

Over the last two decades, many independent primary care providers (PCPs) have been acquired by larger health systems, dramatically transforming healthcare in the United States. In fact, the American Medical Association says the share of physicians employed in practices at least partially owned by hospitals or health systems rose from 23% to 31% between 2012 and 2022.

These major shifts have not only redefined U.S. healthcare operational framework, but also fundamentally altered patient care dynamics, presenting new challenges and opportunities for healthcare marketers.

For PCPs, these acquisitions have provided access to the larger resources necessary for administration and payer negotiation. Health systems aimed to enhance entry-level and preventative care options, streamlining referrals to specialty and advanced care services through a coordinated intra-system referral chain. While this trend has the potential for mutually beneficial outcomes, the results have been mixed. Coordinated care opportunities can be advantageous, yet integration presents challenges.

Many offices often operate as loss leaders, generating downstream specialty care visits that depend on consistent patient volume. The rise of alternative care options—such as telehealth, retail health, and urgent care—has led a growing number of consumers to forgo establishing a PCP.

The need for new patient acquisition strategies

In this context, health system marketing teams face the challenge of fostering growth in PCP offices through new patient acquisition. They must engage individuals who currently lack a PCP, typically targeting demographic segments by age (e.g., Millennials and Gen Z) or utilizing records that indicate lapsed care. However, despite these targeting strategies, the messaging often presumes that the recipient is interested in finding a PCP.

Conversely, individuals that do have a PCP of record are also grouped together as already being acquired and very little is done to consider those that may present retention challenges.

Prescriptive modeling creates new insights

As a leader in predictive analytics that encompass not just actions but also beliefs and ideals, Causeway Solutions recognizes the value of prescriptive models that account for the multifaceted nature of consumer relationships with PCPs. We have developed innovative modeled universes that identify those least likely to have a PCP, as well as another model focusing on individuals’ beliefs regarding the necessity of having a PCP.

Causeway Solutions PCP Matrix

The result is a matrix that segments the entire U.S. national consumer database into four unique groups:

1. Care Seekers: Individuals without a current PCP who believe that having one is necessary or valuable.
2. Health Independents: Individuals without a current PCP who do not believe that having one is necessary or valuable.
3. Loyalists: Individuals with a current PCP who believe that having one is necessary or valuable.
4. Care Questioners: Individuals with a current PCP who do not believe that having one is necessary or valuable.

Understanding these distinct groups allows healthcare marketers to tailor their strategies effectively, ensuring that outreach efforts resonate with the unique motivations and needs of each audience. So, who are the individual consumers of these groups?

Care Seekers

• Definition: Individuals without a current PCP who believe that having one is necessary or valuable.
• Size: 15.07 million adults (6.0% of consumers).
• Demographics: While this group is composed of Millennials and Gen Z, the group is primarily aged 18-44 with 47% being 45 or older. They have the highest representation of Hispanic individuals (23.3%) compared to 12.3% among national consumers, and they also show a stronger representation of the African American population. The educational background is diverse and aligns with national averages. However, a significant portion (35%) has a lower net worth, earning less than $50,000 annually.
• Healthcare behaviors and beliefs: This group is notably influenced by cost, as they are the most likely to ignore doctor recommendations due to financial constraints.
• Media Propensity: Care Seekers are likely to engage with digital platforms that provide health information, with a notable presence on social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter/X, with 41% of the group on the latter platform. They are also inclined to seek out online health resources, reflecting their tech-savvy nature and preference for convenience.

Health Independents

• Definition: Individuals without a current PCP who do not believe that having one is necessary or valuable.
• Size: 14.50 million adults (5.8% of consumers).
• Demographics: While this is the smallest of the four groups, it closely mirrors the size of the Care Seekers group. A striking 65% of Health Independents are aged 25-44, highlighting their prevalence among younger adults. This group includes approximately 9.5 million individuals aged 25-44, compared to 5.2 million in the Care Seekers segment. The audience is predominantly male (56%) and tends to have higher levels of education, with a greater likelihood of possessing a college degree or graduate education.
• Healthcare behaviors and beliefs: Convenience significantly influences their choice of healthcare providers; they are more likely to utilize retail health services and urgent care.
• Media Propensity: Health Independents are significantly more active on platforms like X/Twitter, where they seek out information that aligns with their views on healthcare. They tend to avoid traditional media and are less likely to engage with Facebook, favoring platforms that emphasize brevity and immediate access to information.

