Going Mo-bile

So, if 2010 really wasn’t the year of mobile – maybe social, will 2011 “finally” be the year of mobile?! The stats on the growth of mobile smartphone devices are impressive – numerous sources have cited as such.  What excites me, however, is the growth of integration of the devices into integrated marketing platforms.  As a triathlete, I regularly read Triathlete Magazine to keep up with the latest gadgets and tricks if the trade.  After reading the recently released January 2011 edition of the mag, however, I noticed several ads now had QR codes (and Microsoft Tags) embedded in their print ads.  While impressive at first glance, some were used effectively, and some not.  Obviously many of the advertisers were jumping on this trend bandwagon, but some missed the boat.  For example, one QR code was laid out in the corner of a page where it took several minutes to get a clean “shot” to upload the code for the redirect (since it was a left page ad and the code was on the right edge, the mag crease impacted the effectiveness of the code – next time, ask for placement on the right).  Also, several of the codes redirectedback to the traditional websites, which when viewed on a sophisticated smartphone (iPhone 4), left me having to navigate a non-mobile friendly site . . . and I moved on.  Some, however, provied effective uses of the code, having redirected me to a mobile friendly site, or to a YouTube or other social media page that added additional value (ie. insight, videos, photos, etc.) to the print ad.

In all, marketers must be aware of the path they are creating for mobile users when using QR codes.  While I would consider myself an early adopter of using the code as a marketer and a consumer, we, as professionals, must provide a path that makes sense for the end user.  All of our current and forthcoming ads will have our QR code that redirects users back to our mobile friendly site.  Don’t have the code redirect page to a non-mobile friendly version of your homepage – be specific with your directive – create a call-to-action that adds compelling conent or interactivity to the end users experience with the code; otherwise, the adoption rate for consumers will not trend where we want it.

Along those lines, we recently launched a mobile version of our website at http://mobile.atlantamedcenter.com.  It will be a work in progress as we continue to add additional features and functionality, but we’re proud to continue to lead the trend.  I, along with my good friend Ben Dillon, am quoted in a Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine about Southern Regional’s mobile site – which I continue to be impressed how user friendly the site really is. 

That’s two sites this year, so for me, it really WAS the year of mobile.

Tags: #hcmktg, #hcmktg social media mobile healthcare, #MCCSM Mayo Social Media Healthcare Marketing, mHealth

Mayo Social Media Submission . . . from London?!

Well, not really, but isn’t London glorious this time of year?!  Perhaps, but right now I’m living in my excellent world at Atlanta Medical Center.  Have a look . . .

Mayo Social Media Submission Video

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Tags: #MCCSM Mayo Social Media Healthcare Marketing

Internet Dating . . . and Healthcare Marketing?!

I know, what does internet dating have to do with healthcare marketing? I’m sure I’ll get that question at least 50 times at the Mashlanta 2.0 event tonight!  Well, let’s just say I’ve done both . . .

Yes, I actually met my wife over the web in 2003 on JDate.  And not only did we “officially” meet online, we actually got engaged online – I proposed, via a poem I had set up on Jdate . . . and the rest, they say, is history!  So, what does this have to do with healthcare marketing communications?  The speed at which things change, my friends . . .

In 2003 this was the pre “Facebook Era“, in which you could “Google” someone wo learn about them, but besides some input from friends of friends, there was limited digging you could do prior to a date.  I know – only a few years ago?!  Now, with the acceleration of social netowkring mediums, everyone is really only six degrees of separation from anyone else.  Think about how much that has really changed the game – and in only just a few years.  (On a sidenote – I wonder if my wife would have actually responded to my “request” back then . . . guess we’ll never know

So, back to the healthcare marketing world.  After a great SHSMD Conference earlier this month, clearly the healthcare marcom train has left the building, so-to-speak.  During my panel discussion, one of my peers, Dean Browell said MySpace is “deadspace” and that we need to pay attention to upcoming trends, not those of the “yesteryears”.  Geolocation integration, mobile marketing, and the integration of social/emerging mediums into a comprehensive marketing strategy are all thought methodologies which should be incorporated, or at least considered, when developing a marketing communications strategy.

We’re now looking at mobile as a cornerstone of our strategy, with the potential inclusion of “QR” integration for a major service line launch; integrating “QR” tagging among TV, web, and mobile mediums, our goal is to get customer engagement to a one-on-one level.

