Category: medical practice

Why Marketing Is Essential for Private Medical Practices

Consumerism across all industries has drastically changed the way professionals need to market their products or services, and the healthcare industry is no exception. With so many options available to patients today, healthcare facilities and companies must go the extra mile to market their business if they want to continue attracting and retaining new customers.

This is especially true for smaller, private practices. The field of private medicine is even more niche, which means you have to do even more to stand out against larger healthcare companies. It’s all too easy for someone to do a search and find the bigger, more popular facilities that can address their needs, but it’s much harder to find the smaller places that offer more specialized care and services.

The only way to make yourself known among the myriad medical solutions providers, general practitioners, and healthcare specialists, is to engage in marketing yourself. Marketing is essential for private medical practices for two main reasons — the first is somewhat obvious, and it’s the axiom that you can’t sell anything without marketing it first. Sure, you might be generated leads through referrals, but you can’t rely on others to market for you forever. The second reason is that your competitors are already doing it. They’re already fishing in your pond, and you’re never going to catch any fish without casting a line yourself.

Even if you are only comparing your business to other private practices, it is still a competitive market. Just because you offer specialized services does not mean you can simply sit and wait for patients to find you. You have to actively put your services out there and market them in a way that shows patients why they should choose your business over other private practices.

What is Medical Practice Marketing?

Marketing is the practice of using strategic outreach and communications to attract and retain customers. For healthcare workers and the private medical practice field, this specifically involves developing a marketing strategy that shepherds people through their healthcare journey from start (when they are just prospective patients searching the internet) to finish (or for as long as they remain a client/patient).

Some of the best medical practice marketing strategies utilize multi-channel tactics to target specific markets through the use of online and offline efforts to drive engagement. The more places your marketing is, the more new patients you will attract.

What Medical Practice Marketing is Not

To further help you understand what marketing is and how it can help your practice, let’s consider some common marketing misconceptions which could be influencing your hesitance about developing your own marketing strategy:

1. Marketing Is Too Expensive

Marketing is neither expensive nor inexpensive. Like anything you do or buy for your business that offers you a return on your investment, marketing is what you put into it.

If you buy a piece of cheap medical equipment, it might not really bring you the results you were hoping for, which means it might not end up being worth the money you paid for it. But if you buy the higher priced piece of equipment that is more reliable, it is a larger spend upfront, but in the long run, it’s not really expensive because it gets you a much higher return on your investment.

In this same vein, good marketing isn’t really expensive because of what it gives you; good marketing can be low-cost and still significantly boost your return on investment (ROI). No matter the cost, good marketing brings you more clients and patients. It increases your profits.

Of course, it’s also all about how you spend your money on marketing. If you have a quality, well-thought-out strategic plan, you can be more mindful of your budget and make the money that you do put into marketing go a lot further for you.

But if you simply throw your money at marketing that you haven’t really put the time and effort into, then yes, you might end up wasting that money, which means you might end up having made an expensive purchase that doesn’t deliver results.

2. Marketing Is About Quantity, Not Quality

As marketing has increased in popularity in recent years, many believe that you just need to constantly produce as much marketing content as possible to stay ahead of the game. But this just isn’t true.

A little time spent on quality marketing will go further than a lot of time spent on poor marketing. In general, good marketing still takes time and effort, but you don’t need to constantly churn out content if you do things well the first time around.

As a private medical practice, you don’t have the time to be a content-generating workhorse. And you don’t need to be. If you simply put in a little extra time and effort upfront, then you will have higher quality content that is more reliable and will deliver results over time for a longer period.

3. Marketing Is Only About You and Your Business

While your goal with marketing your practice might be about improving the success of your practice, your marketing should not center around you and your business. Marketing is really about your customers — your patients.

If you stand and shout, “hey, look at me, come look at my business and what we’re doing,” you might initially garner some attention, but today’s consumers are more discerning than they used to be. This means the marketing experience really needs to be about them, what your business can offer them, and how you benefit them — not the other way around.

If customers or patients don’t think you actually care about them and their needs and you are just trying to make a sale, then they won’t stick around. So your marketing shouldn’t be about you; it should be about them and what you can do for them. In fact, investing in community building is one of the most effective ways to humanize your brand — give to your customer base, and they will be much more likely to give you their business.

4. Marketing Isn’t Substantial Enough

While content marketing, such as the content on your website and blogs, is a big part of marketing, it is not the only part of it. If you want to expand your reach and generate more revenue, your marketing needs to be multichannel or a mix of different mediums.

