Five Challenges Healthcare eCommerce May Face H
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Healthcare companies around the globe are adopting technology at an accelerated pace and are predicted to spend trillions on the adoption of medical technology by 2040. However, the fledgling healthcare e-commerce segment will have to overcome several challenges to get off the ground.
Ensuring data security will be one of the first major challenges as healthcare providers handle extremely sensitive data on a regular basis. But as more patient information is provided online and kept on computer systems, the risk of cyberattacks increases significantly. In 2021 alone, data breaches in the healthcare segment affected up to 45 million people.
Healthcare e-commerce companies will have to invest in robust and secure systems to ensure all the patient data they handle is safe from breaches or outside access.
Building a strong doctor-patient relationship is generally easier when patients and their physicians interact in person. It improves communication, makes it easier for doctors to deliver personalized care, reduces anxiety and stress, and improves health outcomes.
Building such a relationship will be a challenge if healthcare e-commerce companies approach it as a relationship between a consumer and a brand. Rather, these companies will have to invest significant effort into building relationships with customers to improve patient outcomes and build up a loyal base of customers.
Limited engagement between physicians and patients will likely make it difficult to build strong relationships.
However, as technology has become increasingly ingrained into our lives, an increasing number of people are choosing to limit their interaction with technology and social media in favor of face-to-face communication. Additionally, segments of the market such as elderly people who are often in most need of medical care have trouble using modern technology, leading to less engagement between such segments and physicians.
Timely and safe delivery of products and services will go a long way toward building customer trust. Some customers prefer online medical platforms that deliver their medication on time and in perfect condition; therefore, delivering products late or of poor quality could be the difference between life and death for customers.
Visibility and reporting should be a top priority as well. Patients want transparency in their dealings with the health sector, especially at a time when trust in the sector is at its lowest. This includes providing regular updates to customers on time-sensitive orders and keeping accurate records to determine how efficiently carriers operate.
Companies such as NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL) (NASDAQ: NXPLW) that are engaged in ecommerce development can help in addressing those potential challenges so that healthcare consumers adapt to healthcare ecommerce at a faster pace.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/NXPL
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