Healthcare is consistently named one of the least consumer-friendly industries, a stark contrast to the retail industry, according to healthcare marketing firm Smith & Jones.
For its "2018 Healthcare Marketing Trends Playbook," Smith & Jones analyzed statistics, leading healthcare marketers and effective tactics to predict marketing trends that will most affect hospitals next year.
Here are eight trends hospital marketers should know for 2018.
1. Patient satisfaction will play a large role in hospital reimbursement. CMS continues to base a larger portion of reimbursement on HCAHPS scores.
2. Hospital marketers must enhance employee culture. More executives are moving into roles as heads of culture, as issues with hospital employees can plague hospitals with low satisfaction marks.
3. Sponsored content is beating traditional display ads. Ad-blocking software is one reason sponsored content is outperforming display advertising. In addition, consumers are drawn to more educational than promotional ads, according to Smith & Jones.
4. Health-related video content is in demand. There is a hole in the market for qualified physicians to provide health information through videos without offering clinical advice.
5. Web apps are bridging gaps between desktop and mobile devices. Healthcare companies thinking about building a mobile app should ensure the app can be used on multiple platforms.
6. Patient portals need an upgrade. Most patient portals were launched to achieve meaningful use reimbursements from CMS; however, many were not created to improve patient engagement.
7. Gaining value from data remains a daunting task. Healthcare companies looking to use data strategically may need to learn new software.
8. Wellness initiatives are on the rise. While healthcare companies are creating content about wellness, next year, hospitals will need to hone in their focus on wellness by working with market participants.
Access Smith & Jones' full report here.