In September InCrowd surveyed attending physicians, nurses, medical residents and fellows on their thoughts about Amazon Care.
Amazon Care was first launched in 2019 with the hopes of providing 24/7 telehealth services and in-person care to customers in the US. InCrowd collected data on perceptions of Amazon Care from our healthcare audience. While Amazon has since decided to conclude Amazon Care operations on December 31st, the appetite for Amazon’s entry into the healthcare industry remains a valuable temperature read from healthcare professionals (HCPs) for other companies interested in entering the space.
Respondents were first asked what their reaction was to Amazon’s move into the healthcare space. The graph below displays their attitudes. While nearly half of all respondents (47%) thought that Amazon’s move into the healthcare industry was positive, only a quarter (24%) thought the move was negative. These negative feelings might come from many HCPs feeling wary of the quality of care that patients might receive. When asked what impact they think Amazon Care has on the healthcare industry currently and in the future, 16% of HCPs were skeptical about the quality of care that Amazon could provide.
As a follow up we asked our members about the level of trust they have in Amazon Care. On a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 being strongly in agreement, most questions averaged in the middle ground with the strongest opinion being that Amazon will provide affordable and accessible healthcare to patients. Affordability and accessibility to healthcare is something that the healthcare industry is currently struggling with as the shortage of primary-care physicians rises. Across the board, HCPs would like something similar to Amazon Care to be more established before giving their full stamp of approval.
Even though Amazon Care will be closing its doors in December, many other retail-healthcare options will continue to emerge. Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens are all bringing competition to the healthcare industry, creating many accessible and convenient ways for patients to receive care.
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