Imagine you’re at the doctors’ office. The gown is on. You’re sitting on the exam table trying not to crinkle the paper when you have the unsettling yet ever-common realization that your cell phone is in your bag on the other side of the room. And so the internal debate begins: Should you hop off the table to grab your phone so you can kill time while you wait? Or will the doctor knock and enter the examination room the moment your feet land on the ground?
We rely on technology to inform us, connect us and entertain us. Why then, when we’re in the most emotionally charged and vulnerable of experiences, are we without the technology and resources that support us during every other moment of the day?
It doesn’t have to be this way. It shouldn’t be this way. We need access to relevant content at the point of care.
Marketing at the point of care is so important, especially for health-related organizations and brands, because people are primed for action in these moments. Here is a captive audience whose attention (for an average of over 30 minutes) is solely focused on health-related actions and decisions.
In a study by ZS Associates patient behavior was measured after being exposed to digital signage at their provider’s office. Of those exposed, 68% asked their doctor for a specific medication, 31% were more likely to fill their prescription, and 34% were more likely to take their medication as prescribed. This evidence suggests that content messaging at the point of care influences patient behavior; as content creators, we have a responsibility to ensure that our influence is credible and trustworthy.
Outcome Health's technology platform delivers impactful content at every touch point of the point of care experience. Our waiting room TVs display videos curated for that clinic’s specialty. Our exam room wallboards are touchscreens that include 3D anatomical models to facilitate physician-patient conversations. Our infusion room tablets provide patients with education and entertainment during the entirety of their infusion treatment. We exist in a space that is highly influential for an audience that is highly emotional. That’s why the educational content displayed across these devices is tailored to each person’s journey and speaks to the patient, caregiver and healthcare professional at the same time.
We partner with content leaders, like the Ad Council, to ensure that the messages and information we provide are not only accurate but also empathetic to the patient experience. Think about it: when you’re at the doctor’s office, sitting on that crinkly paper, wouldn’t you prefer fact-based, custom information that’s relevant to the experience you’re in at that moment rather than broad, generalized messaging?
Here’s an example of work Outcome Health did with the Ad Council:
The American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE initiative partnered with the Ad Council to launch an awareness campaign for a new lung cancer screening to increase early detection of lung cancer. These ads are everywhere and perfectly communicate to a wide audience why the low-dose CT scan is so important.
But what about the audience at the point of care? The people who are in a moment when their health is top of mind and free from every other distraction that crowds their lives? These are the moments when relevant, custom content matters the most.
Our O/Studio creative team saw an opportunity to tailor the “Saved by the Scan” message to the point of care audience.
We provided the audience with even more details about the new CT scan and distributed the message across our nationwide network, our intent being to impact health outcomes for all.
Outcome Health sits at the point of care, at the intersection of emotion and marketing. Our content is with audiences from the moment they step foot in their doctor’s office, and our technology invites them to engage with important resources and information. Patients and caregivers can now be proactive during their wait time (rather than debate whether or not they should grab their cell phone).
As we’ve seen, messaging at the point of care can impact patient actions and health outcomes; therefore, it’s our duty to use our influence for good and provide everyone at the point of care with content they can trust.