2024-12-12
For consumer healthcare providers, loyalty isn’t transactional — it’s about strengthening patient engagement and empowering individuals throughout their health journey.
In commercial sectors like retail and travel, loyalty programs have long been used to turn one-time interactions into lifetime engagements. Organizations boost engagement through a combination of data science, gamification, personalization and targeted offers. In omnichannel settings, companies are proactively addressing the demands of distracted, disloyal or hesitant customers in legitimate ways — by actively creating additional value. But can consumer healthcare foster the same kind of loyalty?
In this blog, we explore how forward-thinking healthcare providers are transforming loyalty into a tool for patient engagement, using strategies like gamification and personalized communication to reshape the patient experience and build lasting loyalty through trust.
The consumer healthcare loyalty challenge
True loyalty programs haven't gained much traction in U.S. consumer healthcare outside of niche areas like cosmetic surgery and physical therapy. These specialties operate within a different cultural environment compared to other areas of consumer healthcare, which are more emotionally sensitive, prioritize privacy and often function within fragmented, siloed systems.
Fundamentally, most people only want to see their provider when they need help and they expect dedicated, personal attention before moving on. The idea of stacking up reward points for a cheaper rate on a child’s operation, for example, would feel strange and uncomfortable for most consumers. The challenge is to introduce loyalty in appropriate and engaging ways while recognizing the sensitivity of many healthcare interactions.
What does the new age of consumer healthcare loyalty look like?
Forward-thinking health organizations now understand that a "pure value" approach doesn't unlock the power of loyalty programs for patients and families. However, loyalty programs can be effective when thoughtfully combined with areas like wellness, population health initiatives, propensity-driven scans and other interactions that benefit patients and create opportunities for re-engagement.
These communications become extremely powerful when they are centrally orchestrated using a data-driven backend that is aware of the patient's history and demographics. These types of systems can also integrate real-time information about the organization's capacity for specific activities, enhancing the effectiveness of the outreach.
A good loyalty program is highly personalized, just as any efficient population health program must be. In healthcare, these two approaches can converge. In this way, broad population health initiatives, patient support, patient education and reminders for routine healthcare services all come together to build a new kind of loyalty program.
Does traditional loyalty have a place in healthcare?
Some aspects of traditional loyalty programs can be adapted to healthcare, but financial offers and bonuses are generally not appropriate — after all, no one wants to earn points for being sick or using more medical services. Instead, gamification can be a powerful tool, particularly in personal health programs. These programs might encourage activities that promote wellness, whether or not they involve visits to a healthcare provider.
Reactivation, just like in traditional loyalty programs, is a key objective. For patients who haven’t engaged in a while, sending targeted content tailored to their demographic can keep the organization top of mind in a positive way. This outreach can also provide value, such as reminding patients about free resources or educational programs they can access.
Convenience plays a major role in building patient loyalty, and this provides an opportunity to promote new or improved content through regular updates. Gathering user feedback is also crucial for the success of any loyalty program. This feedback can help refine personalization and shape the program as it evolves. The ultimate goal at every stage is to enhance the patient’s health experience, ensuring they feel valued, cared for and empowered.
Building loyalty programs with lasting impact
The future of loyalty in consumer healthcare is not about mimicking commercial programs but about creating meaningful, personalized experiences that align with the unique needs and expectations of patients.
By focusing on wellness, proactive care and thoughtful communication, healthcare providers can redefine loyalty — showing patients they are valued and supported not just in moments of crisis, but throughout their entire health journey.
This blog draws on insights from our 2025 Emerging Experiences in U.S. Consumer Healthcare report. To dive deeper into how forward-thinking healthcare providers are redefining loyalty, download the full report now.