Tags: #hcmktg social media mobile healthcare

The “E-Patient”

There has been a lot of talk recently about “e-patients” – those who can, and will be able to, access health related information via the web, a mobile device, etc.  The true transformation of healthcare lives via the communication (often live) between physician, patient, and hospital.

Just this week the New York Times had several articles referencing e-patients and the impact it is having, and will continue to have, across the healthcare spectrum.  An interesting article on the benefits of telemedicine referenced success stories, of non-other-than, the positive effects it has on patients working with physicians (remotely) on oil rigs.  Depending on the level of sophistication, a physician, via advanced videoconferencing, can actually see the real-time results of an electronic stethoscope that a paramedic holds.  So, what does this mean for healthcare – and in particular, how much of a disruptor (or innovator) will this type of technology provide to the system?

As a marketer, I tend to think a lot.  Now I might be biased to think how rapidly these types of technologies can be adapted into regular medicine – say, to replace an emergency room visit at a local hospital.  However, who thought mobile technology would be where it is today, ten years ago?  My health system launched a mobile branded website in February, and it’s already accounting for over 2% of our traffic.  Marianne Aiello, Marketing Editor for HealthLeaders Media, wrote an interesting piece on the effects of mobile branded websites (disclaimer – my health system was mentioned).

So, with the quick adaptation of mobile by users across most demographic segments, what does this trending say about telemedicine and the effects it might have on the entire system?  Firstly, don’t count it out.  Secondly, I don’t believe the in-person office visit will go by the waistline, but it could help to reduce overall waste in the system.  Health and medicine are a very personable topic.  As a marketer, my constant challenge is to create that emotional connection between patients, physicians, and the place where they all “get together” – a hospital.  The personal touch of nurses and other staff within the system play an integral role in the helping and healing process.  And, communication is at the cornerstone of the nurse/physician/patient/hospital/home relationship.

So, as long as the communication tools are effective and facilitate proper care, I do believe technological advances such as telemedicine will continue to positively influence the continuum of care.  However, if the communication gap actually grows disparate as a result, then no one will benefit.

Tags: e-patient, Healthcare, healthcare marketing, hospital marketing, mobile health

The Customer Service Angle

A recent Harvard Business Review posting by Tom Davenport from Babson College provides some great insight into the “be careful what you wish for” scenario that seems to have pervaded the social/digitial media world and the intersection with customer service. Sure, it’s great to Tweet and support Forums boards, all while providing andother point of interface with customers, but if you can’t deliver on promises, then aren’t companies just really creating another (potential) disatisfier? Even though Comcast and Starbucks, the two organizations mentioned by Davenport in his post, offer products, at their core, these companies are customer service organizations. And, with competitors on every street corner (quite literally for Starbucks, of course), doesn’t it pay to influence the lifetime value of the customer curve, rather than use Web 2.0 tools to create even more disparity amongst your best customers? Now, how is healthcare different? Well, for starters, there is less competition. And, if you’re a hospital, with your doors open, you are obligated to treat your patients. So, do hospital organizations really have to focus on “customer service”, or does the “if you build it they will come” theory apply? Well, a little of both, to be honest. There are many excellent hospital/healthcare organizations that provide a very high level of quality care, while emphasizing the patient oriented/customer service principles that great companies are built on. The Mayo Clinic is at the top of this list. And, somewhere between The Mayo Clinic, and a few dozen of world class teaching hospitals across the country, lay dozens, if not hundreds, of mid-size hospital organizations who also deliver world class care. But do these organizations live by, and deliver, a customer service model in the true sense?

The customer experience at hospitals encompasses all facets of the organization – from the Scheduler, to the Greeter, to Nurses and Physicians, as well as service level staff and food and nutrition. Similar to a hotel stay, an in-patient visit requires numerous interactions throughout the course of the day, all of which help to form the customer experience for the patient and their family members. While many hospitals traditionally provide a very high level of quality care, they lag in the customer experience model. The competitive landscape in the healthcare industry has changed, and customers (i.e. patients and their families) now have more choices than ever as to where they should receive care. While some institutions (such as mid-size community hospitals) offer many of the most technologically advanced procedures available, such as robot assisted minimally-invasive surgery and 256 slice CT, they still might not be perceived as modern and as accommodating as their academic center competitors. This is largely due to the customer experience – which I believe starts from the minute someone thinks about going to a hospital for a service.

Tags: Customer Service, Healthcare, Hosptial Marketing, Web2.0