Experiencing Your Healthcare Brand

DJ Smith / Nov 10th / Comments

I joined my dad on a follow-up visit to a neurosurgeon who had recently removed a blueberry-sized benign tumor that nearly killed him from the base of his brain. As the physician’s assistant examined my dad he made a side remark that he had to go see the doctor himself soon. As a healthcare marketer, my research side got the better of me and I asked, “What is it like for a doctor to go to the doctor?” The PA said something that really impressed me. He said healthcare providers need to take off their lab coats and go sit in their own waiting rooms as patients. This was a suggestion that was as profound as it was simple.

Many healthcare professionals spend week after week parking in designated spots, going through entry doors meant for only them, and slipping into the their offices without having to walk through the waiting rooms. How much better of an experience would patients have if their healthcare providers would stop to look at their brand as their patients do?

For example, how clean is the waiting room? Do the walls need a fresh coat of paint? Are the magazines outdated? Are the chairs comfortable? What do the restrooms smell like? Is the staff warm and friendly? How easy are the necessary forms to fill out? Do the examining rooms create more stress for the patient or put them at ease? The list of questions goes on and on.

The good news is that this “market research” is so simple to do and costs little to understand. Healthcare will always be about people helping people. Why not take the lab coat off, see your healthcare brand as your patients do, and fix what you don’t believe works well for them? You and your patients will be better as a result.