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Customized Communications Mar 1, 2006
by Peggy Nordeen
For patients, there are many questions surrounding healthcare. Everything from new medications and the latest procedures to specialty practices and insurance issues create a lot of stress for the average patient. Because of this, healthcare executives are in a position to provide patients and other stakeholders with ongoing information and education about the changing healthcare landscape.
Traditionally, healthcare leaders have relied on newsletters or pamphlets to provide basic medical/treatment information. Newsletters were usually monthly or quarterly and were designed and written primarily by staff members. Although the information was useful, it was mainly dietary information, prescription instructions, and exercise diagrams—hardly the in-depth knowledge needed for a patient to truly become informed about maintaining an ongoing healthy lifestyle.
Patients need more than just basic information regarding their treatment; they need in-depth knowledge and the ability to understand their bodies in a different way. Tapping into this "emotional" level is only possible with information that speaks to each patient individually.
For healthcare providers, customized publications help to engage patients and build strong relationships. They allow you to control your message and focus on your audience with content that appeals directly to specific patient interests and concerns. Whether through customized magazines, e-newsletters, or content-specific Web sites, customized media lets providers build loyalty with patients and their families by providing timely, valuable information.
Healthy lifestyle
People rely on medical centers for a variety of reasons. Some are temporarily injured and need therapy to return their body to a healthy condition. Others are more severely injured and rely on medical facilities and doctors for ongoing treatment.
In both scenarios, the patient requires more than just treatment from his/her doctor. Understanding the body, situation, treatment process, and any possible healing process is as critical as the treatment itself. And although consultations with doctors can offer surface knowledge, patients welcome an opportunity to receive ongoing communication that they can comprehend at their leisure.
Here are examples of topics that could be included in a monthly or quarterly customized communication vehicle:
- Letter from the publisher welcoming readers and introducing topics in the issue
- Ongoing columns from guest experts on how the body works and heals
- Dietary information
- General questions and answers
- Spotlight on specific treatments and exercises
- In-depth feature stories on how to avoid injuries, or fully understanding the diagnosis and what it means looking forward
- Features on the latest medical technologies and breakthroughs
- News and updates on the current insurance landscape
Variety of options
There are a number of different custom media options available to operators of healthcare facilities. Single-sponsored magazines provide complete control over production and editorial content. Considered the most direct form of messaging and dialog with audiences, the content is singularly focused on your practice in a magazine format without the intrusion of any other message and/or advertising.
Advertising-supported magazines include all the benefits of a customized publication with the added benefit of leveraging advertising to offset production costs. The designated publisher can sell advertising space to marketing partners or complimentary advertisers. Selling advertising space can contribute to the credibility of a single-sponsor publication by offering a venue to communicate a physician group's strengths and partnerships.
Webzines enable centers to combine print, Web, and e-mail into a seamless custom media program to strengthen audience relationships. Additionally, Webzines allow executives to cost effectively create specific versions with extremely tailored editorial content to different subgroups of audiences. For example, your organization may want to offer injury-specific editions that are distributed to various patient subsets.
Although smaller in scale, e-newsletters hold the same power of messaging and customer dialog as a full-sized magazine. In addition to controlled editorial content, an e-newsletter allows executives to target their audience with more frequency, resulting in continued
brand awareness and relationship building.
Content is the central element to any successful custom publication. The publisher will help define objectives and determine the target audience in an effort to construct the most appropriate editorial platform. Examples of magazine content include case histories,
feature stories, trend articles, news items, management letter, guest/expert columns, industry research and frequently asked questions.
Healthcare leaders should choose a custom publisher with experience in helping organizations enhance brand loyalty. The publisher will work with the physician staff and/or executive team to develop a clear editorial strategy that dictates the direction of the magazine.
Key components to the strategy include topic research, editorial tone and direction, graphic and design solutions, production and development, distribution, and measurement analytics to ensure the magazine's effectiveness. Online versions and response mechanisms to promote feedback and interaction should be integrated in any customized program.
Simply put, patients and their families are loyal to medical centers and physician groups they can trust. New forms of information dissemination must hold true to this paradigm to reach patients and their families on an emotional level. By customizing your communication efforts, you stand a good chance of truly connecting with your audience.
Peggy Nordeen is publisher of Dialog Custom Media (www.dialogcustommedia.com), a South Florida-based custom publishing house that specializes in the design and production of print and online customer magazines, newsletters, and direct response collateral designed to help organizations build brand loyalty and foster customer retention. She can be reached at (954) 874-9000.
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