Facebook Poll: What is your Biggest Gripe about the Doctor’s Office?
We asked Facebook users what frustrated them most about visiting the doctor. Waiting was the chief complaint, with 39% of respondents, followed by the doctor’s attitude and rude office staff. For more on those top three responses and advice to combat them in your office, click here. Listed below are some of the other gripes that came up in our poll. “The butcher paper on the exam tables. It’s 2010, that’s really still the best option?” “That... Read More
Medical Mystery Shopping Myths
Here at (e)Merge, we measure patient perception of our client’s practices by sending in medical mystery shoppers. They evaluate and document the patient experience both over the phone and in the office. Though medical mystery shopping is a thriving industry, there are still misconceptions surrounding it. Here, we debunk the three top myths: Myth #1: Mystery shopping projects will take a lot of time and attention away from real patients. Truth: When... Read More
Is Healthcare Social Media a Bad Idea?
This week, some nurses at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, California were fired for posting pictures of a dying stab victim that came into their ER on their Facebook pages. Now, many are questioning whether healthcare’s dip into social media sets a good example. Our take? Just because health systems are using social media to connect with patients and better market themselves, it doesn’t give workers the right to blur the lines between their... Read More
What Women Want
New research shows health sites are visited far more often by women than by men. Women are also outpacing men on amount of visits to social media sites, not to mention time spent while on those sites. This is an important finding for healthcare marketing, as more and more practices integrate social media as part of their marketing strategy. Both of these new statistics further highlight the need to cater to the modern woman, and specifically, the... Read More
Avoiding Social Media Marketing Pitfalls
Congratulations! Your medical practice or health system has joined the social media movement and you are now connecting with current and potential patients online. Though you may be off to a good start, this is not the time to take your following for granted. Many of your competitors are also interested in gaining your base. So, let’s talk about the pitfalls that could send your followers elsewhere and how to avoid them: 1) Becoming ‘noise’.... Read More
A Word on Word-of-Mouth
As marketing specialists, we are constantly asked about strategy. Many wonder how effective word-of-mouth marketing really is and how much of their marketing plan should rely on it. The fact is, normal or satisfied practices cannot rely on word-of-mouth marketing at all because they are not creating memorable experiences for their patients. These practices have to spend a lot more money on advertising because their patients aren’t inspired to tell... Read More
APPetizing…
How would you like to increase top of mind awareness, build loyalty and boost consumer confidence in your brand? Many health systems are finding a new way to do just that: by creating and providing phone apps, they are a visible, accessible resource on their client’s phones 24/7. St. Louis Children’s Hospital is one of the first to debut an iPhone app for their brand. Kid Care tells parents what injuries are emergency room worthy and which can... Read More
Concept of ‘Patient Experience’ Pervades
We here at (e)Merge have been working for years at improving patient experience for our clients. Lately, it suddenly feels that the entire industry is getting in the groove of this concept! Imagine our delight when this month’s Health Grades Outstanding Patient Experience Awards were announced, and hundreds of acclaimed hospitals started boasting about the accolade. Though this is not the first year for the award, more recipients are garnering local... Read More
Don’t Let Overhaul Distract from Healthcare Customer Service
#gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } American Healthcare is going through its equivalent of puberty: a cumbersome, awkward phase that holds the promise of change and maturity. The changes... Read More
How many new patients have you lost because of poor customer service?
By Linsey Grams The other day, I did a business a favor. I complained. I know criticism doesn’t sound like a favor, but it most certainly is. Most disappointed customers move onto the next business without giving that first business a chance to improve. This particular instance involved a sensitive pregnant woman (me) and a rude receptionist at an OBGYN/midwifery clinic. This is my first child, so I am excited, nervous and just plain... Read More
