Healthcare and wellness are incredibly personal topics that generate a lot of search traffic and high engagement. At least 8 out of 10 people turn to search engines as their first source for health information, according to Pew, but often they are not able to locate current and accurate information. Of course, WebMD dominates search results; it’s the top health media company in the U.S., even while Vox has raised questions about its accuracy and inherent biases in its business model. At the same time, voice searches for healthcare topics are expected to rapidly increase in 2019. 

The US health industry has often lagged other industries when it comes to modernizing. Once thought to operate outside the greater US economy, the industry—with its byzantine payment system, complicated regulatory barriers and reliance on face-to-face interactions—is being disrupted. Finally, there’s robust evidence that what PwC calls the New Health Economy is kicking into gear.

“Lack of preparation for new risks can cost a healthcare organization money and its reputation at a time when it can least afford to lose either,” the report stated. “In a value-based reimbursement environment, every dollar is at risk. If an organization loses that dollar to a compliance problem, it can’t make it up simply by adding a dollar of revenue elsewhere.” “Early identification is the best strategy to mitigate those risks,” the healthcare consulting firm stressed.