When healthcare marketers talk about using online vehicles to reach out to patients, they typically have visions of young adults downloading an ER wait time app or BlackBerry-toting professionals visiting a hospital microsite from their offices. What healthcare marketers almost never think of is Grandma or Grandpa firing up a netbook and logging onto their EHR. Yet it's really happening, more and more.
Americans over age 65, whose health might benefit the most from modern digital technology, are the least able and least likely to use i. According to the Pew Research Center, more than half of Americans 65 and older use the Internet or e-mail, but after age 75, usage drops to 34%.
There are many potential obstacles to getting more seniors active on e-health, such as lack of connectivity; lack of awareness; problems with vision, hearing, cognition, or manual dexterity; limited finances or learning options; and concerns about privacy.
With some finesse, however, hospital marketers have it within their power to begin breaking down most of these barriers. Here are some simple steps to get more seniors active on your site.
House a senior-friendly computer lab
First things first: solve the connectivity problem by setting up public-use computer kiosks. Make them user-friendly and senior-friendly by adjusting the screen ratio so that the text is larger than normal, and tape up a user's guide. Be sure to have staff assigned to help as needed.
Create senior-specific web pages
Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, FL, has taken several steps to reach out to seniors online, including a Senior Health Library with links to dozens of topics seniors may be interested in, from hearing loss to pneumonia to nutrition and exercise.
Similarly, Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, WA, has an Online Senior Resources page on its site, detailing senior-specific services as well as informing them of high-tech options such as the ability to use an online medication tracker and access their personal health records online.<
Overlake's site doesn't just link to these tools, it explains them clearly.For example:
"Personal Health Record—A booklet to keep track of your health and medication history. Read instructions for how to assemble your own Personal Health Record. Download the Personal Health Record PDF to print a hard copy; download the Personal Health Record Word document to keep an electronic account of your medical history. View a list of electronic PHRs currently available."
This explains all the options, from no-tech to low-tech to high-tech, so seniors can choose what they're most comfortable with.
The Senior Health web page for Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA, features an upcoming lecture topic of interest, such as "community memory screenings." The site also links to other online services such as an aging and health library and a senior health guide.
These sites present information to seniors in a simple format without assuming they are Internet novices. Each of these hospitals' senior-geared pages uses dark text that is displayed clearly on light backgrounds, with no ads or flashy graphics nearby, as suggested by the National Institute on Aging.
Integrate the web into other popular programs
Sacred Heart offers an online complement to its Senior Spirit healthy aging program, which is free to join and rewards members with discounts, in-patient benefits, screenings, and seminars.
The hospital allows for online registration and posts the program's schedule on a microsite, which features an attractive, age-appropriate graphic. Seniors can also download the program newsletter and follow a Facebook link.
Advertise senior-specific web services
Finally, once you have solved connectivity and availability, you have to let seniors know how to get active on your site. Use simple URLs that are easy to remember, possibly printing them on business cards and handing them out with other materials at senior-specific events.
Most importantly, let seniors know that actively managing their health online can actually help them improve their well-being.
Marianne Aiello is a contributing writer at HealthLeaders Media.