A good website and website content is a great place to start, but simply building a website and paying for some blogs every now and then will only get you so far. Again, what you get out of your marketing will depend on what you put into it.

So when creating a strategy, consider all the avenues through which you can market your practice. This includes digital marketing, such as your website, blogs, e-newsletters, emails, social media, videos, podcasts, digital ads, etc., as well as traditional marketing, like print advertising and tv and radio ads.

The more varied your marketing, the more it will engage and attract your target audience. Consumers today like to be wowed. If you do the same thing over and over again, they will lose interest. As such, it might even be worth it to hire a third party that specializes in multichannel marketing solutions — at the very least, you know that you’ll be getting fresh and effective strategy and ideas.

How To Build a Quality Medical Practice Marketing Strategy

Now that you know the “why,” it’s time to start considering the “how.” How do you create quality marketing for your private medical practice?

There are so many ways you can go about this. There is no one right way to build a marketing strategy. And in many ways, it can depend on the specific needs of your individual practice. But we’ll cover the basics with a few of the best medical practice marketing strategies.

1. Build a Consistent Brand

Consistency is key in brand strategies and marketing, especially in the healthcare industry. Your audience needs to know exactly what to expect from you and to walk away from their experiences having had those expectations met. The way to do this is to build a strong and recognizable brand that delivers on its promises.

What is your brand—your practice all about? What do you care about? What kind of experience do you offer your patients?

Your customers need to know who you are — that they can trust you, and that you will deliver the experience that you said you would. This not only boosts your brand’s awareness but will result in higher customer retention rates.

2. Create a Quality Website

Seamless digital patient experiences are a must in today’s world of digitally savvy consumers. In healthcare, this starts with a quality website that patients can easily navigate and find exactly what they need. Websites are also a great way to collect consumer data that you can use to improve your marketing.

Think of your website as the face of your business. It is often the first thing a prospective patient sees when looking into your business, so it needs to make an impression. If your website isn’t good, chances are people won’t bother to come visit your practice in person.

A quality website with a seamless digital experience can make all the difference in the healthcare industry. If your website isn’t professional and engaging, then the customer will assume that your business isn’t professional and engaging.

3. Optimize Your Content to Improve Search Rankings

Again, one of the first ways a prospective patient discovers a new medical practice is through their website. The way they find that website is by conducting a search using sites like Google.

If you want your practice to be among the first results that pop up after someone performs a search, you need to be using SEO — Search Engine Optimization. SEO involves using keywords and phrases in your content to help people find you when they are looking for certain services.

For example, if someone needs help with a certain medical condition like diabetes, and your practice specializes in endocrinology, you would want to use specific keywords or phrases in your content related to that topic so your website will come up in search results for that person. If you don’t optimize your content, your website likely won’t rank high compared to your competitors, which means people won’t discover your practice as easily.

4. Boost Your Social Media Presence

Billions of consumers use social media today, and not just for socializing and posting pictures with their friends. Social media is a tool for discovering new brands, products, and services. So if your medical practice isn’t on social media, you are missing out on a large audience.

The notion that social media is unprofessional is outdated. Everyone is on social media, and it is an excellent way for your practice to engage your patients and prospective patients by posting tips, news, and other noteworthy healthcare information. This helps users keep you in mind when they require medical services.

Wrapping Up

These are just some of the tactics you can use to get started, but the important thing to take away is that your private medical practice needs quality marketing. And that marketing can significantly boost your chances of success and help you attract and retain more patients. The healthcare industry is always changing, so it’s essential to stay on top of marketing to ensure your private practice stays relevant and competitive.

 Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in lifestyle, mental health, activism-related content. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Katie, you can follow her on Twitter. 

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

4 Ways to Improve Medical Back Office Operations

The back office is the beating heart of any healthcare organization. It’s responsible for everything from administrative tasks to financial management, ensuring that the facility runs smoothly and efficiently. Yet, despite its crucial function, the back office can often feel overlooked, underutilized, or improperly managed. This blog post will discuss four effective ways to improve medical back office operations and help your healthcare facility to operate more smoothly.

 

Standardize Procedures

One of the most important steps in improving back office operations is standardizing procedures. Each staff member should understand their role and follow established guidelines for managing patient paperwork, billing, and more. Establishing clear procedures and protocols can create consistency in your workflow, which leads to improved accuracy and efficiency. This also ensures a standard of care that all patients can expect when visiting your facility. Creating a standard operating procedure manual can help you ensure everyone follows the same procedures, so start by outlining steps for common tasks, including scheduling appointments, patient check-ins, and processing claims.

