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:

 

 

1. 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.

    

    

2. 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.

    

    

3. 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.

    

    

4. 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.

 

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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 .