Consumerism in healthcare. Why there is Consumerism Policy

Consumerism in Healthcare
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Consumerism in Healthcare
Problem Definition
Healthcare consumerism has reached a point where there is a need to help consumers of in this industry take control of how they purchase and consume health care products. Butcher (2015) defines consumerism as the notion that consumers make health care decisions based on the knowledge they have about the cost and quality of health care. In marketing, companies often try to put detailed information in the public domain with the understanding that consumers will only purchase a product after understanding its cost and quality. Some consumers go a step further to research about a product before making a purchase decision. Consumers of health care services are becoming enlightened every day, but there are no mechanisms in place to meet their needs and demands. This has created a gap in the healthcare industry, making it necessary for a health care policy that will shift the purchase decision and power from the service provider to the consumer. Consumer Protection Policy will improve interaction between consumers and trusted health organizations and professionals in the industry.
Why there is Consumerism Policy
In this era of technology, the society is calling for transparency and accountability in access to health care services and products (LaPointe, 2018). According to Seckhauser and Somers (2013), consumers think that they can purchase health care services online just as they can purchase household products. The problem with the absence of a health policy directing how online healthcare service providers should operate is that consumers can be duped into buying services that do not meet their expectations. There is also a rise in the number of fraudulent activities taking place over the internet, leading to high chances of identity theft. A policy directing how information is stored, retrieved, and shared over the internet will make sure that the rights of patients are secured from unauthorized access while at the same time enabling healthcare providers to serve a wide range of consumers at an affordable fee. The policy will also ensure that the quality of services received online is identical to those that the patient would have received if he was to visit the health facility.
Alternatives to Online Health Care Consumer Protection Policy
The option of having an online health care consumer protection policy is to restrict the sale and distribution of access to online health care services. The government should encourage consumers to purchase health care services from health care facilities. Another approach is to have the health care professionals register and display their information and services available on the website that is synchronized with personal data. Health care services should also show how they sell and distribute their services to consumers in a single platform. Prices for drugs and other services should be available on the website to enable consumers to compare and choose the best they wish to have. The last option is to ignore the synchronization of health care services and allow the market forces to control the industry.
Chosen Alternative Solution
The best alternative is to have a singl...