The Consumer Pendulum Has Swung: "Speed Dating" Has Come To Health Care

How far will consumerism extend in the health and human service space? A few weeks ago, I covered the new "eBay" of health care, On-Line Bidding For Professional Services Comes To Health Care. And now we have a new kind of ‘speed dating’ to link consumers and health professionals.

Doc Shop—a program Texas Health Resources launched in fall 2009 to connect patients with obstetrician-gynecologists—is like speed dating, the matchmaking process that lets singles meet a significant number of potential dates in a short period of time. The hospital's first event took place on September 24, 2009. Two others have been held since, and seven are scheduled for 2010. The program has been successful enough that the hospital is expanding it to include pediatricians, with longer-term plans to include other specialists. Those involved in planning the events believe the program is best suited for primary care physicians, where matching personalities for a long-term relationship can be particularly important.

Here’s how it works. About five or six physicians sit at tables while a dozen or so potential consumers rotate through. Every five minutes, organizers signal consumers to move on to the next doctor. There is no cost to consumers, and physicians do not get paid for their time. Participating physicians say the event is a welcome addition to other marketing efforts, such as magazine ads or information on their web sites.

An interesting addition to the marketing planning for health and human service professionals. The question – how would your clinical team fare in this ‘speed dating’ paradigm?