A few years ago, during a project with a notable health system, we sat in a dark viewing room, watching focus group participants pick apart our client. When the moderator checked in with us in the backroom minutes before finishing the group, we decided to send her back in with one simple question:
What is one thing that this health system has done well?
She posed the question to the group, and the response was pretty cold. People crossed their arms, frowned, and looked from one to the other uncomfortably.
Finally, someone spoke.
“Well…they cured me.”
This moment perfectly summed up something we observe time and again in our research for hospitals and health care systems: simply doing the work of curing a patient is not enough to win their admiration, let alone their loyalty.
What stayed top-of-mind for this patient was not their positive health outcomes; but rather the negative interactions they had throughout the care journey. Ultimately, the negative outweighs the positive.
A strong brand image comes from establishing a deep connection.
And every interaction matters! Because poor impressions can damage your brand image instantaneously.
Every person that a patient interacts with, from waiting room staff to billing representatives, has the opportunity to shape the patient’s visit, for good or for bad.
And not only will bad interactions leave a bad taste in the patient’s mouth, they also make patients skeptical of your capabilities in other, unrelated areas of service. As a different focus group participant summed it up:
“If they can’t get [scheduling] right, what are they doing when I’m under anesthesia?”
While there’s no doubt we hear our share of medical practice horror stories, we hear even more stories about administrative challenges that leave a poor overall impression and can damage a system’s brand image.
So what it comes down to is this: every interaction a patient (and their family) has in your hospital or clinic is part of the total care experience.
Award-winning doctors and groundbreaking treatment can only take you so far when patients expect the worst.
It also means developing a deeper understanding of what a patient journey looks like to recognize where each point of interaction becomes an opportunity for an improved experience. And working with a market research firm to map out what that patient journey looks like is a great first step!
Once you recognize what your touch points are, and any pain or discomfort associated with them– whether they’re related to access, administration or the care itself– you can allocate time and resources to improving those experiences.
This will boost your overall brand image in the eyes of the people that matter most to your bottom line.
At Market Street Research, we support clients through the process of patient journey mapping. If you’re interested in learning more about your patient population and their unmet needs, contact us for a consultation today.