The Uber Effect: How Can Your Healthcare System Change the Game with Digital
Is your healthcare system feeling the Uber Effect? Now more than ever, consumers want what they want, and when they want it — which has evolved into a phenomenon known as the “Uber Effect.” The Uber Effect is fundamentally changing the way consumers — your patients — interact with brands, including healthcare systems. Patients are acting as consumers and have high expectations for the care they receive — and that patient journey often begins with a mobile device. In the age of the mobile consumer, healthcare systems need to enhance the patient experience by turning micro moments of discovery into next moments of engagement with location marketing.
On Wednesday, May 18th, SIM Partners sponsored a webinar with the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD) to share how healthcare marketers can transform the patient experience through micro and next moments. “The Uber Effect: How Can You Change the Game with Digital”, was hosted by Amanda Bury, Managing Director, Healthcare, SIM Partners. Amanda shared how the digital disruption of the patient journey has created an opportunity for healthcare providers to acquire new patients, and why it’s critical that healthcare systems consider a “one-to-moment” marketing strategy in a post-digital era. One-to-moment marketing means being visible, relevant, and engaging where and when patients are looking for you in their moments of need.
Amanda also discussed ways healthcare systems can flourish in the age of the mobile consumer by creating stronger relationships at the local level through a moment-based marketing program.
Be Visible in the “Near Me” Moments
Today, one in twenty searches are healthcare related, and patients are turning to search to find what they want, when and where they want it. Not only are patients searching online for their healthcare needs, they are also using their mobile devices to find care closest to them. “Near me” searches have increased 34x since 2011, and 88% of these searches are happening on mobile devices. To win in these “near me” moments, healthcare systems must harness the power of their location data, to be visible when and where patients are looking for care. A comprehensive location data management strategy, as outlined in SIM Partners Healthcare Marketer’s Guide to Location Data Management, is the foundation to being visible in these moments.
Create “Next” Moments of Engagement
Once consumers are able to easily find your facilities and physicians, you need to deliver compelling content and experiences that will accelerate the velocity of the customer journey.
Patients want to know information such as what insurance is accepted, hours and the location the physician is at that day, and the physician’s educational background, etc. Having all this available directly on the physician profile is a critical piece to a successful physician profile. “Next” moment opportunities include physician directories that include insurance information or physician profile pages that patients to schedule appointments right on the page.
Transparency is also key in creating next moments. Mobile consumers are empowered, checking reviews for everything from Uber drivers to physicians. In fact, 45 percent of consumers say they research physicians online before scheduling an appointment, and 20 percent say viewing online reviews is the first step in their search to find a physician.
In the age of the mobile consumer, healthcare marketers can respond to the Uber effect with a location marketing program that relies on location data to drive visibility in the “near me” moments and contextual content that creates “next” moments of conversion. See a replay of the webinar or contact us to learn more.