Why are consumer wellness brands like Ultrahuman expanding into clinical domains? It’s more than a business pivot; it’s a sign of a fundamental shift happening across the health industry.
We’re actively witnessing the growing consumerization of healthcare. As the lines between consumer industries and healthcare blur, health brands and other industry leaders are moving away from rigid, provider-driven models toward patient-centric approaches that prioritize consumer choice.
There are a variety of major forces behind this change, all pointing to one reality: Our traditional healthcare system is, in many ways, unsustainable. Costs are too high, access to care is too complicated, and, if we’re being honest, the typical patient experience leaves much to be desired.
This sweeping wave of consumer-driven change is set to transform healthcare, much like it has in other industries. The future of healthcare will be defined by personalization, convenience, and data-driven engagement — empowering consumers to be educated, enabled, and in control of their health decisions.
Health brands are clearly taking note — and many are drawing from the playbooks of retail and e-commerce leaders to bring the same consumer-first strategies to the doctor’s office, telehealth platforms, and other health settings.
Five Health Consumerism Trends to Watch
I recently attended the Lake Nona Impact Forum, where I joined Function Health CEO Jonathan Swerdlin and Mary Langowski, president of Walgreens Boots Alliance, for an insightful panel about the future of consumerism in health.
We explored how health brands are navigating today’s evolving landscape and how we can all work to build a healthcare ecosystem that puts patients first. I especially want to thank David Feinberg, MD, chairman of Oracle Health, for moderating our discussion.
As I reflect on our conversation at the Lake Nona Impact Forum, here are five trends that highlight what consumerism in healthcare looks like today — and the impact it’s inspiring for patients, providers, and health organizations.
1. EHRs are transforming from systems of record to systems of interaction
Electronic health records (EHRs) have traditionally functioned as repositories of patient history and clinical documentation built primarily for administrative and financial tracking.
These systems of record have been slow to evolve, often due to legacy technology challenges. But there are equally valid reasons for ERH’s careful, deliberate pace of change, particularly the need for auditability, patient safety, and regulatory compliance.
While these foundational elements are essential for maintaining trust and accuracy, they also make innovation difficult. That doesn’t mean progress has to wait, however. Systems of interaction are now evolving in parallel to healthcare needs, operating at the speed of business, adapting quickly to market demands, and seamlessly integrating new innovations without disrupting core healthcare infrastructure.
Today’s EHRs don’t just store data, they feature intuitive dashboards, personalized health recommendations, and real-time communication designed to inform and engage patients as active participants in their care.
These dynamic, interactive patient portals are making it easier than ever for patients and providers to exchange information and work together toward shared health goals. By shifting focus from static records to interactive engagements, healthcare providers can treat patients as engaged consumers rather than data points in a medical record system.
2. AI is powering personalized experiences at scale
AI and advanced data analytics are making hyper-personalization possible at scale — enabling health brands to quickly analyze patient behaviors, preferences, and health histories for thousands, or even millions of patients.
Even the largest healthcare systems can now create meaningful, patient-centric interactions with each and every person engaged, whether in-person or virtually. Imagine receiving a check-up reminder that references your last visit, addresses your specific health concerns, and suggests a convenient appointment time.
True personalization doesn’t just extend to patient outreach either. It can also make healthcare information clear and actionable: AI is breaking down the jargon-heavy barriers that have long alienated patients, translating complex medical information into accessible content tailored to different needs and backgrounds. By democratizing access to understanding, AI is helping to recalibrate the long-standing asymmetry of knowledge in healthcare, moving from a model where doctors are the sole authority to one where patients are informed participants in their own care.
These small yet meaningful touches make healthcare feel more human in a digital world, helping to foster greater trust and higher engagement rates among patients.
3. Direct-to-consumer models are redefining traditional care delivery
Health marketing has traditionally relied on a simple strategy: target providers and let them drive the conversation with patients. That formula is shifting as patients take a more active role in their healthcare, placing greater emphasis on holistic wellness and seeking out proactive measures they can accomplish on their own.
During our discussion, Mary Langowski explained that our healthcare system was established on a “build it and they will come” mentality. “And retailers — whether you’re at McDonald’s or a Walmart, or any other retailer — they’re looking at going where the consumer already is,” she said.
Pharmaceutical companies and digital-first health brands are increasingly using the same strategy, skipping the in-between and going straight to the consumer. In fact, my company recently partnered with a global medical technology firm to increase awareness of chronic pain treatments through a website revamp and tech implementation project. By integrating a pain assessment quiz and physician locator tool for patients, the company saw a 64% increase in page views, a 47% boost in time on page, and a 14% drop in exit rates.
This success was made possible by a holistic approach that blended technology with storytelling — leveraging the right digital implementations and marketing expertise to create a more collaborative experience that empowers patients to take an active role.
4. Data is empowering greater consumer choice
The days of calling your doctor’s office just to access your own medical records are (thankfully) coming to an end. Patients have greater ownership over their health data and, fortunately, more transparent and accessible data-sharing tools. For instance:
Interactive patient portals provide real-time access to health records, enabling patients to stay independently informed and engage in more productive conversations with providers even outside of appointments.
Digital symptom checkers offer preliminary assessments and guidance so people can make informed decisions about when and where to seek care.
Wearable technologies allow individuals to track key health metrics like heart rate, activity levels, and sleep patterns to take more proactive steps to improve their well-being.
As Jonathan Swerdlin put it at Lake Nona: “If you are in the dark on your health, it’s impossible to make the right decisions. Flip on the lights, and now you can see the path forward.”
5. Engagement is driving better patient outcomes
The traditional model of healthcare engagement — come in for a check-up, leave with a prescription, and perhaps schedule a follow-up appointment — is outdated and ineffective.
From telehealth to AI-driven diagnostics, technology is breaking down traditional barriers, opening up more access points, and turning healthcare into more of an ongoing dialogue between patients and providers. As a result, personalized engagement strategies are crucial to keeping patients informed, motivated, and compliant with their care plans. I loved the point that our panel moderator David Feinberg, MD made: "Healthcare is people caring for people, built on trust."
We’re seeing health brands increasingly leverage user experience (UX) design, intuitive technology, and consumer engagement strategies that make healthcare more accessible, efficient, and patient-centered. These priorities are clearly reflected in the most in-demand healthcare roles health brands are hiring for.
These efforts are aided by advanced behavioral insights and AI-driven recommendations that enable health brands to craft content, messages, and digital interactions that resonate with patients and lead to greater satisfaction, and ideally outcomes.
Continuing the conversation on health consumerism, patients expect the same seamless, personalized experiences in healthcare as they receive while shopping online or using their favorite apps. It will be up to health brands to make that a reality.
By adopting consumer-centric approaches — and borrowing best practices from other industries — health brands are well positioned to build stronger relationships with patients, increase access to care, and ultimately, generate better health outcomes.
Lake Nona was an amazing opportunity to talk, listen, and learn with so many other industry experts about where the health industry might be heading next. Jonathan Swerdlin made the important point that consumer health isn’t about the channel, “it’s about the human being.”
At MERGE, it is our job to think about the whole human, and engage people using the themes that we have learned from innovative consumerism. Our team brings together deep expertise in technology, user experience, and data-driven engagement strategies to help our healthcare and wellness clients create more personalized, accessible, and impactful experiences.
I’m excited to continue discussing the ways consumerism will reshape everyday healthcare interactions.