Great Outcomes in Healthcare: An Effective Tool
In healthcare you often hear about the critical importance of quality outcomes. And, why not? At the end of the day, the care that we provide is only as good as the results of how well our patients do. As an example, for a skilled nursing facility that provides such a wide range of services – from short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and specialized services for those with various cognitive challenges – a successful outcome can look very different depending on the type of patient or resident. Each type of outcome, particularly in delivering a personal story of a patient, has value for referral sources and the wider community.
However, its not good enough for a healthcare facility to explain that their patient met their goals and was discharged. Under healthcare reform, facilities (including the referring acute care facility, such as a hospital) will be financially penalized if the patient is readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. This Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model is serving as the blueprint for how hospitals will choose their partners – again – based on quality outcomes. Better patient outcomes means a better financial outcome. Therefore, an outcome that does not include longer-term success misses the point.
Therefore, when a healthcare entity delivers its message to its referral sources, statistical and anecdotal evidence of quality outcomes must be a part of the overall marketing strategy.
President of OneEighty Media, John Krol serves as Director of Accounts and lead communications consultant for this full-service marketing, communications and advertising firm. OneEighty specializes in healthcare marketing, including specific products to effectively highlight quality outcomes to referral sources and broader community.