 

Automate Processes

Automation is the key to increasing efficiency in the back office. Manual data entry can be time-consuming and prone to errors. Automation of tasks and processes where possible, such as scheduling appointments and processing insurance claims, can free up valuable time for employees to devote to other necessary tasks. Additionally, adopting a patient management system that incorporates automation can increase accuracy and productivity—automating billing and sending reminders to patients for example can result in fewer missed appointments and improved collections.

 

Integrate Technology

One of the most effective ways to improve back-office efficiency is to integrate technology into your workflow. Software solutions such as medical billing software, EHR software (such as drchrono, or Cerner) can simplify administrative tasks, while automated patient management systems or electronic payments systems can streamline financial management. The healthcare industry now offers web-based systems such as MyMedLeads, which not only has a suite of patient acquisition tools, but also serves as a communication platform for doctors and patients.

 

Back Office Healthcare Operations Software

The right software solutions can dramatically improve back-office operations. Rather than relying on manual processes that are prone to errors, healthcare facilities should consider implementing back office healthcare operations software. Medical billing software, for example, can help you manage financial information and payments more efficiently, resulting in fewer delays and higher collections. Medical practice management software can streamline scheduling and reduce wait times for patients. In addition to these software solutions there are modern back office healthcare platforms that provide various components (like billing, claims processing, and documentation) within the same platform, unifying workflows to increase efficiency and reduce error rates.

 

Implementing standardized procedures, automation, as well as technology and software solutions can all aid in boosting the efficiency and productivity of your back office operations. Healthcare facilities that successfully implement these methods will have a streamlined workflow, improved accuracy and precision, and be able to provide better quality care to patients. With the right tools and mindset, medical facilities can achieve a high level of operational success and improve their medical outcomes.

Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her husky, Snowball.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

The Future of Healthcare: Why Nurse Practitioners are Poised to Play a Major Role

Healthcare in the United States has been in a rough spot for— well…quite some time. Covid certainly didn’t invent the struggles of Western healthcare but it did intensify them. Hospitals all across the country are suffering from dangerous personnel shortages that have made it challenging to deliver even basic levels of care to certain communities.

It’s a bad situation. But while the number of nurses shrinks, nurse practitioners have been growing enormously in prominence.

In this article, we talk about what nurse practitioners do, and how they are poised to shape the future of healthcare.

Nurse Practitioners Declutter the Healthcare System

One of the healthcare system’s greatest problems in the United States—

That’s a long list, friend.

Fair enough, one of the many problems is that hospitals have more patients than they do people who are qualified to see them. Nurse practitioners can help to relieve some of that burden by providing much of the same care that doctors have traditionally offered.

There are limitations to the extent that this is allowable. Many of these regulations are regional. For example, some states require nurse practitioners to get a doctor to sign off on all of their determinations, which can nullify the time-saving benefits.

However, in states with more permissive laws, this can be an enormous boon. Keep in mind that it takes a lot less time for someone to become a nurse practitioner than it does for someone to become an MD. This means that it is much easier for hospitals to staff up on nurse practitioners.

NPs can work on a wide range of different floors, from neonatal to maternal, allowing hospitals to declutter, and patients to get better quicker care. Fewer patient bottlenecks is better for everyone.

NPs in Private Practice

One of the big appeals of becoming a nurse practitioner is that it can allow you to effectively open up your own practice. Like so many things concerning the life of an NP, this will depend on where you live. However, in many states, nurse practitioners can make diagnoses and prescribe medication just like a general practitioner.

Sometimes, an NP’s ability to do this will be contingent on how long they have been practicing. Other times, it’s simply a matter of getting licensed and setting up a practice.

This is great for patients because it gives them more opportunities to receive care. Many people, particularly those living in areas with limited access to healthcare professionals, are finding that they have to wait more than a year to get a wellness visit.

This is a frustrating, sometimes even dangerous dynamic that more nurse practitioners could help solve.

If you are interested in becoming a nurse practitioner in the hopes of setting up your own practice, do some research about your local laws before you get too far in the process.

It is a Good Option for Burnt-out Nurses

You can’t seem to turn on the news without hearing more about the ongoing healthcare crisis that is taking place in the United States. Since Covid-19 hit it seems that hospitals everywhere have been dangerously understaffed.

