The transformation of the U.S. healthcare industry has meant big changes in way the healthcare providers market themselves. This evolving industry landscape has not only produced new programs and regulations; it also means that consumers now have new set of expectations from their healthcare providers.
Healthcare consumers today have more choices for their healthcare. They also have more accountability for how much that care costs. In response to this trend, healthcare providers have overhauled their marketing messages and are now creating campaigns that help to engage, educate, and retain patients.
As Modern Healthcare Magazine reported, “Hospitals and health systems have been spending more on marketing in recent years, but the emphasis of these efforts has been on educating patients and engaging them in their growing role as healthcare consumers.”
To create these types of campaigns, hospitals and healthcare providers are now working with marketing service providers who can craft and deliver the right message to this new breed of healthcare consumer.
Getting Patients to the Right Care
A campaign done for The Orthopedics Center at the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) is an example of this type of marketing effort.
The UCMC had recently opened a new orthopedics practice in suburban Chicago. Doctors at this new practice could provide the same world-class care that patients received at the main center, but without having to drive the longer distance into Chicago.
To promote this new practice, marketers at the UCMC worked with direct mail provider Rider Dickenson to create a campaign targeted at households in towns within a specific distance of the new clinic.
Each direct mail piece included personalized map that showed recipient exactly where the facility is in relation to his or her home with a route line. The mailer also included a personalized headline and copy that details the distance in minutes to the clinic.
A Healthy Increase In Office Visits The results of the direct mail campaign were excellent. After the first mailing, the healthcare provider saw a 43% jump in new patient visits compared with the previous year, which they attributed to this mailer. The clinic also saw increased web activity and call volume during that same period.
See locr at SHSMD
locr is exhibiting at the annual conference of the AHA’s Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD) taking place in Chicago from September 11 – 14. Stop by booth number 505 and learn how to achieve results like this on your next direct mail. To schedule an appointment, contact locr at info@locr.com.