As our world continues to evolve, health care marketing tools come and go. In planning for the best ways to reach out to consumers, hospitals and medical practices need to make sure they are reaching out in the same places that their likely consumers are seeking information. If encouraging people to use your health care services is your focus, some facts can help with your outreach strategy. The Spring 2009 Ad-ology Media Influence on Consumer Choice surveyed over 40 million individuals about their recent visits at a hospital or care center. The results to this survey may surprise some but the takeaway is to listen to the data and make sure your strategy incorporates a response to the findings.
It should come as no surprise that quality of care was sited as the most important factor when selecting a hospital. Where prospective patients found this information is the real story from this study.
Social media (opinions, comments and reviews) influenced the choice of nearly 40% of hospital/urgent care center patients.
25 to 34 year olds were influenced the most by social media (53.2%)
Women are more likely to research family doctors online (60% of searchers are women)
Hospital websites had significant influence on choice (apx. 29%)
Health websites also had considerable influence on patient choice (27%)
Television (22%) and newspapers (just under 22%) influenced some patients
These findings should impact the health care marketer’s strategy. Hospital websites need to be patient-centric, informing, accessible and easy to navigate. Value can be gained by creating a patient/prospective patient forum or community where individuals can share thoughts and experiences. Web-users (40% of the surveyed patients) want a dynamic on-line experience and they will seek out dialogues about their particular illness/concern.
Social media sites such as Twitter and FaceBook are exploding with users. Both in and outside of the health care industry, organizations are creating opportunities for individuals to engage in conversations and develop relationships.
Social media examples in health care have previously been shared in this blog. Here are some more examples:
Patient Like Me (http://www.patientslikeme.com/
Users share details on their specific diagnosis and treatment
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.facebook.com/CDC)
Tags: hospital marketiing, media outreach, social media in health care
