Why Health Systems Need Integrated Marketing!

It is an interesting time in healthcare as the patient is beginning to have more power. Terms like engagement, satisfaction, behavior, navigation coupled with the term “patient” show that healthcare employees are focused on treating the whole person. The fact that doctors are now rated and published on websites for the sole purpose of helping patients choose a better experience is mind blowing for old school physicians. One health system that we work with is trying to develop algorithms to better pair patients and service providers.

All of this is awesome and long term will mean that patients and their health partners will work towards a common goal of better personal and community health. As a veteran of the consumer products world, it is interesting to me because I have lived through this before- consumer activism in the ‘90’s and early ‘00’s changed the way CPG companies and retailers did business. And that world has continued to completely evolve to the point where brands and retailers meld together to be one in the consumer’s eye.

One of the most important parts of a consumer products’ success is the use of an integrated marketing plan. Considering a consumer’s preferences in product type, style, etc. is married to a plan to reach a consumer when they are expecting to shop/see that product. In my opinion, that is the biggest gap in the new healthcare model.

Health systems spending millions of dollars on image advertising, specific service line item promotion and on community events, but they fail on one important part of the integrated plan- reaching people when they need your services at one of your facilities. It is hard to prepare for your appointments in terms of getting information from the health system on what your office treats, who is going to treat you and how they are a key to your long-term success.

Health systems need to look at their individual offices and treat them like retail outposts in terms of taking the time to educate patients on the 4P’s of the health system. That is where a company like mine comes in. We work with the health system to help create intercepts for patients to learn about their disease states, how to navigate their health system, and who their care team is before, during and after their appointments.

And since we know we are on the cutting edge of this discipline, we do it for less than $.03 per patient (a $30 CPM in marketing terms). We have volumes of white papers that were independently published that support the platforms we provide, and we have purposefully made our products low tech knowing that the main users of the health systems are the underserved and elderly.

The only thing we are waiting for is you to contact us. In less than twenty minutes, we can create a solution to increase patient engagement, satisfaction, and revenues. What do you have to lose other than your patients going somewhere

else? Call us at 856-520-8655 or visit www.haloheals.com.