Walmart Health and the Consumerization Healthcare (feat. Marcus Osborne, Vice President of Walmart Health)

Future Commerce Podcast: eCommerce, DTC and Retail Strategy

The “84-Point Check”, but Make it Human

• With almost a million and a half associates in the United States and 150 million customers in stores and online, it's safe to say they’re one of the largest retailers in the world. But what are they doing in health? A lot, it seems.
• Walmart has been in the healthcare world since the 70s; they realize that they have a significant role to play. With 90% of Americans living within 15 miles of a Walmart, they’re aiming to address the care needs of people and help get access to basic healthcare in an affordable way.
• “How do you engage customers in healthcare? … By building robust omnichannel experiences that aren't about one channel but are about how all these various channels can come together to create something far more robust.” -Marcus
• With omnichannel systems coming online in healthcare it’s providing more opportunities for personal monitoring systems, taking a proactive approach to healthcare.
• You take your car to the shop and get an 84 point check on maintenance; why not an 84 point check on humans? “I'm not looking for one size fits all. I'm looking for a solution that is one size fits one.” -Marcus. This approach brings a personalized experience for every person, creating a revolution of diagnostics.
• Not only is healthcare being affordable broken, but also the speed of care. Patients have to go through multiple doctors, specialists, and tests to get the answers they need weeks later, while also not knowing how much it will cost them in the end. This revolution of diagnostics will ultimately result in a more efficient healthcare system that most Americans can afford.
• COVID helped accelerate healthcare as we know it today, showing us that speed of care can happen. If it can happen in an omnichannel or a parking lot, then it can happen in the office as well.
• “We as consumers deserve to be treated better than the system has treated us, and we deserve to have more access. We deserve to have things be more convenient and we deserve to be treated better and have things be simpler.” -Marcus
• Walmart Health is on the road to greater access for all Americans. One of the ways they're doing that is by looking at the communities with greater demand, a net health need. This method is what has driven them to open in cities in Georgia, Illinois, and more.
• A consumer and a patient are one in the same. Consumers want high quality, for things to be affordable, convenient, simple, and they want a choice. Patients want all the same things.

Associated Links:

• Learn more about Marcus Osborne and Walmart Health
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