| Eden Menon |
One of the most effective ways for the hospitals to build its reputation in the community, win patients’ trust and strengthen the relationships in the healthcare industry is to focus on its communication efforts. Many organisations value the strength of communication but end up with a series of disconnected communications tactics, which fail to achieve any significant objectives. By taking a little time to tighten the focus of public relation efforts, a hospital can better synchronise its communication tools and accomplish major strategic goals.
Identify your target audiences
The first way to tighten the focus of a communication programme or PR initiative is to take a hard look at whom the hospital seeks to reach through the programme. Few examples of target audiences include patients, doctors, community (NGOs), vendors, etc. Oddly enough, many hospitals have not taken this crucial step, causing communications efforts to be less effective and more costly. The list of target audiences often evolves over time and needs to be reviewed and updated on a regular basis depending on the medical conditions, modified organisational goals or changing demographics in the area served by the hospitals and other factors.
Each communications tool (as listed below) should be geared to one or more of these audiences. A common mistake many hospitals make is to distribute information that is not aimed at any of their target audiences. These hospitals find themselves without any valuable results from their public relations programme. Formally identifying and gaining a better understanding about the needs of each target audience is the best way to fix this problem and improve the way the public relations programme delivers focused and more effective messaging.
Define your patient benefits
Another communication issue challenging the healthcare industry is that they do not define the benefits they provide their patients.
Be aware that offering patients ‘superior service’ may seem to be a perfect example of a key benefit; however, target audiences are increasingly disdainful or suspicious of such claims. One reason for this is because too many other hospitals label themselves as providers of ‘superior services’, making it harder for people to determine which of these claims is actually true.
If you are trying to promote your hospital’s superior service, be sure to have data that can back up your claim. Solid examples would be, recognition within the industry or a superior service award.
Develop key message points
A third way to more tightly focus a communication plan is to evaluate the hospitals key message points, which are derived from the list of patient benefits, successful surgeries, contribution to the society, new technology in treatment etc. Many hospitals either do not have key message points or have not updated them. This causes the concerns to try to promote it using faulty or dated messages that are often ineffective.
Important features of good message points are that they are simple enough to avoid being misunderstood but still powerful enough to make the point, and they include searchable terms in order to boost search engine optimisation too.
These message points should also include perspectives from front-line staff working directly with the patients. Do not assume an entry-level staff member or member of middle management has nothing to contribute to the company’s public relations efforts.
Proper use of communications tools to reach target audiences
The fourth way to enhance the focus of a public relations programme is to properly use each communications tool to achieve maximum impact. Often, these tools are not fully understood and their misuse causes many organisations to fail to achieve the communications success they strive for.
Each communications tool should be geared towards one or more of the target audiences and include relevant message points. Carefully scheduling the use of each of the tools helps coordinate a communications effort and increases the strategic impact of the public relations programme.
The most common public relations tools and the ways to deploy them include:
News releases: Background information prepared by the hospital and sent directly to the media:
- Offer details about newsworthy events such as milestones, successful surgeries, new packages, recruitment of a famous doctors, free health check up camps and services or public recognition like awards etc.
- The frequency of releases depends on the size of the hospital. While larger hospitals might send out one each month, smaller hospitals and specialised clinics can send one every quarter
- The information/release should also be posted on the hospitals website.
Feature stories: Articles about the hospitals or its successful treatments:
- Stories can be generated about a specific successful case handled by the hospital
- The hospital’s contribution toward the society/ charitable initiatives etc
- One-to-one interviews should be scheduled with a company executive or a successful doctor when there is something important for them to share with the media
Organisations’ website: Acts as a platform for hosting releases and other news about the hospital. Additional elements to include on the website are:
- Contact information for the company’s public relations executive/ media agency
- Media section which includes the articles about the company published in the media
- Online media kit, which includes an overview, fact sheet, executive biographies and graphics such as a logo
- A satisfied patient’s feedback can work wonders for hospitals reputation. Hence, every hospital must have a patient’s feedback section in their website
Social media: This is the latest and one of the most effective communication tools for any organisation. Through a social media presence the hospital can actually communicate its information without any extra cost.
Hospitals in India continue to find themselves in an increasingly competitive landscape and a more focused public relations effort is one way to give them an edge. By avoiding some of the most common mistakes and following some basic communications tips, hospitals can improve the way they reach their target audiences and be more successful at growing and serving their patients.