Ethnographic research starts with the assumption that consumers are experts on themselves. Beebe Healthcare and Baylor Scott & White Health use this approach to gain deeper understanding of patients and their context. // By Ron Shinkman // Empathizing with patients is a better way to connect with and market to them. That was the primary Read More
If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times: Health care is complex, dysfunctional, and slow to change. But one person can still make a difference. For Angelica Thieriot, it took a horrific experience as patient in a U.S. hospital in 1978 for her to imagine how different things could be if patients Read More
Enloe Medical Center’s transformation to person-centered care has made it the first choice for patients in its Northern California region after a series of crises damaged its reputation. // By Jane Weber Brubaker // If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times: Health care is complex, dysfunctional, and slow to change. But Read More
The “Three C’s of Health Equity” aim to enhance providers’ knowledge about the cultures or groups usually defined by racial/ethnic or sexual minority groups, says attorney Ndome Yvonne Essoka. Here’s an excerpt from her new article: In recent times, buzzwords like “cultural competence”, “cultural humility,” and “cultural safety” have grown in popularity and become rooted Read More
// By Ndome Yvonne Essoka // The “Three C’s of Health Equity” aim to enhance providers’ knowledge about the cultures or groups usually defined by racial/ethnic or sexual minority groups. Safety and humility are key. In recent times, buzzwords like “cultural competence,” “cultural humility,” and “cultural safety” have grown in popularity and become rooted into Read More
Let’s face it. Health care is a maze, and patients often feel like the rat, trying to get through and hitting one dead end after another. More often than not, health systems don’t prioritize what matters to patients. And even calling patients “patients” instead of “consumers” may serve to maintain the status quo. In the Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // The 2021 book Patient No Longer asks the question, “What makes the top organizations in the country unique?” Let’s face it. Health care is a maze, and patients often feel like the rat, trying to get through and hitting one dead end after another. More often than not, health Read More
“I am a medical television junkie,” confesses longtime health care journalist Richard L. Cohen. “Starting with ER seemingly forever ago, I have watched hundreds of episodes of medical television shows over the years. I am also a veteran health care marketing journalist, having covered the profession since the mid 1980s.” Here’s an excerpt from Cohen’s new Read More
// By Richard L. Cohen // A satirist once said, “Life doesn’t imitate art; it imitates bad television.” While doctor shows aren’t necessarily bad TV, they do present an idealized portrait of hospital care, and reality is often very different. I am a medical television junkie. Starting with ER seemingly forever ago, I have watched Read More
How do you connect the dots between a health system, hospital, and its other programs and services throughout the community, and ensure consumers know they will continue receiving the same high-quality, personalized care throughout the network? Recently, Providence successfully navigated this situation and launched a new brand. Unifying the brand was among the initiatives Jigar Read More
“Truly exceptional patient experience programs thrive at the intersection of culture, engagement, and experience,” says Sally Mildren of Boss Lady Consulting. “This has played out in study after study by Monigle, PwC, McKinsey, Medallia, and many others. Good experience equals growth — in revenue, reputation, loyalty, satisfaction, and employee engagement. “Yet inconsistent consumer experiences, misaligned Read More
// By Sally Mildren // For patient experience to be successful, it must be woven into the culture, expressed through your brand and marketing, and demonstrated first and foremost to your employees. Truly exceptional patient experience programs thrive at the intersection of culture, engagement, and experience. This has played out in study after study by Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Providence’s family of organizations embarked on a multi-year brand journey — right before the pandemic. Despite the many challenges brought on by the pandemic, the system launched a strong new brand that is energizing its 125,000 caregivers and the communities they serve. We’ve heard the familiar adage: All health Read More
“Virtual health care has been building momentum slowly since video visits were offered in rural areas in the early 1990s,” says Diane Hopkins. “This new channel for medical care was slow to expand due to limits on payment, adoption of technology by providers, and regulations primarily around provider licensing.” Hopkins is a certified experience economy Read More
// By Diane S. Hopkins // As more and more physicians offer virtual visits, operational excellence and provider competence are critical to providing positive patient experiences. Virtual health care has been building momentum slowly since video visits were offered in rural areas in the early 1990s. This new channel for medical care was slow to Read More
// By Diane S. Hopkins // Health care leaders spend time designing spaces and assembling experts, but not as much time designing a comprehensive patient experience strategy that prepares the entire workforce for a common level of behavior. Reliable high patient satisfaction is the desire of every health care leader, yet achieving this aspiration is Read More
Are your providers losing patients because of access issues? A robust telemedicine program that offers convenient care for patients is one way to protect market share. Our new article by Marcia Simon, APR, explores how telemedicine brings subspecialties to outlying communities. Here’s an excerpt: Most of Gundersen Health System’s patients live at least 25 miles Read More
// By Marcia Simon, APR // Most of Gundersen Health System’s patients live at least 25 miles from the main hospital campus in La Crosse, Wisconsin. For the benefit of both patients and physicians, Gundersen invested early in telemedicine. Suburban and rural patients perceived distance as a barrier to seeing a specialist, so Gundersen started Read More
A 2017 price transparency study published in the journal Hospital Pediatrics found 30 out of 45 pediatric hospitals contacted provided price estimates. Only 12 of the 30 that provided estimates had online price calculators. A new price transparency guideline from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which went into effect in January, is Read More
// By Althea Fung // Health care is in the midst of a shift toward a consumer-centric model — empowering patients to have a greater role in how their health care dollars are spent. But there’s a problem. It’s hard to shop around if no one can tell you how much services cost. A 2017 Read More
The last time you went on vacation, you probably enjoyed five-star treatment from the staff at the hotels and restaurants you visited. But while customer service is paramount when it comes to dining and accommodations, most health care systems don’t think to treat their patients like valued guests. The danger is that if you’re not Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // The last time you went on vacation, you probably enjoyed five-star treatment from the staff at the hotels and restaurants you visited. But while customer service is paramount when it comes to dining and accommodations, most health care systems don’t think to treat their patients like valued guests. The Read More
Marketers’ ability to grow market share and promote patient loyalty is intricately and inextricably linked with what actually happens when patients receive treatment. Patients expect clinical expertise as a baseline. It’s the way they are treated that defines the relationship and either forges a bond or drives patients online to report their bad experiences on Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Marketers’ ability to grow market share and promote patient loyalty is intricately and inextricably linked with what actually happens when patients receive treatment. Patients expect clinical expertise as a baseline. It’s the way they are treated that defines the relationship and either forges a bond or drives patients online Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // A behavioral health practice in Manhattan that offers cutting-edge treatment options goes surprisingly low-tech when it comes to its marketing strategy. The results prove that sometimes simpler can be better. Find out how this practice: Uses old-fashioned techniques to connect with patients and physicians. Takes the stigma out of Read More