“Reputation management has never been more important for healthcare providers and organizations that are actively seeking new patients. Why? The increase in high-deductible health plans has created a new breed of healthcare shopper,” says Becky Barney-Villano, healthcare writer and marketing specialist. “The rise of insurance exchanges where consumers pick their plans has resulted in more Read More
// By Becky Barney-Villano // Reputation management has never been more important for healthcare providers and organizations that are actively seeking new patients. Why? The increase in high-deductible health plans has created a new breed of healthcare shopper. The rise of insurance exchanges where consumers pick their plans has resulted in more robust and careful Read More
Managing change is hard, even for innovative organizations like Boston Children’s Hospital. “That’s something I hear in all the businesses I’ve worked with, from GE to Cigna to here,” says William Gagnon, senior director of global digital strategy and customer engagement at Boston Children’s. Digital transformation at Boston Children’s is laser-focused on making the shift Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Managing change is hard, even for innovative organizations like Boston Children’s Hospital. “That’s something I hear in all the businesses I’ve worked with, from GE to Cigna to here,” says William Gagnon, senior director of global digital strategy and customer engagement at Boston Children’s. Change is risky, and healthcare Read More
A growing percentage of consumers with employer-sponsored health insurance are choosing high-deductible health plans that have lower premiums. Citing data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, Becker’s reported that 24 percent of employees enrolled in high-deductible health plans in 2015, up from just 4 percent in 2006. The downside of HDHPs is that out-of-pocket costs are Read More
This leading awards program, which drew over 900 entries last year, recognizes the very best websites and digital communications efforts of healthcare organizations, online health companies, pharmaceutical/medical equipment firms, suppliers, and business improvement initiatives. Now in its 18th year, the awards program is presented by Plain-English Health Care, publisher of eHealthcare Strategy & Trends and Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // The nature of our health system in the U.S. is that it is massively complicated, with many variables that impact price. It’s extremely challenging for health systems to give an answer to a patient who asks a seemingly simple question: How much will this cost me? First a provider Read More
// By Emily Kagan Trenchard // I just got back from HIMSS 2017 in Orlando, Florida, and if this national conference of health IT professionals had a message, it was this: Patient engagement is the goal, so interoperability is the key. Why is that? Because to truly boost consumer engagement, we need to get our Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // In 2002, years before patient portals were a checkbox to qualify for meaningful use incentives under healthcare reform, MD Anderson Cancer Center created its own patient portal. But the motivation was not financially driven. “Patients were walking around with huge amounts of paper. You would see people—I’m not lying—with Read More
In 2002, years before patient portals were a checkbox to qualify for meaningful use incentives under healthcare reform, MD Anderson Cancer Center created its own patient portal. myMDAnderson was launched in 2002. It gave patients a personalized electronic hub to organize all their information, and 24/7 online access. The tool has stood the test of time, Read More
A little over two years ago, Jill Austin, chief marketing officer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), was given a challenge by her CEO. “Vanderbilt, at the time, had gotten a lot of recognition for being way out in front on social media,” says Chris Bevolo, author of Joe Public Doesn’t Care About Your Hospital, Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // A little over two years ago, Jill Austin, chief marketing officer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), was given a challenge by her CEO. “Vanderbilt, at the time, had gotten a lot of recognition for being way out in front on social media,” says Chris Bevolo, author of Joe Read More
Looking for a technology solution to stay in closer touch with patients between visits? Maybe your patients over age 50 haven’t scheduled their colonoscopy yet. Some patients may need closer contact after being discharged from the hospital, or they have a chronic condition like diabetes, hypertension, or COPD and need to be monitored between office Read More
There is no shortage of digital innovation in any field these days, but in healthcare, there has been an explosion of interest in developing digital solutions for the industry’s most pressing problems. The challenge has been that the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship is often at odds with complex, risk-averse, highly regulated healthcare organizations. Amazon Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Looking for a technology solution to stay in closer touch with patients between visits? Maybe your patients over age 50 haven’t scheduled their colonoscopy yet. Some patients may need closer contact after being discharged from the hospital, or they have a chronic condition like diabetes, hypertension, or COPD and Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // There is no shortage of digital innovation in any field these days, but in healthcare, there has been an explosion of interest in developing digital solutions for the industry’s most pressing problems. The challenge has been that the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship is often at odds with complex, Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Nigel Murray is the Chief Executive Officer of the Waikato District Health Board, headquartered in Hamilton, New Zealand. One of 20 district health boards (DHBs) in the country, it includes the largest hospital in the southern hemisphere. The Waikato DHB serves a population of 400,000 within the local urban Read More
In a recent eHST “Ask the Expert” column with Avinash Kaushik, Digital Evangelist at Google and Co-Founder of Market Motive Inc., we briefly touched on the concept of economic value in the context of web analytics and website goals. “Without goals and goal values, you are not doing web analytics,” says Kaushik. Goals are conversions, Read More
3 Strategies to Build Patient Trust and Drive More Online Appointments // By Shawn Gross // Patients turn to online doctor profiles to learn something meaningful about the person who’s going to be managing their health. But often these profiles are little more than an abbreviated resume: an academic history, professional credentials, and a headshot. Read More
“Marketing automation refers to the software platforms and technologies that facilitate digital marketing strategies by automating certain repetitive tasks,” says Robin Snow, founder and principal of Aefinity Interactive, LLC. “[It] allows for personalized communication on a massive scale.” While the idea of automating marketing initiatives is undeniably appealing, what does it involve in practical terms? Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // After reading marketing automation software company Marketo’s Definitive Guide to Mobile Marketing, we asked Marketo how healthcare organizations compare to other types of organizations when it comes to mobile. Kristen Kaighn, Senior Product Marketing Manager, weighed in. Then we spoke to a digital marketing executive at a major health Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // In a recent eHST “Ask the Expert” column with Avinash Kaushik, Digital Evangelist at Google and Co-Founder of Market Motive Inc., we briefly touched on the concept of economic value in the context of web analytics and website goals. “Without goals and goal values, you are not doing web Read More
// By Robin Snow // Marketing automation refers to the software platforms and technologies that facilitate digital marketing strategies by automating certain repetitive tasks. Higher-end marketing automation software provides marketing intelligence and advanced workflows that marketers can leverage to more efficiently and effectively communicate with targeted prospects and customers through multiple channels. Marketing automation is Read More
At Intermountain Healthcare, patient engagement is a top priority, and the organization is tackling the issue from all sides. We spoke with Craig Kartchner, Senior Director of Marketing, to get an update on Intermountain’s digital strategies, successes, and challenges. “We want it to be convenient and easy for people to access tools and resources that Read More
New Survey Data Reveals Growing Number of “Health-Sumers” Engage Using Mobile Devices // By Ken Robbins // The Internet offers a vast universe of information for consumers to sink their teeth into, and one area where that appetite has proven to be insatiable is healthcare. In a June 2016 survey of 1,000 consumers conducted by Read More