Today’s healthcare system is replete with problems that begin with access and end with outcomes. The communities we serve are more interested in staying well than in being ill, and they are more willing to try alternatives to traditional care as long as there is not out-of-pocket expense involved. So, the publics we serve want it all, at a nominal cost, with good outcomes. How we do that in today’s environment is a challenge as well as an opportunity. 
The challenge offers healthcare organizations the chance to move beyond the problem, i.e., limited access, long lines, high costs, using emergency departments for primary care, and more – to become the solution. And how do we become the solution – by empowering the public to assume responsibility for care and their outcomes, by knowing that wellness does not begin in the doctor’s office – rather it begins with the small decisions that we make each day when we buy groceries, order from a menu, pack our kids lunches and more. When we offer solutions, we succeed.
We’ll walk through some of those solutions that are well within our reach!
The customer experience…does anyone ever ask what the customer/consumer/patient wants and expects? Forget the satisfaction surveys and delve deeply. Identify the opportunities that bring participants to your brand. Get it right the first time. Build a winner in this industry by simplifying the process and delivering on your promises. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) created Triple Aim – Population Health, Experience of Care, and Per Capita Cost.
The challenges:
Many organizations work in silos, with no one accountable for all three dimensions of care. By now, most health care organizations and community leaders have heard of the Triple Aim. It’s a multi-dimensional framework developed by IHI to optimize the health of a defined population and improve the care experience while reducing costs. Yet, while organizations and coalitions understand the benefits of implementing the framework, they’re not clear on how to begin the change process — especially when initiatives happen in silos and no one is accountable for all three dimensions. 
In the DMV area, the system becomes more important than ever before; access to records and coordination of care to ensure outcomes is imperative. The patient is the driver!
The issues:
- Convenience
- Communication
- Consistency
The trends:
- The patient/consumer/customer will become more involved than ever before
- The more informed the patient – the better the outcomes
- The patient must have an advocate
- By 2021, patients may compare their hospital experience rating against those of other hospitals prior to making a choice and choose like they would a hotel or airline
- Too many portals take up too much time
The solutions:
- Counting reputation
- Establishing a laser-focus on experience is critical
- Engaging value-conscious patients and consumers
- Identifying competencies needed by healthcare professionals
- Integrating behavioral health and medical care
- Enhancing wellness programs that improve health and reduce costs
- Identifying the gatekeeper: not obsolete but more difficult to coordinate care
What are you doing to integrate solutions within your healthcare marketing plan?
To answer that question and determine where you stand and what you need to do to get out of your own way, ponder these questions. Respond honestly.