Healthcare Success

Empowered patients and retail-like consumerism have become increasingly important in healthcare delivery. But for many medical practices, doctor groups and other healthcare providers, the ability to deliver and measure a positive patient experience remains a bit elusive. This may be due in part to the fact that, traditionally, patients were not seen as “customers,” at […]

By Neil Baum, MD Most of us like to think of ourselves as good to excellent communicators. However, if we were to survey our patients about our communication skills, we would find, to our dismay, that we are deficient in our ability to receive and transmit information to our patients. A study that monitored provider-patient […]

Perhaps the single biggest barrier to the adoption and proliferation of telemedicine has been a financial one. Physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers have avoided or resisted the various forms and formats of "telehealth" because there's no obvious path to monetize the time and effort. Frankly, that's still an issue, but it's changing. Some practitioners […]

Understandably, interpersonal and communications skill is one of the vital core competencies for physicians. But communications is also one of the biggest gaps in physician competency, according to the American Hospital Association’s Physician Leadership Forum. Some of the obvious applications for good communications include working effectively with provider team members, professional colleagues and doctor-patient interaction. […]

Some important national surveys about patient satisfaction have been in the news lately. The company credentials are highly respectable, and the healthcare marketing implications are significant. First on the street was the PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute (PwC, HRI) data that concluded, for healthcare consumers, personal experience is the number one reason for choosing a doctor […]

Healthcare marketing is having a milestone moment. Because the nation’s healthcare delivery system has experienced sweeping changes in the past few years, the textbook list of medical marketing fundamentals needs a significant adjustment. Henceforth, PATIENT EXPERIENCE joins the classic “Seven Ps” of a marketing mix—PEOPLE, PRODUCT, PRICE, PROMOTION, PLACE, PACKAGING, and POSITIONING—for a new total […]

There's one vital step in shaping a positive patient experience that is often forgotten or neglected. In healthcare marketing terms, it's the one step that can make or break everything else you do to put the patient first and grow your brand and reputation. The nature of healthcare delivery is, more than ever before, focused […]

The Patient's Champion helps work all the options that bring services within financial reach Nearly all of our highly successful professional practice clients have at least 1 person on staff whose singular mission is to find ways to make elective procedures affordable. The staff member (often more than 1 person) takes the role of counselor […]

The core concepts of Likeonomics are so essential to successful healthcare branding and marketing that every doctor, dentist, physician, surgeon, provider (and their staff) will find value in this powerful little business book. Healthcare delivery is a highly personal transaction that primarily occurs while a provider and patient are face-to-face. And if this intersection does […]

We do it all the time…often without thinking much about it. To convince, collaborate, entice or persuade, everyone is “selling” something. It can be as casual as nominating a place for lunch, or presenting an idea. And doctors, dentists and virtually all healthcare providers regularly seek agreement and compliance from patients about a course of […]

We've all seen desktop-generated signs in the waiting rooms or reception areas of doctors' offices. Presumably the intent is to help the staff and help the patient. But the problem is that regardless of what they say, they are often a signal of a culture focused on admin and processing and not on a culture […]

Most doctors hate the idea of "sales," "selling," or being a "sales person." To many, the concept behind sales-and the old-school reputation-is more about taking than giving. And it's not just physicians. The culture and mind-set throughout professional ranks-medical practice staff, hospitals, and marketing communicators-is one of concern and providing solutions for individuals in need.

We begin with a true story...with an object lesson for medical practices, healthcare providers and practice administrators about emotionally engaging (and retaining) new patients. Imagine for a moment that you've moved to a new neighborhood. You have two neighboring families...one on either side of your new home. It quickly becomes apparent to the new residents […]

In our work with medical practices throughout the United States we've observed an interesting phenomenon that healthcare providers and administrators might marvel at seeing for themselves. How would your office staff greet each new patient if they thought the individual might be a "secret shopper?" Would the prospect of staff accountability change the way they […]

If you live and work with the hints and helps in short maxims, there are dozens of “five-minute rules” to guide you in everything from computer science to digital discourse. Some of these “rules” are informal at best. In computer science, the five-minute random rule says to cache randomly accessed disk pages that are re-used […]

There’s a lively discussion among doctors and healthcare providers about communicating with patients via email. We’re not talking about the use of occasional and informative broadcast “eNewsletters” (a common healthcare marketing tool) that are sent from a practice or hospital to a list of opt-in patients. This is the arguable notion that a one-to-one email […]

