By Isabelle T. Walker
When the legendary singer Pearl Bailey said ‘You must change in order to survive,’ she could have been addressing the 500-plus healthcare marketers attending the 18th National Healthcare Marketing Strategies Summit in Scottsdale this spring. The appeal to change came from every corner as marketers were again and again urged to adapt to the demands and opportunities of digital marketing, the onset of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the proliferation of wellness programs and more.
Keynote speaker Thomas Goetz, Executive Editor of Wired from 2001-2012 and author of The Decision Tree, said the challenge of engaging consumers in their health was best accomplished by seeing them as storytellers deeply involved in the daily act of writing their personal narrative. Rather than using traditionally negative, frightening messages, if people’s storytelling instinct can be tapped, successful outcomes are more likely.
“When you force negative, angry hostile messages onto people about health, they tend to shut off, they move away. Horror stories don’t work . . . We need to give people a story about their health that they’re happy and enthusiastic to engage in,” said Mr. Goetz.
Mr. Goetz reviewed an assortment of websites and apps, including Facebook and Pinterest, that he said are already tapping this storytelling instinct. He described and reviewed a half-dozen other apps designed to help consumers create a vision of their future, including a roadmap to optimal health. Lift, a free iPhone app, helps users set goals, track progress and receive support. Stick.com is another.
“We need to make that future visible . . . to help [consumers] understand where they might be going, for good and for bad. Make that future visible.” Mr. Goetz’s upbeat talk ended with an exhortation to marketers to go out and help consumers understand the role they play in writing their health story.
“You are all helping [consumers] understand their role, what might be possible for them in their health,” he said.
Similarly, Scott Bedbury, who steered the Nike and Starbucks brands to global stardom, said good brands tap into basic human needs, including the need to feel safe, welcomed, recognized, to feel part of something bigger and loved.
Meanwhile, two and a half days of breakout sessions were packed with advice and guidance on social media, mobile technology, behavioral marketing, patient engagement and more.
Gary Druckenmiller, Jr., vice president of strategic services at eVariant, a summit sponsor, explained that marketing with social media, while rife with potential, required detailed strategic application to pay off. He teamed with Tanya Andreadis of Penn Medicine to describe the three-phase campaign they devised to build Penn Medicine’s bariatric program.
“[Social media] is the most grand opportunity in marketing if it’s done the right way,” said Mr. Druckenmiller. The right way, according to Mr. Druckenmiller, uses it as part of a multi-channel campaign, a campaign that utilizes traditional media advertising as well as social media engagement to maintain a constant brand presence. Penn Medicine’s social media plan was based on intense market research. Three months of content was developed before the campaign was launched. The goal was to engage the community knowing that future patients wouldn’t come to social media, but would network through social media. Penn Medicine utilized a weight-loss Facebook page, twitter posts, a Pinterest page in addition to regular posts to top bariatric blogs. In the end, bariatric surgeries increased 57 percent.
While understanding the role of social media in healthcare marketing was a core conference theme, the growth of mobile technology was discussed in just about every seminar. Brian Cusack, director of health services at Google, said health-related internet searches more than doubled in the last four years, and health-related searches originating from mobile devices are about to surpass those coming from desktop computers. (In June, searches from those two platforms were about 50-50, he said, but mobile-device searches will soon take the lead.)
“Desktop remains important,” Mr. Cusack told a standing room only audience, “but not the most important device for you.” Healthcare organizations must figure out how to optimize their websites for mobile devices and understand how consumers looking for health information move from one kind of device to another while gathering the information they’re looking for.
“A consumer follows an [online] path,” Cusack said. “How are you going to order your online content so it’s specific to the device that they’re on, and not lose them along the way?”
The annual conference was sponsored by The Forum for Healthcare Strategists a decrease in stress.
This summer, Yale plans to initiate biometric screening for its entire staff; electronic results on cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, and personal health-risk screens will be delivered to all participants.
