The relationship between patients, their physicians and the hospital where they receive care are foundational to the healthcare system. A strong foundation will enable high quality and cost-effective patient care. It’s a win for hospitals and for patients.
But seismic shifts in the current healthcare environment, along with an increased financial burden on patients, and an expectation of an “always-on” approach to care has disrupted the dynamics of the patient-provider relationship. In turn, hospital marketers have been required to rethink their strategies and update processes. This has caused growing pains within hospitals, and many have turned to technology to help with this transition.
Technology can be leveraged by hospitals to reach consumers where they are searching for healthcare information and choosing physicians, and to provide a comprehensive understanding of their current population in a more systematic way. It can be used to engage and connect with potential patients as well. Using technology to support and strengthen relationships with patients requires a mind shift—and the ability to embrace these perspectives:
Think beyond your website
A 24 hours a day, 7 day-a week, 365 days a year mentality has been applied to so many other industries. Now is the time for healthcare to evolve to better meet consumer demands. Evaluate and update current hospital marketing strategies to connect with consumers any time, and wherever they are searching for information and then make it simple for them to schedule an appointment online. Many organizations, including Ochsner Health System have begun to offer online scheduling options for consumers on sites like Healthgrades.com, knowing the value in meeting patients where they begin their health journey.
Technology has fundamentally changed consumer behavior. The current healthcare consumer is digitally savvy. They demand choice, control, and are comfortable making decisions quickly. This is a perfect convergence of factors: one that positions hospitals to engage with patients and consumers on multiple platforms to convert them where and when they are searching for health information and provider recommendations.
Think beyond sick care
For many years now, the industry has been focused on a shift to reimburse providers and hospitals for the value they provide, instead of the volume of procedures they are doing. This shift means that hospital marketers need to think more broadly about developing and executing marketing programs that engage people to keep them healthier, and about implementing the technology to facilitate this approach.
Technology can also help hospital marketers better customize communications. A more custom marketing and communications approach will build affinity with patients and give them tools to be more active in their care.
For instance, Healthgrades is partnering with leading hospital systems to deliver intervisit wellness mechanisms to patients, which enables a two-way conversation and allows providers to check in with the patient on a regular, personalized basis, using technology, sophisticated clinical logic and approachable language. This helps ensure patient recovery and it predicts and prevents readmissions as well as poor disease management, so the provider intervenes only when needed and the patient is supported throughout their recovery or ongoing treatment. It keeps patients and hospitals accountable. It also broadens the definition of care and gives hospitals the ability to engage with patients in a more holistic way. The better a hospital knows their patient populations, the more proactive and effective they can be at managing their health.
Think beyond today
While it’s incredibly important to maintain and engage a hospital’s current patient base, one of the primary responsibilities of a hospital marketer is to cultivate relationships with new consumers. It is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity for hospitals to position themselves favorably in a competitive market and determine a long-term growth strategy. As part of this, hospital marketers need to evaluate, implement and optimize supporting technology to propel their efforts to the next level.
Consumers have many choices for care, and leveraging useful technology such as customer relationship management platforms, marketing automation and predictive modeling will provide the hospital a strategic advantage to capitalize on the trend of healthcare consumerism. Embracing progressive marketing strategies can help catapult efforts—and ensure that technology will support, not replace the relationships being built between patients, providers and hospitals.
Chris Catallo, SVP and General Manager