How Will You Manage the Hospital Patient Experience Post COVID-19?

As of May 3, 2020, the United States reported 1,185,167 Coronavirus cases, 68,495 deaths, and 178,219 recovered (source worldometer). These are sobering statistics regardless of where you are in the political spectrum. Even more sobering when you see the worldwide toll COVID-19 has taken.

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The point is that COVID-19 has changed the healthcare experience for everyone.

While there is an understanding that COVID-19 is not a normal situation, the impacts are profound and lasting. As hospitals develop their marketing plans for a post-pandemic world, special attention needs to be paid to the patient experience.

With all-hands-on-deck for the influx of Coronavirus patient with a highly contagious disease, cancellations of surgery, outpatient services, etc., was the norm.  People have also delayed going to the doctor for treatment for a variety of reasons. Anecdotally, I am hearing that physician's office visits for primary care are down 50-60 percent.

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All this points to a surge in "normal" healthcare procedures and services that have been put off. And how those services are experienced and delivered will be much different from the introduction into the experience of COVID-19 precautions in place to stop community spread.

What is in place now is a different healthcare normal, with patients and families unprepared for the changing healthcare treatment journey and experience.

Hospitals have had to engage more closely and meaningfully with patients, families, and the community. In many ways, a new engagement standard has been established that needs to carry over into the marketing efforts in a post-COVID-19 world.

What I have seen in some initial marketing efforts in print and broadcast is like the pandemic never took place—recycled past brand messages and marketing missing the mark. It is almost Pollyannaish in nature to portray images and brand messages of what the experience was when that is no longer possible today.

Weeks have been spent communicating meaningfully and engaging on so many different levels, why would a hospital or health system squander those efforts?

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There are over 147 touchpoints in the patient experience. All have been significantly impacted and changed. 

Failure to account for the new hospital experience in the hospital's marketing going forward will squander the goodwill of doctors and nurses that deliver care in the hospital seen as heroes.

Don't go back to the marketing of a few weeks ago. Include the changing experience in your marketing to manage the expectations of patients as successfully as you handled the experience and expectations of patients, families, and communities during the pandemic.

Michael is a healthcare business, marketing, communications strategist, and thought leader. As an internationally followed healthcare strategy blogger, his blog, Healthcare Marketing Matters, is read in 52 countries and is listed on the 100 Top Healthcare Marketing Blogs & Websites ranked at No. 3 on the list by Feedspot.com. Michael is a Life Fellow, American College of Healthcare Executives. An expert in healthcare marketing strategy, digital marketing, and social media, Michael is in the top 10 percent of social media experts nationwide and is considered an established influencer. For inquiries regarding strategic consulting engagements, email me at michael@themichaeljgroup.com. Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Opinions expressed are my own.

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