Why Always-On Patient Outreach is Essential

Featuring: Jeff Stewart, System Director of Strategic Marketing at CHRISTUS Health

As health systems continue to take on multiple competitors – from various doc-in-the-box options to growing regional health systems – they must enhance their marketing outreach to strengthen relationships with the communities they serve. From driving patients to preventive screenings, to boosting volume for new service lines, always-on patient outreach can be the difference between stagnant return on investment and a growing and thriving system.

Listen to Jeff Stewart from CHRISTUS Health, and podcast host Alan Tam discuss the obstacles to delivering always-on patient outreach campaigns as well as some of the key strategies Jeff uses to continuously grow CHRISTUS’s digital presence and effectiveness.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Patient access. The top priority for CHRISTUS Health and countless other health systems is driving access to care at clinics and hospitals. A focus on patient access via a health system’s clinic network can help to build a long-term relationship with a patient and drive additional visits to clinics and hospitals over time. Developing patient loyalty this way can increase both patient satisfaction as well as patient lifetime value.
2. Patient experience. In order to facilitate health system access, the patient’s experience has to be seamless. In today’s digital world, that means the website has to be easy-to-find as well as user-friendly. Investing in a seamless web experience – from online scheduling to on-demand care – makes a tremendous difference to the consumer and helps differentiate leading health systems.
3. Digital presence. In order to attract new patients to the health system – and retain existing patients – a health system’s website has to be easily searchable. Finding a doctor or a particular service type should lead directly to the health system’s website and online scheduler. Successful paid search can also boost volume to specific service lines, new locations, or on-demand care.
4. Internal cohesion. Every large organization struggles to develop cohesive campaigns that represent the unique interests of all of its components. Developing always-on outreach campaigns that accurately reflect the service offerings and scheduling mechanisms of each clinic and hospital in a health system like CHRISTUS can be a challenge. Key to the success of these campaigns is the buy-in from all levels of the system and, perhaps most importantly, keeping the voice of the consumer close.
5. Metrics that matter. Not every marketing metric will resonate with health system leadership. Tying key metrics back to clinic encounters and revenue will help to tell the story of marketing’s successes. Additionally, translating metrics like organic search and online review ratings can help leadership make the connection between these digital marketing efforts and the business success of the health system.

Alan Tam

Chief Marketing Officer at Actium Health
LinkedIn: Alan Tam

As the Podcast Host for Hello Healthcare and Chief Marketing Officer at Actium Health, Alan is on a mission to help healthcare accelerate their digital transformation and advancement of the healthcare consumer experience. Through story telling and sharing insights from innovative healthcare leaders, Alan is hoping to drive meaningful impact and change to healthcare one conversation at a time.

Consumer experiences, major disruptors, and AI tech are shaping healthcare for years to come. On Hello Healthcare, we dive deep on these issues with leaders who are driving change. We hope that their stories will drive you to demand or create a better future. Available to stream on all major listening platforms under Hello Healthcare Podcast and Healthcare NOW Radio.

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