Health Communication: Evaluating Personalization in Retail Healthcare

This essay explores the dynamics of health communication within the context of retail healthcare, focusing on the perceived lack of personal connections between patients and providers. It highlights how patient-provider interactions are often transactional, with providers dominating communication and primarily addressing physical symptoms rather than psychological well-being. The rise of telehealth and retail clinics, while offering convenience and lower costs, contributes to reduced face-to-face communication and a loss of personal touch. The essay also acknowledges the positive aspects of retail healthcare, such as increased accessibility and transparent pricing, particularly for low-acuity care. It concludes that while retail healthcare offers certain advantages, both patients and physicians recognize the importance of incorporating a personal touch into healthcare services, advocating for a more humanistic approach over a purely business-oriented one. Desklib provides solved assignments and resources for students.

Running head: HEALTH COMMUNICATION
HEALTH COMMUNICATION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1HEALTH COMMUNICATION
The article provided “Retail health care lacks the personal connections that patients
want and need” is based on the concepts of how the patients and providers communicate. The
idea of the concept reflects that most of the times the patient and provider interactions are
transacted relationships. In such cases the patient plays a passive role whereas the provider
has a dominant role. The interactions are most of the time dominated the providers through
directives and commands. Moreover the providers mainly focus in addressing the physical
problems of the patients rather than the psychological problems (Duck and McMahan 2009).
Another such aspect of the article is reflected by concept of relationship of health with
media and technology especially internet. It plays a vital role in influencing health
communications. Although the technology helps in communication of the patients with the
provider but it reduces the face to face communication of the patients with the providers.
Instead of going to the doctor’s chambers, it is now limited to virtual interactions through
webcams and other such methods. Although such interactions provide benefits such as
reduced cost and increased accessibility and convenience but it lacks the personal touch
(Duck and McMahan 2009).
The article provided states that with the emergence of the concept of retailing the
patients are seen as nothing else but consumers who are targeted for buying health related
services and products (STAT, 2018). This concept can be justified by the fact that with
development of retail clinic and other such facilities such Teladoc, Zocdoc and other, the
medical care services is losing the personal touch (Uscher-Pines 2014). Even the group of
physicians have expressed concerns regarding such methods where there is lack of patient
encounter. Verbal and face to face communication between the provider and the patient is
required to understand the sentiments of the patient lying below the disease. In cases like
migraine where the major reason can be stress, the provider is unable to understand the
background of the disorder and is suggesting care just based on the symptoms (Ashwood et al

2HEALTH COMMUNICATION
2016). However, the positive aspects of the retailing system can be attributed to the fact that
this system is convenient and easily accessible. The service is received quickly and with
lower expenditure. The pricing is also transparent as most of the services provides a list
including the prices. In cases where low level acute care is needed like during flu shots and
immunizations these services are projected as better options (Furst 2016).
In conclusion to the above discussion it can be mentioned that retailing of medical
services is making health care less personal and more business oriented. Inspite of the evident
benefits of retailing, both patients and physicians are happy to incorporate personal touch into
health services instead of business-like approach.

3HEALTH COMMUNICATION
References
Ashwood, J.S., Gaynor, M., Setodji, C.M., Reid, R.O., Weber, E. and Mehrotra, A., 2016.
Retail clinic visits for low-acuity conditions increase utilization and spending. Health
Affairs, 35(3), pp.449-455.
Duck, S. and McMahan, D.T., 2009. Communication in everyday life. SAGE Publications.
Furst, J.W., Klavetter, E. and Myers, J., 2016. Increased Use Of Care With Retail
Clinics. Health Affairs, 35(10), pp.1935-1935.
STAT. (2018). Retail health care lacks personal connections that patients want and need.
[online] Available at: https://www.statnews.com/2017/12/04/retail-health-care-patients/
[Accessed 18 Jun. 2018].
Uscher-Pines, L. and Mehrotra, A., 2014. Analysis of Teladoc use seems to indicate
expanded access to care for patients without prior connection to a provider. Health
Affairs, 33(2), pp.258-264