Retain Patients with Personalized Communications
Expectations of healthcare providers have dramatically changed in the last decade. The introduction of technology and the widespread adoption of digital communications in other industries have increased the pressure on healthcare providers to provide a similar experience. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by Redpoint found a significant gap in the experience healthcare consumers expect to receive from their provider and what is actually provided. To improve the patient experience, a personalized communications approach is necessary.
Patients Want A Personalized Healthcare Experience
Healthcare providers manage a lot of patient data. As audience segmentation and personalization techniques become more common in other industries like e-commerce and personal care, consumers are beginning to expect the same experiences from their healthcare providers. For example, media streaming services make personalized recommendations for new shows based on what you have previously watched. People like these features because it helps them discover new content they may not know about. Patients are beginning to expect a similar personalized experience from their healthcare provider. If a patient wants to control their diabetes diagnosis, communications from a medical provider with helpful resources are not only desired but are starting to become expected.
Personalized Communications Affect Patient Retention
Unlike streaming services, healthcare is extremely personal. If a media company recommends a show you don’t like, it’s minorly irritating. On the other hand, if your practice sends irrelevant email communications, it impacts the patient experience and may cause patients to leave. To that end, the Dynata survey found that the patient experience and personalization were two of the top reasons that patients leave a healthcare practice.
What would you prefer- frequent emails about products and services you don’t want, or consistent emails that relate to your goals and interests? It’s an easy decision. No one likes to be annoyed by pointless emails. Using information about your patients’ health status and goals to craft personalized messages increases patient satisfaction and improves engagement.
How to Personalize the Patient Experience
Traditionally, HIPAA compliance requirements have made it difficult for healthcare providers to personalize email communications. When marketers use patient data to segment audiences and personalize content, the communications must be protected according to HIPAA regulations. Many email marketing tools cannot meet these stringent encryption and security requirements. By selecting tools that meet HIPAA’s technical requirements (like LuxSci’s Secure Marketing and Secure High Volume Email) and by properly training employees, healthcare marketers can employ the same segmentation and personalization techniques to reach their audience with relevant communications.
Conclusion
Personalizing email communications is just one way to improve patient marketing and retention. Contact us today to learn more about how to reach your patients with secure email communications.
