GoodRx’s Raj Beri at the ViVE Conference: ‘Healthcare Needs to Anticipate Consumer Behavior, Not Influence It’

Last month, our Chief Operating Officer Raj Beri shared his perspective on what consumer centricity in healthcare should look like at a ViVE Conference panel. 

Held from March 26 to 29 in Nashville, Tennessee, the ViVE Conference brought together digital healthcare leaders from both the public and private sectors to discuss how to propel healthcare businesses and the industry forward. 

Other industries have kept pace with consumers’ expectations of convenience, cost, and reputation. But healthcare has lagged behind. Although new apps are released every day that improve the consumer experience, there is still opportunity to bring greater accessibility, affordability, and transparency to the health sector.

Raj joined a panel moderated by Alex Maiersperger from SAS that featured Karen Hanlon from Highmark Health, Melynda Barnes from Ro, and Heather Fernandez from Solv Health. He discussed his vision for how to bring accessibility and convenience to the industry and what GoodRx is doing to put consumers at the center of their own care. 

Some of Raj’s key takeaways from the session include:

• One app won’t solve healthcare. There are more healthcare apps than ever before, and it can be overwhelming for the consumer. We’ll certainly see some app consolidation that will streamline the user experience, but there won’t be one app for the entire healthcare journey. No one company has the credibility or the infrastructure to do that, nor would it be positive for the consumer. We’ll still have some disparate experiences, and that’s OK.

• Anticipate consumer behavior — don’t influence it. As healthcare companies try to find new ways to streamline the consumer experience, they must make sure any partnerships or new digital solutions actually meet consumers’ needs. Raj learned this lesson the hard way while expanding Uber’s delivery business during his time at the company. They tried offering every possible delivery in the app, but it turned out consumers didn’t want to use Uber in new ways. Fit into the continuum of consumers’ existing behavior —  don’t shape it. 

• Transparency is key. The healthcare industry is in dire need of transparency. At GoodRx, we’ve brought much needed transparency to the world of prescription medication prices. But there’s still a long way to go for the rest of healthcare. If you’re getting an MRI or your blood drawn, you should be able to see exactly what these procedures will cost upfront. Consumers should also be able to access their own health information and decide who to share it with. These features are pretty standard in every other industry. 

While there’s still work to be done, the healthcare industry is taking steps in the right direction to improve the consumer experience. At GoodRx, we’re proud to be contributing to a more accessible, affordable, and transparent system.