This is a brief post and a brief video about a not-so-brief topic. We see an emerging role for healthcare communicators in this. And if you invest two minutes and 41 seconds, this short video might be the most unique, creative and thoughtful healthcare marketing idea you’ve seen lately. On one hand, there’s the trend […]

Perhaps there is a tendency to take patient satisfaction for granted. It’s the part of doctor marketing that everyone does and, really now…there’s nothing to it. No big deal. Patient presents with symptom…diagnosis confirms…treatment follows…everyone’s happy. Right? Maybe not. Sound clinical care can resolve the medical problem, but the patient may still have a sense […]

The surprising reason why patients leave and the impact to your bottom line. Most say nothing at all...they just don't return. Patient satisfaction is the cornerstone of patient retention. It's difficult to detect, but It is a perception of indifference that causes most people to quit coming back. And the financial loss to your business […]

A guest post by Randall S. Barton, PhD, Managing Partner, Ideopolis LLC We recently read a great article on the Healthcare Success site titled "Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition”—a Surprising Lesson for Doctor Marketing. It prompted us to write about a prevalent misconception in the medical industry today…that meaningful improvements must be big. In reality, […]

Not so long ago, only a few hospitals and medical practices had some sort of “ambassador” on their staff. But as healthcare marketing and delivery systems have changed in recent years, this occasional and sometimes informal position has evolved significantly. Practices, hospitals and health systems large and small have hired physician liaisons for the primary […]

Right about now you might be wondering exactly how the "Spanish Inquisition" catchphrase could possibly harbor a lesson for doctor marketing. The answer is surprisingly simple and it's a useful way to define, create and deliver an exceptional patient experience. To be clear, we're not talking about a patient's medical care or the provider's skills, […]

We have yet to find an online physician and medical practice rating system that is "perfect." Are you aware of how you rate on HealthGrades.com, or ratemds.com, or Vitals.com, or any of the dozens of other physician rating websites that populate the Internet? If someone has taken the time to post a comment, does it […]

How the Voice of the Customer translates into greater case acceptance and referrals. Some interesting study data came to our attention recently. It's useful in understanding patient expectations and increasing case acceptance by way of the "Voice of the Customer" (VOC). It's especially helpful when economic times are challenging for both the patient and the hospital, healthcare […]

You're more likely to hear about "The Hawthorne Effect" on a TV game show than in a hospital marketing staff meeting. The name of this management concept is a bit obscure, but you may already be working for you. So what the heck is "The Hawthorne Effect," and how can it help hospital and healthcare […]

There’s yet another survey out recently that suggests how some surgeons could use the help of communications professionals and training when it comes to doctor-patient communications. Last month’s findings—published in the August issue of the Archives of Surgery—points to the fact that surgeons lack formal training in how to deliver bad news to patients. Effective […]

There's one vital step in shaping a positive patient experience that is often forgotten or neglected. In healthcare marketing terms, it's the one step that can make or break everything else you do to put the patient first and grow your brand and reputation. The nature of healthcare delivery is, more than ever before, focused […]

Patients don't complain, they just quietly fade away. In more ways than one, this is a sad tale...and a lesson learned much too late. In fact, 20 years too late, Following is a true story...

We’ll call this one the tale of the “dead rat ambassador.” It's currently at the top of the list of real-life “horror stories,” in the category of negative hospital public relations and really bad patient experience. (We have photos, so we know it’s true, but who could make up this kind of stuff?) On the […]

A few words from master storytellers. The payoff is in more engaging medical marketing, better physician-patient communications, patient satisfaction and more effective healthcare delivery. Stories and storytelling are at the heart of medical marketing, doctor advertising, hospital public relations and physician-patient interaction. Stories can be conversation, advertising and online testimonials, persuasive guidance for patients, news […]

Here are two distinctly different but well-told stories that are worth sharing. The two storytellers—a photographer based in the Netherlands and an orthopedic surgeon in New York—probably don’t know each other. One story is about social media at work in the hospitality industry. The other is about patient-physician communications. On the surface these topics are […]

It seems that the nation’s hospitals have lifted their patient satisfaction scores, according to a recent survey. Kudos to the hospitals, with the doctors and staff deserving a healthcare marketing salute as well. Data from nearly 3,800 hospitals says that there’s been a 1.6 percent annual increase in the number of positive responses in the […]

What’s your hospital marketing, advertising and public relations strategy going to be with Goliath in your back yard? Here’s the picture… St. John Medical Center in Westlake, Ohio, is less than eight miles (and under 15 minutes) from Fairview Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic facility. If Cleveland Clinic isn’t a Goliath in the hospital world, it’s […]