Loyalists

• Definition: Individuals with a current PCP who believe that having one is necessary or valuable.
• Size: 141.29 million adults (56.2% of consumers).
• Demographics: This group is the largest by a considerable margin, with 59% aged 55 and older. The gender distribution leans towards females, who make up 57% of the group. There is a mix of education and net worth, with a notable representation of individuals with a net worth exceeding $500,000. This group values connection and bedside manner in their healthcare provider choices more than other audiences.
• Healthcare behaviors and beliefs: Interestingly, despite their loyalty, they are the most likely to identify as overweight and the least likely to describe their health as "good." They have an increased likelihood to use specialty care services, particularly orthopedics, while using urgent care or retail health services the least.
• Media Propensity: Loyalists are more likely to consume traditional media, and their social media habits reflect their age, with a higher likelihood of using Facebook and a minimal presence on TikTok or X/Twitter. They value content that reinforces their beliefs about the necessity of having a PCP and often seek information from trusted sources such as healthcare professionals and established health organizations.

Care Questioners

• Definition: Individuals with a current PCP who do not believe that having one is necessary or valuable.
• Size: 80.66 million adults (32.1% of consumers).
• Demographics: The audience includes more males (56%) and is spread across all age ranges, with greater representation among ages 25-44 compared to national norms. Generally middle-class, this group has less representation at both ends of the wealth spectrum (<$50k and >$500k net worth) compared to other segments.
• Healthcare behaviors and beliefs: Approximately 45% consider their health to be "good," which is above the national average. Like Health Independents, they are driven by convenience in their choice of healthcare providers and show a preference for engaging with X/Twitter.
• Media Propensity: Care Questioners favor platforms that offer concise and readily available information, making them more likely to engage with X/Twitter and online health forums. They are less likely to interact with traditional media but will consume content that challenges their perceptions about the necessity of having a PCP.

Healthcare marketing strategies

While we understand that not all consumers are the same, the limitations of segmentation prevent marketers from being able to message individuals in a voice or manner that best resonates. Through the application of predictive modeling, Causeway Solutions has created a more insightful and impactful way to segment consumers regarding PCP opportunities. These insights can inform strategic planning and marketing efforts to engage these diverse audience groups more effectively in the context of primary care services.

Not all individuals without a PCP are Millennials, and more importantly, not all of these individuals are currently interested in pursuing a PCP. Dynamic marketing teams can look to Health Independents audience to engage with other care options regarding urgent care or even direct to specialty services, rather than facing a potentially arduous challenge of getting them to a PCP’s waiting room. Conversely, the Care Seekers audience is ready and willing – but may face cultural or financial challenges that may be holding them back. What can be done to address their potential barriers?

And while 56% of U.S. consumers fall into The Loyalist audience, having a PCP and recognizing the need; 32% of individuals are Care Questioners with a PCP of record, but not feeling it’s necessary. This group needs attention and consideration; this group considers themselves to be healthy. They are ready and willing to move on to any of the emerging healthcare Disruptors that provide convenient options.

The information and insights are now available, marketing teams now need to consider how to use these expanding options to tailor campaigns to truly connect “the right message, with the right person, on the right platform, at the right time.”

By leveraging Causeway Solutions’ advanced analytics and modeling capabilities, healthcare marketers can enhance patient engagement, optimize acquisition strategies, and ultimately improve healthcare outcomes. Email [email protected] to get started.

Causeway Solutions is a leading provider of Acquisition Analytics and strategic data insights supporting successful marketing plans, business decisions, and political campaigns. Specializing in predictive and prescriptive modeling and customized audience targeting strategies, Causeway Solutions has developed billions and billions of predictions and hundreds of thousands of unique consumer, constituent, patient and voter-based audiences. Email [email protected] to learn more.

Tim Duer leads market research, audience analytics, AI and data management for healthcare clients at Causeway Solutions. As a former physical therapist and operations director of ambulatory practice at a large, multi-hospital health system, Tim uses his balanced background of hands-on clinical care and business understanding to develop novel approaches to the rapidly evolving healthcare marketplace. With experience in lean/continuous improvement and clinical-operational integration with data science and analytic capabilities Tim is uniquely qualified to help clients address what’s next in the medical landscape.

Source

1. “AMA examines decade of change in physician practice ownership and organization,” American Medical Association
   
   

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