Clinical Update TEN TOP TIPS Promoting your wound care centre
Ten Top Tips... Promoting your wound care centre
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Author: Nicole Walker
n many countries, health care is largely provided by private
sector businesses. Elsewhere, traditionally state-run health services are currently undergoing a shift – not least due the burden of providing care for aging populations – towards the provision of specific health
services by the private sector (see, for example, physiotherapy and podiatry in the UK).[1] Whether in an existing private health
provider environment, or part of a system that is evolving towards it, clinicians can play an important role in promoting their service. Engaging with both other healthcare professionals (i.e. referrers) and patients directly, the clinician in the private sector is a key player in helping drive the promotion of their specialism and ensuring a steady stream of referrals and patients. In view of this demand, the author – Director of PR and Marketing at Wound Care Advantage, a company based in Los Angeles, California, that specialises in managing wound care clinics and hospitals across the USA – provides ten top tips for promoting a wound care service.
block of treatment is a detailed patient care plan outlining a personalised care plan and treatment goals. This same concept should be the foundation of marketing a wound care clinic: when it comes to marketing campaigns, strategic planning is as important as the execution. Some elements of the marketing plan may be able to be achieved in-house, while others may be outsourced.
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USE GRAPHICS AND PRINT MATERIALS
Graphics and print materials remain a valuable source of information for both patients and
START WITH A PLAN In most wound centres the basic building
referring physicians. Surveys of healthcare professionals reveal that 95% of specialist clinics use printed handouts for their patients. To supplement the handout, 82% refer their patients to credible websites.[2] A strong brand identity that integrates
creative graphics and readable print materials establishes trust and professionalism with potential patients and referring primary care clinicians. The basic materials you should have in your centre include: patient guides, inpatient rack cards, appointment cards, and treatment- specific brochures.
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CREATE A REFERRING PARTNER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
Getting patients through the door of a wound centre can be challenging, especially if primary care clinicians are hesitant to refer patients. Spending time to build strong relationships with referring clinicians is one of the most effective ways to increase overall volume of a centre. It is important to reassure these clinicians
that wound care is a specialty and not a replacement for primary care. Marketing pieces should clearly communicate that once healed, patients will return to their primary care clinician. This helps to build a strong programme where the individuals that are referring are partners, not competitors.
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STRONG PR GOES FAR BEYOND THE PRESS RELEASE
Behind every company there is a story of the road they have travelled and this story can be used as a foundation for personalisation of a centre. Reporters do not want fluff; they want to see real results, people, and numbers. Meaning comes from what is said about the centre, not what the centre says about itself. Wound centres should show, not tell. In addition to personalising the story and
focusing on results, it is also important to build relationships at the local level. Networking
Wounds International Vol 5 | Issue 1 | ©Wounds International 2014 |
www.woundsinternational.com
Author details Nicole Walker is the Director of PR and Marketing, Wound Care Advantage, Sierra Madre, CA, USA. Email:
nicole@thewca.com
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Ten Top Tips
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