March 15, 2022 - Parul Saini, Webmedy Team
Traditionally, healthcare marketers talked about "patient experience" within their industry. The focus has recently shifted to "consumer experience," and the reason is clear: retail giants continue pushing into the healthcare space, and with them, retail practices and an improved consumer experience.
Before being a patient, a person is a customer looking for the greatest healthcare alternative, just as they do in other retail industries. However, even before they become customers, they are individuals with distinct motives and challenges. They act on deeper internal impulses rather than just following the doctor's advice.
Patients are three-dimensional: they are patients, consumers, and people. They are, nevertheless, first and foremost, humans.
The goal of any health care system is to provide "patient-centered care" that is focused on quality improvement and improved outcomes. Patients do better with connected care, so this reaches the very heart of the healthcare system. Clinical and operational services primarily drive patient-centric care: "How can we best serve the patient? and while it ultimately benefits the patient, it is not readily apparent to the patient and therefore doesn't influence their decision.
Patient-centric care includes things like:
The consumer-centric experience helps patients understand and choose the right treatment. Rather than just considering episodic needs, it considers patients' healthcare journey (not just episodes) and how they decide who to choose based on ease/convenience and emotional considerations, such as, "Who do you feel is a trustworthy healthcare advisor?"
Consumer-centric experience includes things like:
To be 'human-first', you must remember the people who are your patients, acknowledge their feelings, and consider their larger motivations and challenges. At the end of the day, health goals are based on larger - human - motivations. The goal of people wanting to be healthy is not just to be healthy or because the doctor told them to be healthy - they want to be healthy to be able to be with their families and friends, do the things they love, and enjoy life's moments. However, you also have to deal with human challenges unique to each individual. Humans are creatures of habit, influenced by the environment that surrounds them, as well as different biological tendencies. Being human-first should be evident in every aspect of healthcare - from human-to-human interactions to the tone you use.
Because ultimately healthcare is about people feeling better, recovering from illnesses, and enjoying wellness, you must be aware of these differences. To improve patient and consumer experiences, health systems must move beyond tactical fixes and individual care encounters. Patient and consumer journeys must be better connected across all channels and stages. To do so, silos must be broken down between clinical services and across hospital departments (both clinical and non-clinical).
In other words:
Marketing professionals need to focus on the patient experience and consumer experience, but first and foremost, they must remember that we are all human. In the end, being human-first means focusing on the patient journey and the healthcare personas - the actual people who use your health system.
March 20, 2022
January 23, 2022
February 10, 2023
November 15, 2022
November 8, 2022
November 4, 2022
August 26, 2022
September 30, 2023
April 7, 2022
September 18, 2023
March 30, 2022
March 29, 2022
March 24, 2022
Stay informed.
Get access to award-winning industry coverage, including latest news, case studies and expert advice.
Success in Technology is about staying Informed!
Subscribe to Webmedy Youtube Channel for Latest Videos
Donate
Your generous donation makes a huge difference!
February 10, 2023
November 15, 2022
November 8, 2022
Stay informed.
Get access to award-winning industry coverage, including latest news, case studies and expert advice.
Success in Technology is about staying Informed!
Subscribe to Webmedy Youtube Channel for Latest Videos
Donate
Your generous donation makes a huge difference!