regroup

Since I do a lot of work with clients in the health care industry, I have been watching the developments in health care reform very closely. I had just written about the need to make the complexities of health care reform understandable to the public when the Supreme Court hearings created reasonable doubt about the future of this legislation. Regardless of the outcome, I would argue that the process of preparing for health care reform has already served as a valuable catalyst in changing the industry’s approach to delivering health care.

Photo credit to Flickr’s Listener42

One of the most significant aspects of health care reform has been a greater recognition of the need to develop better and more efficient preventative care for low income and uninsured populations. As health care providers and community health organizations have been preparing for an increase in this patient population, it has become apparent that our current system is not providing our underserved preventative care to help keep them out of our most expensive facilities – emergency rooms. The process has opened the eyes of many to the fact that insurance coverage alone will not address gaps in our ability and capacity to provide medical, mental health, dental and social services. As a result, communities are beginning to collaborate with health care providers, safety net clinics and local service agencies to fill these gaps. This is a positive change in our approach to care that is needed regardless of the health reform outcome. Visit washtenawhealthinititive.org to see how Washtenaw County is preparing to address the care needs of our community.

Electronic Medical Records is another change that will improve our ability to care for patients. The 2009 Stimulus package subsidized providers to switch from paper to help streamline care and reduce errors. From a patient perspective, it will mean that health records are more complete and more easily accessed by multiple physicians, and will reduce duplication of paperwork.

Payment for health care is also changing. We are likely to see a shift from “fee for service” to a “performance” based model. The new payment structure is designed to shift payments to providers who are paid based on the quality and efficiency of the care they provide. In other words, physicians/hospitals are given a financial incentive or reward for using more cost-effective ways to care for their patients.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is also testing other payment and care delivery models (e.g. bundled or “global” payments, medical or health care homes, care transitions, value-based purchasing) through providers participating in Medicare. It is worth noting that CMS and HHS can implement their payment regulations on their own without the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act.

Tremendous resources in terms of time, money and technology have already gone into the development of processes and systems to support the new health reform regulations. The progress that has been made so far has already gone a long way towards providing more people with more efficient and quality care. Regardless of reform, it is clear that change is here to stay.

Every now and then you see a great idea that makes you say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

A few weeks ago a work colleague and I were flying on US Airways from New York to D.C. When the drink cart came by, we both lowered our tray tables and to our surprise we saw an eye — catching ad for the new TV program, Pan-Am. A row of beautifully coiffed stewardesses dressed in bright blue 1960’s outfits practically jumped off the tray table.

We were impressed for a few reasons. One, we had never seen advertising on a tray table before. What an ideal “captive” vehicle for people strapped into a seat for a few hours! Two, the contextual relevance of seeing a promotion for a TV program about an airline, on an airline was a perfect fit. And last, the irony of one airline still in business allowing ads on their tray tables about a former competitive airline didn’t escape us.

The stars were in alignment for the perfect execution of this idea. I wonder how many other great contextual opportunities are out there that we overlook because they are so obvious. So the next time you have a marketing problem to solve, pay attention. The answer could right under your nose — literally.

Even though we know that there are still more questions than answers, and a lot of skepticism on all sides, it is clear that health care as we know it is undergoing a sea change that will play out over the next ten years. The ultimate question is: how will your organization adapt?

Here are the top ten areas that your marketing department will need to address as health care reform approaches.

1. Structure. Health care reform will involve change at every level of your organization and those changes need to be integrated throughout. Organization-wide planning and internal communication will be paramount. Marketing will be in an ideal position to think strategically about the implications of these changes on your internal and external audiences. Your CMO/Marketing Director must have a seat at the leadership table. (more…)

While consumers will  always be important for health systems, it’s the doctors who are the number one target for systems under healthcare reform.

• Physicians influence or control 70% of hospital admissions. Yet few hospital marketing budgets spend adequately to market to them.
• 60% of physicians refer to more than one hospital. They refer to doctors they know, not a system. It is important that hospitals encourage their physicians to get to know one another and their capabilities.

This means that hospitals and systems need to encourage engagement in person or online. (more…)

Used to be the only thing retail about healthcare was the hospital gift shop. Well, those days are long gone. With better-informed consumers making their own healthcare decisions, and healthcare reform’s new coverage requirements, the competition for share of patient is heating up. As consumerism increases, so does the demand for clear, concise and differentiating messages from both providers and insurers.

Providers

Health systems, hospitals, doctors and retail clinics are all changing the way they acquire patients. More and more providers are pouring resources into consumer research to try to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Organizations that never had to market before are jumping in with both feet. (more…)

One of the frustrations of what we do is that everybody seems to think they can do it. Instead of allowing people who have years of education and experience do what they think will work, many clients think that they need to rule with an iron hand. Well, here’s a cautionary tale of what happens when we try to do a job we’re not the experts at:

I arrived early at my office one day last week to try to get through a number of important tasks before the official work day started. No such luck. When I pulled in, a gentleman in my building informed me that four baby ducklings were trapped in the storm drain in our parking lot. Being an animal lover and an efficient account person, I volunteered to handle the matter. I called the City. Fortunately for the ducklings, it was a slow crime day and both a police car and a water department vehicle arrived in ten minutes to rescue the adorable black and brown babies, whom I dubbed Donald, Huey, Louie and Dewey. They were quite vocal and it was clear they were happy to be free. The policeman wasn’t too sure what to do with them, so of course, I volunteered to act as real estate agent and relocate them. (more…)

Most of the branding articles that you read are happy, glowing tales of how an agency rebranded a client and turned them into a superstar brand with double-digit growth. Well, this is not one of them. I like to believe that we often learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. I am telling this story as much for ourselves as for our future clients. It is our reminder to teach our clients that re-branding is a strategic process that involves commitment from all the key stakeholders. It is more than writing new ads or developing a new logo. Your brand is your expression of your company’s image and beliefs. For it to be successful, you need to believe in your promise and support it internally and to your customers. You need to look at it deeply, closely and critically to find its best expression. Through our experience with one particular client, we were reminded that without teamwork, perseverance, honesty and leadership from our clients and us, a brand may never reach its true potential. (more…)