Diagnosed patients are proactive in researching information related to their ailment. They study books, look for case studies on the web and seek referrals.
If webspace is integrated into the current traditional process, search behaviour can be influenced to initiate positive relation-building and assist the visitor to opt for treatment in the target hospital.
They connect with travel agencies, hotels, insurance companies, interact with potential hospital at different countries and plan their visit. Hospitals focusing in medical tourism have been busy setting up world class centres, getting accreditations, signing up with health insurance payers, signing up with agents and putting up promotion teams.
Hospitals shouldn’t neglect utilising webspace strategically. Why?
a) People coming to a search engine have a clear intent and ‘need’.
b) People searching for health related info, would search for specific ailment/tips (diabetes, colon cancer, blood pressure), or specific treatment (knee replacement, dialysis, cabg), or Insurance options for the specific ailment, or cheaper treatment options. A hospital must cater independently to all these search needs to initiate first level engagement. Effective SEO (search engine optimisation), SEM (search engine marketing – preferably a paid link on top search), and SERM (search engine reputation management) approach will ensure right visibility. Ad banners will not work at this stage.
The topics that come up on the search engine have to be from microsites owned by the hospital. The visitors look for case studies and reports on ailment/treatment.
c) Visitors would potentially click on the study link, which lead them to the microsite with case studies and country-specific insurance information. Having looked at case studies, understood the disease and treatment along with the pricing options, comparing them to their home country, visitors may choose to explore further. Ideally, they should be guided by tabs to a managed social media page.
d) Social media works well in connecting with people sharing their positive experience of treatment and follow ups at the hospital in a different country. Many successful hospitals have active participation from patients, general visitors, past customers and fans. Connecting tools such as twitter help keep in touch with the prospects or customers. Based on the area of interest, the hospital can offer specific topic enrolment. At this stage the acceptance level of visitors for the hospital is pretty high. Once visitors sign in, then the hospital can give a daily health tip that will be of use to the member.
e) It is important to maintain constant touch with visitors. In case, the decision-making process is prolonged and the visitors needs to think about it, how do you still be on top-of-mind recall? Utility based desktop or mobile branded widgets would do the job maintaining contact. For instance, a CRF patient gets a utility tool to input all food and water intake. The widget then gives report on how friendly was it to the kidneys for that day. The widget regularly reminds on key tests like creatinine, BUN etc. Brand interaction of this nature would maintain top of mind recall.
f) By now the visitors have gained enough information and have gained confidence after interacting at social media and with utility widgets. This is the stage when the visitors would like to explore delivery centre in detail. This calls for personal contact and interaction. One of the easiest ways is inviting visitors for a chat session, web conference (should be available 24/7). The interaction between real and 3-D virtual worlds convey greater feelings of presence, facilitate the clinical communication process, positively influence group processes and cohesiveness in group-based therapies, and foster higher levels of interpersonal trust between therapists and patients.
Both chat session and service team should continue to highlight the 24/7 toll free number. The chat session or service team can also assist visitors in choosing the travel plan. It’s important to close the decision making chain by bringing the visitor to hospital agents chain-real life via partner travel agents, medical tourism consultants, local office, etc.
Engage the caregivers with a virtual waiting room, maintaining frequent updates on progress of treatment being given to the patient and by initiating chats or web conference with those wanting to interact.
g) When the customer leaves the hospital, it’s important to retain loyalty. The best way is to keep the tab with the customer through :
• social media network updates (facebook, youtube, twitter etc)
• web based events
• small localised events
This will ensure top of mind recall and maintain a bond developed since the first initiation of engagement and good treatment.