A highly successful medical device representative that we know jokingly refers to one of his first jobs in college as being a supermarket “samples lady.” And for physicians, hospitals and healthcare marketing professionals there’s a gem of an idea among the free samples and trials. Once or twice a week our friend would pack up […]

Internal marketing simply doesn't work without a patient-centered culture that fosters relationships and genuine patient satisfaction. An effective culture evolves by design, from the top down and needs training, practice and teamwork. There's no need for internal marketing tactics without an emotional connection. When we consult with a hospital, an established healthcare practice or even […]

Sometimes we think that Stewart Gandolf has way too much fun over at his blog, Gandolf’s Marketing Magic. I submit as evidence, and for your consideration, Stewart’s recent post that begins with the story about how a customer complaint became a YouTube music-and-video saga (in three parts) titled United Breaks Guitars. As a quick disclosure, […]

How the patient experience is increasingly vital to financial success in our changing healthcare delivery system. From large health systems to hospitals, to medical practices, relationships and satisfaction connect directly to the bottom line. Professional practices, hospitals and virtually all healthcare providers of any size are increasingly aware that, like the retail business down the […]

We wish we had written that compelling headline because it drew us into an insightful post (that we also wish we had written). Author and business coach Micah Solomon is hitting us with a triple (facetious) dose of ways healthcare providers—particularly hospitals—can avoid service excellence. There must be thousands of ways to fail at customer […]

by Steve Smith, Healthcare Success Senior Consultant A recent consultation with a client in the Midwest revealed that the physician partners only gave lip service to customer service. Oh, they want each patient to have a good experience, of course, but that's as far as their involvement goes. Unfortunately, that put my office manager contact, […]

by Steve Smith, Healthcare Success Senior Consultant Recently, I told you about the negative impact of five cents worth of coffee. That story was really about how a missed opportunity can be costly. Today, I am pleased to tell you about the opposite, about how a few cents worth of product and labor can make […]

Providing patients with online appointment scheduling appears to be growing in some healthcare sectors, but it’s not an option for most patients. People want it. They use online scheduling in other areas of their daily living. There are business advantages for the provider. BUT—online appointments are a convenience that not many providers offer to patients. […]

How to get comfortable with the process of helping people benefit from what you do. Case acceptance is a process of identifying and solving people's problems -- helping someone discover value in what you can provide for them. By another name, that's sales.

What's important to patients and three easy ways to measure approval. Sometimes the flow of patients seems...well, over-flowing. But if you're continually running behind schedule, this could be a danger signal that your quality of care and patient satisfaction are not where you want them to be. Professional and personal fulfillment, for both doctor and […]

Perhaps you’ve followed the Taco Bell ("Of Course We Use Real Beef") PR brouhaha, or you recall the PR catastrophe for BP regarding last year’s gulf oil spill. Admittedly these are big business issues at the tip of the PR disaster sword. The media has a field day, and it’s a spectator sport for the […]

Keeping your patients connected and your schedule full automatically. Using computer and mobile technology to communicate with busy patients, give back time to the busy office staff, keep the appointment calendar filled, and boost productivity is a win-win-win proposition. Here's a new way to automate a time-intensive task-using a "patient's choice" that keeps them connected […]

Editor’s Note: This is an informal round up of iPad healthcare deployment applications that we’ve seen since the product was introduced less than a year ago. Many of the uses listed can be adapted to various professions, specialties and healthcare delivery situations. Most importantly, please help us expand this list. Comment below or send us […]

Tips for provider and staff who talk with reluctant patients scared by economic tough times. Effective physician-patient communication skills are increasingly critical in the clinical setting. Here's why the "new normal" in healthcare now demands a team approach that applies these basic ingredients. It's a page from every successful sales executive's playbook. Some physician stories […]

How to practice your "empathetic listening" for better patient communications Professionals need to be effective communicators, particularly when offering elective care options. Exceptional patient communications begin with careful listening skills that can be cultivated with daily practice.

  by Steve Smith, Healthcare Success Senior Consultant Those of us in healthcare often suffer from diminished peripheral vision. We tend to believe that we work in a vacuum, and that despite whatever else is happening in other professions or businesses, healthcare is governed by a separate, special set of rules. In many ways, of […]

by Kathy Roy Gaughran, Senior Marketing Strategist My travel schedule takes me to the offices of healthcare providers throughout the nation. Each initial visit is a great “first impression” opportunity for me to take the role of a new patient who is seeing the practice with fresh eyes. The “experience” (seeing and feeling what impacts […]