// By Lisa D. Ellis // Imagine that you’re lounging on the beach of a tropical island, listening to the waves lapping at the shore, feeling the breeze wafting over your skin, and hearing the seagulls squawk. With the latest virtual-reality tools that exist today, you—and your patients—can have this type of relaxing experience even Read More
eHealthcare Pulse // By Jane Weber Brubaker // Printing patient education pamphlets, brochures, and information kits isn’t cheap. It’s one thing if patients actually use them. But do they? Two hospitals thought mobile apps might be a better solution. Luke Poppish is executive director of the OB/GYN service line at South Shore Hospital near Boston, Read More
// By Samantha Drake // The internal communications team at Excela Health, a community health system outside of Pittsburgh, had numerous ways to connect with employees, from the HR newsletter to a variety of social media platforms. Yet employees continuously complained they didn’t know what was going on. “People would text ‘Nobody ever tells us Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // Imagine if all of your older and chronically ill patients had personal assistants to help them monitor their vital signs, answer pressing health questions, and remind them to take their medicines. While this scenario may sound ideal, it’s also quite an unrealistic goal to expect to accomplish for an Read More
Advances in technology in recent years have made it possible for health systems to streamline their efforts on many levels, from evaluating and monitoring patients remotely to sharing medical information among multiple sites in real time. Some medical centers are also creating audio podcasts to educate patients, the general public, and even clinical staff, according Read More
eHealthcare Pulse // By Susan Solomon // Programmatic advertising. Demand-side platforms. Private marketplace auctions.* It seems that there’s a “new next thing” in marketing every day. How does a savvy healthcare marketer keep up with it all? While it may appear that staying informed could be a full-time job, here are a few shortcuts and Read More
At Mount Sinai’s Institute for Next Generation Healthcare in New York City, artificial intelligence or AI (also referred to as machine learning) is helping researchers to gain new insight into genetic predispositions for cancer and other diseases. Close to 2,000 miles across the country, Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Utah, is using AI to Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // At Mount Sinai’s Institute for Next Generation Healthcare in New York City, artificial intelligence or AI (also referred to as machine learning) is helping researchers to gain new insight into genetic predispositions for cancer and other diseases. Close to 2,000 miles across the country, Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake Read More
“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
“As we continue to travel down the path of healthcare transformation, there are key individuals—healthcare leaders and innovators—whose ideas and actions are helping to shape the new look of healthcare delivery in America. Tony Slonim, MD, DrPH, is one such individual,” says Dan Dunlop, president and CEO of Jennings and member of the eHealthcare Strategy & Read More
“Outside of healthcare, customer experience drives business,” notes Kyra Hagan, senior vice president and general manager, marketing & communications at Influence Health. “Retailers and hospitality providers have realized explosive revenue growth and brand loyalty by deploying best practices in customer engagement. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry has fallen behind by not truly treating prospects and patients 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
// By Dan Dunlop // As we continue to travel down the path of healthcare transformation, there are key individuals—healthcare leaders and innovators—whose ideas and actions are helping to shape the new look of healthcare delivery in America. Tony Slonim, MD, DrPH, is one such individual. Dr. Slonim is president and chief executive officer of 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 Kyra Hagan // Outside of healthcare, customer experience drives business. Retailers and hospitality providers have realized explosive revenue growth and brand loyalty by deploying best practices in customer engagement. What are those best practices? World-class customer experience requires tightly integrating cross-channel data to bridge digital and in-person encounters. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry has 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
Nick Ragone is senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Ascension, the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S., with 2,500 sites of care in 24 states and the District of Columbia. He leads the “One Ascension” effort from the marketing side. “We decided as an organization that we really needed to 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 Amber Welch // Need to book a hotel? Customer ratings and reviews are just a click away. Shopping for a car? You can easily compare features and overall quality on Consumer Reports. Looking for a new yoga class? Read the reviews. But what about choosing a hospital, perhaps the most important purchase in Read More
Ask the Expert, with Nick Ragone // By Jane Weber Brubaker // Nick Ragone is senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Ascension, the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S., with 2,500 sites of care in 24 states and the District of Columbia. He leads the “One Ascension” effort from the 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
Lack of access to reliable non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) is more than an annoyance for patients who need care. It can prevent them from getting proper treatment and result in poor outcomes. The current system is rife with inefficiencies that negatively impact providers and patients. “If you have an unreliable healthcare transportation system, that disrupts Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Lack of access to reliable non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) is more than an annoyance for patients who need care. It can prevent them from getting proper treatment and result in poor outcomes. The current system is rife with inefficiencies that negatively impact providers and patients. “If you have an Read More
“You’re spending a lot to attract potential patients, but how well are you converting them, or nurturing them once you get their attention?” asks Kris Altiere, director of marketing and creative at Sequence Health. “Are you able to see where they are in the sequence of actions you’re trying to get them to take? Do Read More