Healthcare services need to improve their content game. Four reasons why it's important

Content is one of the facets that effectively link every step of the patient journey. Healthcare service providers often overlook the value of quality content. As the patient experience becomes a key way for practices to differentiate themselves from other providers, content is one of the most direct and streamlined ways to improve patient satisfaction. Staying ahead of the curve is crucial, particularly at this stage when digitalization and hybrid care transformation are reshaping the healthcare industry.

How patient-centric are healthcare providers? Our health report answers many of the questions regarding the current landscape of digital front doors within the industry. This data is essential for understanding what the competition is doing and where the current bar is in terms of benchmarking digital content standards and best practices. Download the full report, but before you do, begin by exploring some of the key reasons to prioritize content in your practice. 

1. Your digital front door is the first impression of your clinic

Choosing a healthcare professional often begins with an online search. What will prospective patients see if they land on your homepage? The moment a future or current patient visits your website presents an opportunity for your practice to become a trusted resource. It’s a critical moment. Will the patient feel heard, informed, and comforted, or will they be overwhelmed by extraneous information and leave the site? 

From the language and tone a clinic uses to the educational material, instructions, and accessibility of the information — all these factors inevitably contribute to the patient’s first impression of the care provider.

Many patients come to a practice's website in a vulnerable state. By making information easily accessible, a clinic positions itself as a trustful asset patients can count on when they seek help. Quality content is one of the pillars for creating such bonds with patients. 

For such content to be executed properly, a long-term plan is necessary to prevent inconsistent or incongruous content from sabotaging a practice’s authority and trustworthiness. Relying on long-term planning and investing in the forethought of a content expert team can help a practice avoid such pitfalls.  

2. Healthcare communication is diverting from verbal to written 

We have been witnessing a change in the nature of healthcare professionals’ work, with the industry increasingly leaning towards written communication. Face-to-face appointments are no longer the only standard, which leads nurses and doctors to engage with patients more frequently through channels like chats or patient apps. This requires a shift in how we communicate and a conscious choice of the language used in this type of sensitive communication. 

Digitalization presents a unique opportunity to keep patients more informed and up-to-date with their care. For instance, practices now are able to communicate more bite-sized text touchpoints, such as check-up reminders, lab results notifications, and practice updates.

Because digital mediums rely more on written than verbal communication, patients are consistently becoming more in the habit of reading their updates rather than waiting for an appointment or a phone call.

Text and verbal are not mutually exclusive. And, of course, no sms will be able to replace a face-to-face conversation with a doctor you trust. However, a truly patient-centric user journey requires more touchpoints and the best way to scale your communications is by taking advantage of text mediums. Healthcare practices need to make a strategic shift to develop protocols for written communication that align with the patient journey. Content designers should be your strategic partners in this transformative process.

3. Quality content saves time and resources in healthcare

No matter how good your content is, it can never replace healthcare professionals in the care process. However, good content can provide many benefits for patients, addressing some of the basic questions and needs and acting as a support that helps streamline care. Online content can resolve many of the queries that would typically require the time of staff and physicians. 

As professional resources become more scarce and stretched to their limits, content can provide a tangible way to make communication more efficient, providing a solution that is long-term and sustainable. Content experts can guide practice through this process by determining what content would be most helpful to include, especially elements that enhance the patient journey and make it as smooth as possible. For instance, tasks that patients can complete online should be identified to allow for such elements to be created and made available for them to complete in a user-friendly manner.   

The same can be said for the dissemination of information. Essential health topics could be more properly covered in online content. Here, patients can take their time to read and refer back to these resources as frequently as they need, which isn’t possible if the same guidance and advice were being given verbally by a healthcare professional. 

Instructions for actions a patient should take, such as how to prep for an appointment or a procedure, can also be included within your online content. Not only can this help to cut down on the need for patient inquiries, but it can also allow the healthcare team to dedicate their time to the patient interactions that require in-person attention. 

4. The right content supports both patient care and the needs of the practice

Healthcare service providers need to treat content as a core part of the patient experience. In this way, content plays a unique role in supporting patient education and care while supporting a practice's business interests. As patients have greater access to a wider array of healthcare options, each practice must take new steps to set itself apart from the competition. Content and creating a welcoming digital front door can be an easy-to-achieve route toward achieving such a distinction. 

Explore how healthcare practices across Europe are making strides to incorporate patient-centric content into their digital presence. Download the health report How patient-centric are healthcare providers? and learn what the competition is doing to attract, retain and forge deeper relationships with patients. Staying on the pulse of content approaches within the industry is essential to remaining relevant and at the forefront of your industry today and in the future.