This was brought to renewed attention a few months ago when a nurse working in Washington made national headlines for dialing 911 after her hospital reached a breaking point and had too few employees to treat their current patient load.

While that episode was dramatic, it was far from unique. Hospitals everywhere have been overwhelmed by the recent nursing shortage. While it is tempting to lay this crisis at Covid’s feet, the truth is that it has been a long time coming.

For years, experts have been warning about this. The problem? Many people have been leaving nursing, and not enough are coming up to replace them.

The culprit is burnout. Nursing is hard, so people look for different jobs. The healthcare industry, and all the people that it serves suffer as a result.

To become a nurse practitioner is to pivot into a similar, but perhaps more comfortable gig. NPs make more money, work friendlier hours, and get to work with patients on an entirely different scale.

In an industry that is in desperate need of personnel retention, more NPs would be an enormous boon with truly transformative potential.

Where are We At Now?

It sounds like more nurse practitioners would be a great thing for this country. And that’s all well and good, but it doesn’t really matter if we don’t have them, does it? Where are we at now?

That’s a good question. While it wouldn’t be right to say that the United States healthcare system’s need for nurse practitioners is being met, it is fair to say that the profession’s growth rate is in promising shape.

Between 2012-2022 the number of nurse practitioners nationwide grew by a whopping 30%—more than three times the national average for professional growth.

That’s an impressive figure by any metric, and all the more notable when compared to the numbers for regular nurses. RNs are expected to grow by only 6% in the next ten years.

It’s hard to contextualize exactly what this means for the American healthcare system. On the one hand, more nurse practitioners are great. This is definitely a “the more the merrier,” type of situation.

That said, we do still need bedside nurses, and that job market is still in questionable condition. It seems that no matter what happens, the US healthcare system will look different ten years from now than it does today.

A healthy stock of nurse practitioners won’t be able to solve all of our problems, but they certainly will help the transition into a brighter future.

With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Tackling Bias in Healthcare: Strategies for Promoting Equity and Inclusion

The world has made great strides socially, economically, technologically and in many other fields during the last century. One of those fields that has seen astounding growth through ingenuity, creativity, and in effectiveness is the modern healthcare system.

Heart transplants are now a household idea; cancer survival rates are much higher. These many advances contribute to an increase in average lifespans in the U.S. which, in 1900 was only 47 years old, and in 2019 was 79 years of age. Clearly the healthcare systems and technologies available today are tending to a variety of procedures and techniques that help to make the lives of millions of people per year much better.

Sadly, despite those advances, there are still challenges to healthcare. One problem is a rising awareness in scholarly research that has uncovered an uncomfortable fact: implicit bias.

What is Implicit Bias

Implicit bias refers to an attitude and personality expression of stereotypes that affect one’s understanding, decision, and actions in an unconscious manner. Such biases, whether favorable or unfavorable, are present and active often without voluntary awareness or control. These unconscious biases (also known as hidden biases or implicit biases), demonstrate that a lot of social behavior is controlled by the conditioned stereotypes that people operate out of automatically.

While the root of this unconscious bias is proposed to have been a product of evolutionary biology— as a means of promoting survival by quickly determining and sorting persons into various categories based on social and other characteristics— humankind has not lost these traits. The ability of human beings to do this is helpful in many instances, but as is being uncovered through such studies, can have an ugly side. These implicit biases, which give order to our lives by enabling us to put people into categories for cooperation or protection, are also the foundations of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination.

Once learned, such prejudices and stereotypes are strong and very often resistant to change even in the face of evidence that exposes its reality.  A collective study done by researchers at Harvard University, University of Virginia, and the University of Washington called the Implicit Association Test  (IAT) gathered more than 4.5 million tests and their results from 1998 until 2006.

The quick summary of their findings was that a) implicit bias is a pervasive societal element, b) people are often unaware of these implicit biases, c) implicit biases are predictors of behavior, and d) people will differ in the strengths and expressions of those biases.

The results of these unconscious biases are multitudinous, and while no aspect of our lives is free from these judgements, for the purposes of this discussion, we are only focusing on how these affect the healthcare system. Here are some researched findings about how implicit bias demonstrates itself in the healthcare system.

Examples of Implicit Bias in Healthcare

As healthcare systems began to administer these IAT tests there were a variety of effects which were uncovered.