Participation in wellness programs often proves to be a challenge, so in addition to presenting incentives, programs need to be relevant, said Dr. Russi. “Offering a menu of options could bump up the participation rate. For instance, in a classroom setting, the power of the group may be influential for some individuals. Others may benefit from a customized one-on-one program, phone or internet intervention.”
Small-Scale Success
Large healthcare systems face the greatest challenges in workplace health, but smaller facilities have trials too. Elderwood Health Care at Wedgewood in Amherst, NY, is a success story on a smaller scale. This 92-bed residential facility that offers long-term, skilled nursing and rehabilitation services, along with a 35-bed memory-care unit, was experiencing 40 to 50 workplace-related illnesses and injuries annually in the early 2000s. Administrator Anna Bojarczuk-Foy, M.B.A., took a long look at the situation in an effort to help her staff of caregivers.
“What makes us successful is when we view caregivers as an investment,” said Ms. Bojarczuk-Foy. “In addition to the financial benefits of no injuries, we want to make sure the team is not in pain and on the job.” A team of Safety Supporters became the answer. This assembly of staff members from every level and department works to identify problems and solutions. Safety Supporters sought a way to help pregnant caregivers remain safe while working. “The safety board researched the changing body and developed a program for teaching the best way to care for yourself when you’re working and pregnant,” said Ms. Bojarczuk-Foy. “They put together a packet and give it to any staff person who becomes pregnant.” A Health and Wellness Board engages a different department every month on a health topic and devises strategies to address it. “The kitchen focused on eating healthy and distributed recipes for more nutritious meals. The cardiology unit offered blood-pressure readings to staff members,” Ms. Bojarczuk-Foy said. “The nurse management team addressed [stress levels] and provided stress-release tips. They took over the hair salon one day and had free chair massage.”
The programs have led to a 66 percent reduction in on-the-job injuries, from 46 in 2005 to 15 in 2012. For more information, go to www.elderwood.com/locations/wedgewood.php.
High-Tech Tools
The use of spreadsheets and paper to manage occupational health and employee wellness programs is almost obsolete, said Dr. Lee Newman, founder of Axion Health, Inc., which provides software, support, and consultation services for occupational health programs. Today’s technology is much more sophisticated. Software used to be loaded onto each individual computer and maintained separately for every update. Today, web-based software is available immediately online and can be accessed by anyone with the proper password and authorization regardless of geographic location. Dr. Newman explained that web-based software programs are customizable, more efficient than paper, and reduce the incidence of mistakes. Plus, training is minimal as computer use for many workers is intuitive today.
Processes within the facility will dictate software features. “You need to look at workflow and understand how much integration with other departments and equipment is needed,” Dr. Newman said. “Another important aspect to consider is the number of sites involved. Many facilities are not a single location but could involve outpatient, inpatient, or multiple clinics.”
Dr. Newman said employee wellness software should be specifically designed for occupational health practices. “Software for general hospitals does not do a good job. Also, make sure the software has National Institute of Standards certification (www.nist.gov). You want to have this when handling confidential worker information,” he said. “The software should also provide clinical-decision support. As information is entered, the software gives feedback, for instance, telling you the standards of practice, providing pointers on what to do with certain lab abnormalities.”
Depending on the size of the facility and the scope of the required software, such a program can be up and running in a few weeks. “For a large healthcare system with 50,000 employees, it takes many more months to be done. It requires more training and integration with other data sources, such as labs and equipment,” said Dr. Newman, noting that costs are highly variable. A strong integrated system that weds occupational health with employee wellness not only takes care of workers but also protects the employer. With the coming implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the time for leveraging occupational health infrastructure for a healthier workforce could not be more opportune. Integrating Occupational Health and Employee Health will be the subject of course seven at RYAN Associates’ 27th Annual National Conference. Dr. Scott Harris, Jennan Phillips, Brian Jones, and Margaret Sweigert will serve as faculty. Tim Ross will serve as panel moderator.
