Marketing's Critical Role in Patient Care

Patient-centered care is one of the latest movements in the world of healthcare. Providers and organizations are finding more ways to improve the patient experience and ensure each patient receives the individualized care they crave.

However, this patient-centered care is not possible without the help of marketing. Healthcare marketers are critical for delivering a strong, consistent experience at each part of the patient journey. Healthcare marketers are central to conclusive patient care by providing brand continuity and enhancing communication.

Read on to learn more about how marketing is crucial to patient care and how marketers can improve the patient experience.

Creating a Consistent Experience Each Step of the Way

Obtaining medical care is daunting for many patients. Some have poor past experiences, and many are unsure of what to expect. Brand continuity provides patients with the predictability they want and builds foundational trust in the provider-patient experience. That loyalty is why the average revenue increase for brand consistency is 33%.

Healthcare marketing is crucial for brand continuity. Among other benefits:

• It ensures a good first impression online as patients search for their symptoms, conditions or providers. This experience typically starts on Google but continues to the healthcare website. A user-friendly, easy-to-find, welcoming webpage creates a better patient experience and eases apprehension.
• Marketing ensures that appointment setting and patient portal experiences are both informative and easy. When the patient portal matches the branding in usability and appearance, patients will have an easier time navigating and building trust in the organization. A smooth pre-appointment process will help patients prepare for their upcoming appointment and get most of the paperwork out of the way.
• When the time comes for patients to come in-office for their appointment, on-point marketing ensures a seamless transition from their digital experience. This is where collaboration with providers and staff is crucial. Collaborative teamwork ensures that all staff members are as informative as the website and that providers have the information they need on hand to provide the best possible patient experience.
• Marketing doesn’t stop at the appointment. Follow-up is crucial for providing optimal patient support and gaining powerful insights into the patient experience. A mobile-optimized survey shows patients that you care about their needs and offers brand continuity beyond their appointment.

At each step of the patient experience, marketing is a crucial key. It lowers apprehension, provides valuable resources and offers seamless experience.

Collaboration: Working Together to Improve the Patient Experience

Because of marketing’s critical role in the patient journey, collaboration with providers, staff, and IT professionals will ensure consistent care at each step. Here are some steps to ensuring successful collaboration:

• Recognize broad organizational goals. No one department can reach organizational goals on its own. Instead, everyone needs to recognize the overarching goals they would like to achieve, such as revenue, growth and efficiency. Concentrating on these goals will clarify marketing strategies and ensure everyone works together to achieve them.
• Open your communication channels. Communication between teams and leadership will ensure everyone has access to the information they need to provide a  positive and memorable patient experience. Drive productive conversations by learning the business language of each team member and building open communication channels and transparency.
• Share data and success. One team's win is everyone’s win. More visibility within the organization gives everyone access to the same information. For example, sharing the results of customer surveys provides valuable feedback to all teams to help improve their departments.

Providing a Consistent Patient Experience

Healthcare marketers who concentrate on how they contribute to patient well-being will have more success building a consistent brand that helps organizations reach their overall goals. Patient experience is not limited to the waiting room or doctor’s office. Marketers who embrace their role in patient-centered care meet the needs of healthcare organizations more effectively.

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Article Written by: Alex Brown