  • Non-white patients are less likely to receive certain interventions for cardiovascular problems.
  • Patients of color are likely to be personally blamed for their poor health as a result of their own irresponsibility or passivity.
  • Ethnic minorities, people with lower levels of education, and those who are unemployed, spend longer time waiting for care— black and Latino populations 19-25 minutes more on average.
  • Physician held false beliefs about patients due to skin color.

Regardless of the variety of consequential outcomes, the main point is that differences in treatment rendered based upon decisions unconsciously informed by implicit biases leads to failures in patient-centered care, levels of interpersonal communication, trust, and diagnoses.

The research supports the idea that a relationship between medical professional biases and patient care can contribute to disparities in how healthcare is administered. These cognitive biases when interacting with race, gender, age etc., affect clinician behavior, decisions.

Thus, things like patients’ avoidance of healthcare systems, lower participation in screenings, delays to care, and overall lower reviews of health care professionals arise. So, the question becomes, what can be done? The following are some strategies for promoting equity and inclusion in healthcare despite cognitive biases.

Strategies for Promoting Equity and Inclusion in Healthcare

Implicit bias, as has been shown, is a present force in our society today not just in a broad sense, but in specific demonstrations such as in the medical field. With this comes the necessity for solutions which will help to reduce this. Here are some strategies for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare:

  • Education: informing medical professionals of the reality and possibility of unconscious biases which might include
    • Stereotype replacement— helping others to recognize unconscious responses based upon the various major demographic markers of age, race, sex, religion, etc.
    • Renewed language— language, which is tethered to stereotypes, limits the ability for understanding, thereby encouraging thought behavior toward various demographics. Providing new, specific words and phrases as alternatives to stereotypical slang helps to promote a shift in mindset.
    • Perspective— providing cultural context, even generally, can help to create understanding for the variety of struggles which are common to certain people groups. This understanding breeds compassion and patience which translates to patient care.
  • Offering opportunities for cross cultural engagement interdepartmentally would encourage more empathy for various people groups.
  • Staffing departments for greater diversification encourages everyday observation promoting greater cultural sensitivity.

Any practice of such strategies will begin to gradually diminish the presence of bias in healthcare, and as such should be thoughtfully implemented in healthcare offices.

With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

5 Steps to Become a Medical Director

A medical director is a physician who provides oversight for a clinical program or department within a healthcare organization. As a medical director, you will be responsible for ensuring that the quality of care provided meets or exceeds expectations and complies with all regulatory requirements. If you are interested in becoming a medical director, follow these five steps.

 

Earn Your MD or DO Degree

The first step to becoming a medical director is to earn your medical degree from an accredited institution. You will need to complete four years of undergraduate coursework followed by four years of medical school. Once you have earned your degree, you will need to obtain a license to practice medicine in your state.

Complete Your Residency Training

After you have obtained your medical degree and license, you will need to complete a residency training program. Residency training programs last for three to seven years, depending on your specialty. During your residency, you will receive hands-on training in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

 

Obtain Board Certification

Once you have completed your residency training, you will need to obtain board certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). To be eligible for board certification, you must pass an examination that tests your knowledge and skills in your chosen specialty. Once you have passed the examination, you will be considered board-certified in your specialty.

 

Join a Professional Organization

After you have obtained your medical degree, completed your residency training, and become board-certified, you should consider joining a professional organization such as the American Medical Association (AMA) or the American College of Physicians (ACP). These organizations offer many benefits such as networking opportunities, educational resources, and advocacy on behalf of physicians.

 

Apply for Medical Director Positions

Once you have completed all of the previous steps, you can begin applying for medical director positions at healthcare organizations. To increase your chances of being hired, it is important to tailor your resume and cover letter to each position and highlight any relevant experience or skills that you possess. Additionally, networking with individuals who work at the healthcare organization where you would like to work can also help increase your chances of being hired for the position.

 

If you are interested in becoming a medical director, follow these five steps: earn your MD or DO degree from an accredited institution, complete a residency training program, obtain board certification, join a professional organization, and apply for medical director positions at healthcare organizations. With hard work and dedication, you can achieve your goal of becoming a medical director!

Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her husky, Snowball.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Marketing and Design Tactics to Make Your Medical Website Standout

The patient is the heart and soul of any medical practice. Supporting patients and their loved ones through some of life’s most important, and often most difficult, moments is the mission of every healthcare provider.

