January 23, 2009

Why consumerism matters – education

Wayne Glowac & Dean Halverson

Expensive and unnecessary ER visits, excessive healthcare spending, these are all challenges that many consumers are facing. The recession is hitting patients hard, especially the uninsured and in-debt. While they struggle with the challenge of paying for care, providers struggle with how to prevent future problems such as these.

The missing link is education. Many patients make their most important (and expensive) decisions during moments of crisis and surprise. Or, they just simply don’t know the best options for their health and bank accounts. Providers have a unique opportunity to take advantage of the rise in consumerism and educate their patients.

Because patients are acting more like true consumers, they are shopping around for the best, and/or most cost-effective care. They are open and willing to listen to their options. Now is the time for providers to act, and truly educate their consumers, just like any other business would.

Consider sending a magnet via direct mail to your market that has all of your hospital’s emergency numbers on it. Include the nurse hotline, and encourage patients to call it before just heading to the ER. Or update your website and brochures to include payment plan or free care options for those that can’t afford it. Think about it as if you were truly educating patients, not just promoting services. Do you have an educational resource center? Does your website direct your customers to smart health information?

Prepare your consumers for moments of crisis and surprise; educate them in advance. A relatively small investment in some form of educational marketing can yield a large return on investment; saving you and your patients’ money.

Are you including education in your organization’s strategy?

http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/226201/topic/WS_HLM2_LED/You-C...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/12/AR200901...

RT @wavedriven - why including consumer education in the healthcare debate is so important wavedriven.com/blog

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