Reaching patients virtually is more important than ever. But, is your patient audience aware of all of your organization’s online services?
The reality is: What you communicate with your patient audience can make all the difference in engaging patients virtually. As does, HOW you say it. If you have the tools at your disposal, you can reach your patients and caregivers in an engaging way that is easy to access.
The key is to provide answers to the questions that patients are asking and tools to help them with their healthcare needs. Given Health Content Collective’s (HCC) patient education and health communication expertise, we can provide guidance to engage and activate your patient audience.
Let’s review a few mediums for communicating your message to patients and solutions that can help optimize your impact:
Patient Portals: This technology has been around for some time, and while it’s often encouraged during clinic visits, patients aren’t taking advantage of this tool. For those that are less tech-savvy, the prospect of managing healthcare online can be daunting. How can you encourage patients to use this technology?
According to a 2018 study, approximately one third of patients are unaware of their patient portal and the study concluded that “Interventions to improve awareness of the portal and eHealth literacy skills of patients and further integration of the patient portal in usual face-to-face care are needed to increase use and potential subsequent patient benefits.[1]” (https://www.jmir.org/2018/9/e262/)
Solution: HCC can develop a customized strategic plan to increase awareness and utilization of your patient portal. With easy-to-understand print materials, coupled with animated explainer videos, we can make accessing and using the patient portal seem less intimidating.
Video Messaging: Depending on where you get your information, people typically find great solace in hearing from well-respected experts--whether it’s the head of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Dr. Anthony Fauci or Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon and chief medical correspondent from CNN. The voice of authority and leadership can be comforting.
A short video featuring one of your experts can be thoughtfully repurposed. These are easily shareable on social media, within a blog and/or in an eNewsletter.
Solution: Consider a video message from one of your leaders. While the technology is there for you to easily record an expert – the nuances can be a headache and the team at HCC is well-versed in managing the technical details. From conception to post-production, we can aid you in crafting your video message, making for a pain-free process that doesn’t tax your staff.
Blogs and eNewsletters: Whether it’s a weekly update to your patient list or a simple blog post--or both--regular communication is essential. Reassuring messages from your team or general updates about new offerings from your organization can be effective marketing tools and excellent conversation starters for your social medical channels.
Solution: HCC can draft a blog and eNewsletter strategy that includes regular updates to help you inform and engage your patients.
Patient Education: Utilizing any number of mediums (audio, video, print), it’s important to share your expertise and resources with patients. You have a wealth of experts and resources at your organization, why not make it accessible and share it?
Solution: Whether it’s video interviews with experts, live webinars, or on-demand resources, HCC can aid in crafting engaging and action-oriented content that reaches patients far and wide.
Telemedicine: There’s no time like the present to encourage virtual appointments. This can save your staff and patients time. And there’s no doubt this is the safer option for patients who may be high-risk. Like the patient portal, how can you encourage virtual appointment settings for patients that generally prefer a face-to-face interaction with their doctor?
Start by raising awareness of this option. Utilizing existing channels like your website, social media channels and your patient portal, telemedicine visits can be easily boosted and deemed much more accessible for patients.
Solution: HCC is well-versed in developing instructions for telemedicine aimed at helping patients and healthcare staff to utilize and raise awareness of this option.
The bottom line: Your goal is to communicate, engage and reach your patient audience. HCC can create tailored content, communication and marketing strategies to support your mission.
Use and the Users of a Patient Portal: Cross-Sectional Study; J Med Internet Res 2018;20(9):e262
URL: https://www.jmir.org/2018/9/e262
DOI: 10.2196/jmir.9418
PMID: 30224334
PMCID: 6231740