 

However, the practice of medicine is also, fundamentally, a business. After all, you can’t do this vital work if you can’t reach the ones who need you most. This is where the significance of digital marketing shines through. A robust online presence and, in particular, the creation of a strong, functional medical website, can be instrumental in helping you acquire new patients and build meaningful relationships with existing ones.

 

The problem, though, is that all too often medical websites are geared toward a homogenous target audience that has little relevance or attraction for diverse patient populations. The result is a digital marketing strategy that threatens to reinforce the marginalization of traditionally disenfranchised patient populations, including people of color.

 

This article provides strategies for instituting marketing and design practices that will help your medical website stand out, increasing your access to historically underserved patient populations, including Black patients.

Understanding Your Target Audience

When it comes to developing a marketing and design platform that effectively reaches your target audience and solicits their engagement, the first and most important priority is to understand who your target audience is, what they want, and what they need.

 

Doing this, of course, is no mean feat. It requires both a strong grasp of consumer psychology and deep insight into your ideal customer persona. For consumers of health services, the most effective marketing strategies will be those that emphasize the provision of compassionate and highly competent care.

 

But this is only the baseline of what a healthcare consumer can expect when seeking a healthcare provider. They’re also going to want a healthcare team that knows, understands, and cares about them as individuals as well as members of a diverse community. Diversity and inclusive marketing approaches are of particular value in bringing this goal to fruition.

Marketing to Diverse Health Communities

The credo and guiding mission of the healthcare community is to first do no harm. For far too long, however, inequities within the healthcare system have contributed to disproportionate rates of morbidity and mortality in the Black community.

 

The good news, however, is that health systems are increasingly recognizing the long-standing racial disparities in both healthcare access and quality of care for Black patients and are taking proactive steps to address them.

 

Diversity in healthcare has become a core focus of healthcare practice and health policymaking. In light of this, the onus rests with healthcare marketers to reflect and respond to this shift toward diversity and inclusion within the healthcare system. After all, Black health consumers will never benefit from the health system’s move toward greater diversity if they are not first made aware of this ideological and tactical shift.

 

Making healthcare marketing more inclusive involves reimagining how audiences are represented as well as addressed. This means crafting marketing content that is more reflective of the lives and experiences of members of diverse communities while at the same time avoiding the stereotypes that are often not only just false but also misleading and offensive.

Diversity in Marketing Teams

If you’re seeking to more effectively reach Black patients with your medical website marketing and design, then building a marketing team that is as diverse as the audience you want to target is an ideal first step. There are, after all, cultural, social, and historical experiences that simply can’t be encapsulated in or captured through standard market research.

 

However, when you incorporate marketing team members who derive from the same communities you wish to speak to and serve, you’re going to have a depth of insight into the community perspective that might otherwise have been impossible.

 

For instance, members of the Black community may have unique and specific mental healthcare needs that neither clinicians nor marketers have been professionally trained to recognize. This might include, for example, anxiety and depressive disorders relating to generational trauma, systemic racism, and community violence.

 

Healthcare marketing approaches that speak to these particular needs, using the mental health-related discourse of the target community can help reach patient populations that have for too long been either misunderstood or entirely ignored by more traditional marketing strategies.

Diversity in Market Research

Diversifying your marketing team is one important prong in a broader strategy for better understanding and connecting with patients in the Black community, however. It is also incumbent on healthcare marketers to engage with the communities they seek to target.

 

This might include on-the-ground research using open-ended interviews and research surveys, or it may involve online studies, such as the analysis of online patient reviews, comments, and complaints.

 

Turning to a variety of social media platforms and online forums, particularly those oriented toward members of the Black community, can be an invaluable way to identify critical gaps not only in healthcare service but also in healthcare branding. You may also solicit similar information by developing and maintaining active discussion forums on your medical websites and social media. This kind of active engagement with the patient community can help you better understand the audience and to target your marketing strategies and website designs accordingly.

The Takeaway

For far too long, persons of color have been marginalized and underserved by the healthcare system. This has contributed to systemic racial inequities in healthcare access and quality, resulting in disproportionate rates of morbidity and mortality in the Black community. In recent years, however, efforts to redress racial bias and inequities in healthcare have continued apace.

 

Healthcare marketing is striving to keep in stride with these efforts. Indeed, proactive measures to more effectively reach Black patients are critical to the development of marketing and design tactics that will truly make your medical website stand out. The key lies in understanding who your target audience needs, what they want, and what they expect.

 Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in lifestyle, mental health, activism-related content. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Katie, you can follow her on Twitter. 

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.