Marketing Research with a Focus on Patient Experiences
Earlier today I had the pleasure of describing some of the leading research techniques to the NACCDO/PAN marketing group, this year hosted by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Our discussion was focused on ways to elicit feedback from patients, families and referring physicians to guide understanding, delivery, and monitoring of the patient experience. Below is [...]
My Job is to Save Your Ass, Not to Kiss It
At a recent presentation, an attendee provided an enlightening example of the frequent disconnect between clinical and service excellence. She shared the story of a nursing unit in her hospital (which shall remain nameless) whose nursing staff had put the following on the unit station wall: “Our job is to save your ass, not to [...]
Marketing Execs Among Lowest Paid
Those responsible for revenue generation are among the lowest paid healthcare system executives, according to a study by Sullivan, Cotter and Associates, published in Modern Healthcare (http://www.modernhealthcare.com) and available for purchase here (http://bit.ly/9ErrlE). Among marketing executive types (the study references Communications, Marketing, Fund Development, Managed Care, Business Development, but not Physician Relations), the marketing category [...]
Optimal Healing Environments
One thing I have learned through interviewing patients is that sometimes the “little things” make the biggest difference. Bonuses like receiving valet parking vouchers for their first appointment or listening to a volunteer play a musical instrument in the waiting room add significant value for patients. This is especially true given that most patients can’t [...]
Creative Cross-Functional Solutions
I recently attended the Health Forum and American Hospital Association Leadership Summit in San Diego. One theme that I noticed was hospitals improving efficiency by using creative cross-functional solutions. A few specific ideas that I found particularly interesting and inspiring: To better support employees, SSM Healthcare – St. Louis developed a HR Consultant role. Instead [...]
Healthcare Marketers – Pay Attention to the Competition
For healthcare organizations, it is often the hardest question to answer that is also the most frequently overlooked. Strategic marketing planning often begins with a rigorous review of capabilities, market trends, and market share data. But while the best segmentation scheme can enable incremental and/or accidental growth, it’s most important to determine from whom you will take market share. Through [...]
Experience Management Pays Big Dividends
BusinessWeek highlights Providence Regional Medical Center as an exemplar of cost cutting while implementing quality assurance measures. Most interesting about the case study is that Providence adheres to some principles of patient experience management by addressing patients functional AND emotional needs. All this while improving perceived quality, internal alignment, and reducing costs. Some examples highlighted [...]
Authentic Patient Stories Selling False Hope
This according Natasha Singer from the New York Times (see article). We’ve interviewed thousands of cancer patients about their functional and emotional needs using a technique we call experience mapping. Based on those findings, most patients seek the support only available at our leading cancer centers because they do not have access to the scope [...]
Insights from University of Michigan Health System Experience Mapping Study
During a presentation at the Fourteenth National Forum on Customer Based Marketing Strategies held earlier in 2009 in Las Vegas, John McKeever, president of Gelb Consulting Group and Jim Macksood, associate director of brand strategy and communication at the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS), shared their insights about an experience mapping study conducted at [...]
All About Expectations
Health care is often compared to hospitality, so I paid particular attention to my recent hotel stay at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia.