What if Social Media wasn’t Word Based? Or Visual Explanations Work Better for Patient Education

I had the most interesting conversation yesterday about social media and the reason it grew so quickly initially was because it was language based. People can write or tell a story much easier than they can draw one. As technology has improved though, the social media platforms became more visual mediums- photos and videos. People now tell their story through their own lens and in their own words. Thank you @amara_rose for the mindbender.

The evolution of patient education needs to take a similar arc. From the beginning of time, the health care provider has been lecturing the patient on how to live healthier. Sometimes they use charts and graphs. And other times they use clinical video to explain their points. It is stiff, impersonal, and very forgettable.

It is time for the next wave of patient education to launch. The content needs to be fresh, ever changing, customized to the patient, viewed when the patient wants to see it along with when they have to watch it. It needs to be interactive and engaging. The content needs to introduce an issue, explain why it is important and tell the patient how to solve the issue- all in a short and digestible burst.

The messages need to be repeated frequently to ensure that the patient can retain them. They need to be simple to enact and repeat. And they do not need to be selling any product or service- only their health care provider and health system’s expertise.

People learn best when they can relate to the content both visually and audibly. There is a reason why people remember movie lines easier than anniversaries. Take that style of learning and apply it to your patient education. You want your patients to live healthier, give them the ways to achieve that in the formats that they are used to consuming.

Don’t where to start? Don’t worry, contact Halo Health International. We can help you turn your waiting rooms, exam rooms, lobbies, in patient rooms, and emails into power packed information stations. Call us today at 856-520-8655 or email jim@haloheals.com to get started.