Marketing Healthcare to Women

 

Speaking at a financial event last week I heard an interesting stat - the two industries women are most unhappy with are:

• The financial industry
• The healthcare industry

This actually made me happy since these are two industries I'm focusing on heavily.  I believe there's a huge opportunity to do a better job of connecting with women as clients, patients and consumers.

Marketing healthcare to women

Jamie Dunham has a great post on her blog - The Lipstick Economy talking about what women want from healthcare marketers - Marketing to Moms:  What Women Want In Healthcare. 

Health care reform is a lead story on every news outlet in the United States, and interestingly enough, the “experts” all seem to be legislators, insurance representatives, physicians and professional organizations.  Strange, isn’t it, that the primary health care decision makers, women, are not being heard.

Here are stats from her article on what women do want from the healthcare industry:

• 68% want same-day appointments with the primary care physician for unexpected illnesses
• 63% what a relationship with a doctor who knows their medical history
• 63% want one doctor who can manage chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease
• 60% think that technology that allows doctors to send medical records and patient histories to other doctors as extremely important
• 57% said one doctor who can provide high quality health care to all family members regardless of age or gender was extremely important
• 50% said doctors should be able to send prescriptions to pharmacists electronically

There's a huge opportunity here for folks in the healthcare field.   Because women are so dissatisfied with what they're currently getting, if you do a good job, women WILL notice.

Be sure to read Jamie Dunham on a regular basis.  She has some great information about marketing to women.

Comments

[Mary Dean]

Thanks so much for sharing Jamie with us, Holly!

[Emily Foshee]

Jamie made some great points on her blog. There are two others that I value in a doctor: the ability to truly empathize with you, and understand your lifestyle, what stresses you, and possible solutions. All the technology in the world doesn't do a lot of good if you feel like a number when you're at the doctor. Compassion is seriously lacking in the health care system today.

Secondly, a "with it" office staff is critical. This should go without saying, but I've experienced too many mistakes, lost records, forgotten appointments, etc.

Great post! Looking forward to more on this important topic.

[Weight Loss Program Guide]

It was a great article and brought up some very important points. I'm surprised that a couple others were not included; those being a doctor who spends more than a cursory 3 - 5 minutes consulting with you during a visit, and second, a doctor who LISTENS to information from the patient (rather than making a premature determination) to get a complete understanding of the problem or issue affecting her. I finally found a female physician who actually takes time, as much as 20 minutes or so if I need it, to understand how I'm feeling and what problems I'm experiencing. Health providers have such an important task, but often get lost in the 'business end' of health care; seeing more and more patients, but giving less and less in terms of quality of service and care.

[Holly Buchanan]

Great additions - I agree totally - empathy, quality attentive office staff, and a doctor who takes time and really listens - wouldn't that be wonderful? (sigh)

[Jamie Dunham]

Holly -
Thanks for the read of my blog. I work in healthcare a good bit and continue to be amazed at how little women are actually heard in the healthcare debates. Love your blog and hope to meet you in person one day.

jamie

[Tiffany jewelry]

It is interesting for me to know about those industries,women are most unhappy with them.These are some interesting facts what women want from healthcare industry.

[Kelly Watson]

Interesting post, and I agree there's a lot to learn from women's insights ... but aren't those the two industries EVERYONE is most unhappy with right now?

[MBA Programs Online]

Thanks for sharing this information here! This is something so interesting.

[Carol]

Great post! Really good to know about such things, infact the facts mentioned above were really interesting about the financial industry and the healthcare...

[Kelley Connors]

Thanks for focusing on women in healthcare, my passion. Consider that 66% of women don't believe healthcare marketers understand them. Probably no surprise since most women don't look like pharma ads and most doctors offices still don't value women's time given the amount of time we spend in waiting rooms til our number is called.

Health is one of the top reasons women search the web. And, recent data shows most women now look on-line for "women like them" when making healthcare choices and decisions.

Trust and advocacy are key ingredients to marketing health to women...that's what's missing TODAY.

I look forward to more on marketing health to women!

[cash advance]

Health care reform must lead to a story on the U.S. market, and interestingly enough, the experts all seem to be legislators, insurance agents, doctors and professional organisations.

[auto collision]

I work in health care a little better and still be surprised by how some women are heard in discussions of health. Love your blog and look forward to meeting you someday.

[Debt Help]

Caregivers will definitely have a concern challenge. Women through relationships and stories. It is likely that the person who made the decision has been and / or a key influence is a woman. A mother. A daughter. A woman. A granddaughter. A niece.

[skin care]

All the technology in the world doesn't do a lot of good if you feel like a number when you're at the doctor. Compassion is seriously lacking in the health care system today. Nowadays it has just become a mere profession for all.

[Joyce]

Hehe, hhmmm- that is an ietsrenting one Greg. I don't know if Crossfit could help with a sex addiction, but I bet a sex addiction could help generate gains with Crossfit. Never underestimate the importance of cardio .!!