There seems to be no end to the medical research and self
diagnosis that can occur online. The average consumer has more
information available than ever before, and as a result, the
dynamic of healthcare is changing.
Information flow in the healthcare industry is now being
dictated by a pull and push scenario.
On the pull side, consumers are becoming more proactive and
better informed, questioning and challenging the judgment,
practices and long-held assumptions of physicians and other
medical professionals.
On the push side, the emergence of consumer-driven
healthcare companies, wellness and disease management programs
and even direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical
companies are pushing information out to the public. The hope
is that they will become better informed in their consumption
of products and services and, in some cases, that the
information will enhance brand awareness and loyalty.
This trend is also evident in online programs offered by
insurers that are designed to empower employees to make
choices about their coverage and costs related to healthcare.
In the process, employees may gain greater appreciation for
the expense of insurance benefits, helping ease the strain of
rising healthcare costs for employers.
What the push and pull have in common is that they are
driven by consumers, who now wield more power in the decision
making process. But there is a risk for those healthcare
companies who do not understand the need for clarity in
communication and the process necessary to effectively support
education.
For years, experts have argued that the consumer is rapidly
becoming overwhelmed with information that is too wide in
scope, but not necessarily deep in substance. In 1997,
psychologists coined a term called "Information Fatigue
Syndrome," suggesting that people were physically getting ill
from an overload of information. From a communications
perspective, the healthcare industry must tread carefully to
ensure that it is educating consumers, while not contributing
to information overload.
When too much information is pushed upon patients, they
become confused and make bad decisions, say pharmaceutical
professors at Ohio State University. A study by OSU regarding
prescription drug information showed that the information
explosion in healthcare can have an adverse impact on
consumers.
Another factor to consider is how consumers process
competing views in the education process. Just recently,
contradictory studies have been conducted regarding the
adequate amount of exercise necessary to maintain a healthy
lifestyle. The fallout of that scenario had many Americans
ready to trade their diets and exercise for cupcakes and a
remote control.
The Branding Equation
A more specific danger for companies in the healthcare
industry is the temptation to get so caught up in informing
and educating that you lose sight of your communication
objectives. From a pragmatic view, you might also be
overlooking additional branding opportunities, such as gaining
credibility for your product or service and projecting a
positive brand position within your competitive space. Be
aware of the response you want to elicit from your customers
and prospects, and carefully develop materials and strategies
that clearly communicate that end. Education can be a key
marketing tool, but if it isn't strategically implemented, it
can do more harm than good. Some things to keep in mind:
- Is it believable? The educational component
of your communications strategy should establish you as
a trustworthy source of information, thus enhancing your
overall credibility. It should also reinforce the brand
image you have identified for your organization and
support your overall goals and objectives. If you can't
tie an educational initiative back into your marketing
strategy through a customer need or demand, it probably
isn't the best use of your time and resources.
- Is it useful? Educational initiatives should
create clarity, not more confusion. When planning such a
program, ask: Does the information you plan to generate
already exist? Have you put substantial thought into how
you can communicate it clearly to your customers and
other groups? What is the desired outcome? Do you want
customers to be aware of your organization or to change
a certain behavior or belief? Have you included a
specific call to action? If questions such as these are
not answered properly, an education initiative will
confuse your customers, leaving them with no clear
direction to take.
- Is it attached to you? Education may result
in unintended collaboration with your competition.
The Boston Globe recently reported that drug
companies have tripled their advertising budgets to
acquaint American consumers with new products. The ads
were successful in boosting consumer spending on drugs,
but the effect was felt across entire categories, not by
specific product. It is important to understand that you
risk floating more than just one boat with educational
tactics. To minimize this effect, your initiative must
be tightly tied to your organization. You can use this
truth in a productive way by finding opportunities to
share costs, form alliances and avoid redundancies in
content.
- Does it involve creative use of channels?
While it is true that consumers are an increasingly
important audience you need to know how to reach them
with information. Research shows that 75 percent of
people are using the Internet for health information,
while 77 percent are getting knowledge from physicians.
Additionally, about 40 percent turn to family and
friends, while publications such as journals and books
serve as a significant resource for 35 percent. With
this in mind, strike the right balance between
communicating directly with consumers and through the
influence of physicians, employers and other decision
makers. This means that educational initiatives will
require numerous channels. But do not mistake variety
for inconsistency. You must deliver a uniform message
that is in line with your brand image.
It's not that the American public is not savvy enough to
deal with lots of information, or that healthcare companies
should cease and desist all educational efforts. In fact, if
done properly, an education initiative can set a company apart
by giving consumers a beacon to follow.
The problem is that currently there has been no such
differentiation among sources of health information. According
to a recent RAND health study, people surfing the Web for
health information are much more likely to use a search engine
than go to a particular web site, but when they type in
"diabetes" in Google, they are likely to get more than 6
million links. Trying to determine what is appropriate and
accurate is a daunting process, according to the Delaware
Academy of Medicine, which suggests that health information
has "become too much of a good thing."
Some industry pundits are calling for a more structured
system for health information that better qualifies sources
and makes it easier for people to access and use those
sources. In the meantime, it is up to individual companies to
use education effectively in marketing and communication
efforts and to come together with competitors, where
appropriate, to parlay information into understanding through
collaborative initiatives.
A strategically planned education program can strengthen
your brand and grow your business, all the while positively
impacting consumers and their understanding of health-related
issues. The alternative will prescribe organizations across
the industry with information-fatigued patients, lost in a sea
of jumbled facts and figures.
Heath Shackleford is director of client services for
Seigenthaler PR in Nashville and leads several of the agency's
healthcare accounts. He can be reached at
heath@seig-pr.com .
