Today’s healthcare environment is moving away from traditional models of treating conditions after they happen. More patients are looking for preventative care options that can keep them healthy today and into the future. With well known medications causing undesirable effects as well, this need is compounded even more. Thus, this desire has pushed our model of care into one that values holistic, integrated health.
Patients wanting this type of healthcare is only part of the story. Healthcare organizations, medical device companies, and makers of health-related tech must be poised to find ways to market their services to appeal to those looking for preventative health measures.
You must consider aspects like reputation management when you sell or promote these services to ensure that you won’t have problems in the future. You also need a robust plan for reaching patients who may not be typical users of this type of care. Of course, any time you are discussing marketing dollars, getting the biggest bang for your buck and keeping referrals within your healthcare network are the most important factors.
There are several ways healthcare companies can market preventative health services, apps, and other devices to this patient population. Here are a few proven ways to sell your businesses preventative health services and equipment.
Why Is Preventative Care Popular?
Changes to the structure and provision of healthcare services happen when public health laws are revised. Laws regulate the care and services provided to patients and the professionals who administer them. Preventative health is often influenced by regulations that keep the community safe by limiting exposure to harmful chemicals, products, or pollution. One example of past health policy that has changed to protect the community is the consumption of tobacco cigarettes in public areas.
A modern health problem that is a hot topic today is the regulation of e-cigarettes. As researchers discover the long-term effects of e-cigarette usage, more laws may be passed to keep people safe. Nicotine and other chemicals are administered to people who use e-cigs through the vapors that are inhaled. As more data is made available about the use of these devices, health laws will change.
As a healthcare facility or company, you can use health policy to develop ways to stay ahead of the marketplace in preventative care. For example, if laws change regarding e-cigarettes, this may be an excellent place to put marketing dollars into reaching those who use them. This logic can be used for public health issues such as behavioral health integration, obesity, and the opioid crisis.
Consider Technology
Technological advancements have been slower on the uptake in the healthcare industry. However, over the past few years, many tech companies have ventured into the health and wellness space. Patients use apps to track overall health and wellness, monitor their progress towards fitness goals, and even track the symptoms of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Creating a health-related app or another tech-driven solution for patients to take control of their overall wellness presents an excellent opportunity for healthcare organizations. Health-related apps have many advantages for patients. Apps make it easy for patients to send messages and critical data to their providers. App development companies can build in app-based learning modules for specific illnesses so that patients can learn preventative health strategies on-the-go. Another excellent feature of app-based health is that doctors have the ease of remote patient monitoring, which can increase access to care for patients in rural settings or those who have difficulty getting to a care provider.
If your company develops, owns, or collaborates on this type of tech, you can market it as a unique feature of your health system. You can also advertise through your physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals as they work with consumers. When creating a marketing campaign, be sure to advertise your services as a way to control critical health aspects like weight, blood pressure, or overall risk of developing chronic conditions.
Educate Patients on the Benefits
Healthcare organizations are continually educating their consumers about the benefits of care, treatment, and complementary therapies. Lifestyle changes such as exercise, diet, and taking steps to prevent varicose veins, diabetes, or other conditions can be the difference between health and illness for many patients. To help your consumers and increase the reach of your company, you need to utilize internal marketing resources, including your own staff.
You can leverage your healthcare professionals to market the need for preventative healthcare. Train nurses and doctors on your full array of services at all sites so that they can cross-sell and refer patients within your system. You can also advertise preventative services in doctor’s offices, on elevators, and in other high-traffic areas.
You should also maximize multi-channel initiatives and consider all touchpoints along the continuum of care when creating a robust preventative health strategy. During discharge from acute care is a critical time to sell services to consumers. For example, if a patient is admitted for an exacerbation of a respiratory disease, but also lives with anxiety and high-stress levels, it might be an excellent time to market an app on mindfulness or complementary therapies like massage, reiki, or essential oils. You should also increase the use of chatbots and provide your web address and phone numbers to improve the consumers’ ability to reach you later.
Market Your Preventative Health Services
Every healthcare administrator or marketer knows that protecting patient information is critical to the facility’s reputation. However, marketing preventative health in today’s holistic health environment is just as essential to the overall success of the organization. Use these tips to educate your patients, increase touchpoints, and develop apps and other tech to expand your reach of preventative healthcare.