by Jon Headlee
An Ounce of PreventionPersonal awareness plays an important role in prevention. But, many times, that's the toughest nut to crack — because many of us just don't have a realistic picture of ourselves, especially in terms of our own health. That's why we need a partner to help us get a clear perspective — that could be a spouse, a parent, sure — but, ideally, this person is a doctor (who has less of a personal bias than a family member). Clinicians are working to develop models that can better predict outcomes so that doctors can see the signs and find opportunities for early interventions. We all know that an increased emphasis on prevention and wellness is going to help with rising health care costs — as well as improving outcomes. And, the birth of the mighty EMR is generating vast amounts of patient information that can give us new insights about prevention in real-time. Providers can focus on population health management and outcomes rather than on episodic care that only looks at the symptoms of the moment. Prevention is a strategy. And it touches every aspect of our hospital and its operations — long-term planning, marketing, our culture and the way we deliver services.
Strategic PlanningThe Affordable Care Act is no longer this thing looming in the distant future. It's here. And it's real. While this is scary to some folks, luckily, smart marketers like us are armed with the knowledge that, by focusing on prevention, we can come out ahead of the rest of the pack. So, exactly how do we increase patient awareness and get them excited about wellness? Major changes in technology have enabled our staff and patients to access information faster — and to use it more effectively. Mobile diagnosis and even treatment increases convenience and immediacy — and provides that instant gratification our society has groomed us to crave. Our consumers are more mobile than ever — they want to interact with us. They want an experience. So let's give them what they want!
MarketingAs hospital marketers, we must position our hospitals as places of prevention and wellness. We must provide an experience that is rooted in prevention, in wellness. This requires a holistic approach to content development and delivery, whether we're engaging patients digitally, traditionally or in person. Smartphones are a vital tool to distributing our marketing messages and even health information. In fact, the ability to interact with doctors and health coaches via text message is becoming increasingly popular, giving patients the health relationship they crave. The experience they are looking for. We can use technology and communication tools to build our reputation as trusted resources.
CultureIf we expect patients to take charge of their own wellness, then we should expect the same from our employees. After all, if a patient is holding themselves to a high standard, they certainly hold us to one that’s even higher. Not fair, but it's reality. Our interactions with them have to be relevant. Believable. After all, taking health advice from a physician who could obviously take some of his or her own advice is a pretty tough pill for a patient to swallow. We have to walk the talk — and practice what we preach. This builds credibility — and can inspire patients to make changes of their own. Focusing on prevention will also affect how we interact with our corporate audiences. Our industry partners, from our own physicians to insurance and pharmaceutical companies, will have to work more closely with us to achieve positive outcomes. How will each of our roles change? And how will we benefit?
OperationsBy focusing our business model on prevention, we can provide an efficient back-office experience that eliminates inefficiencies and frustrations — and helps build a healthier organization, both financially and operationally. It enables us to be more proactive than ever, to achieve the ideal healthy state for our hospital. Prevention is a powerful tool in every hospital marketer's bag of tricks. What does a prevention-oriented future look like for you and your hospital? |
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