A to Z of Healthcare PR
Friends,
Thank you for reading my earlier blogs and sharing your views. I really feel
encouraged after reading your feedback in the comments column. Friends,
presenting my 54th blog titled “A to Z of Healthcare
PR” to you.
Friends,
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
is being felt across industries, heralding the onset of clear and irreversible
changes to come. The Indian healthcare system is also fighting an uphill battle
against a largely unknown enemy. In this blog, I have discussed Healthcare PR at length which
can have a significant effect on target public’s decision-making when looking
for Healthcare related services.
Public relation is a new
entrant in Healthcare industry. Now many leading hospitals and organisations
providing healthcare and related services have created PR or Corp. Comm. depts.
and also run PR and communication programs on an ongoing basis. They have also
appointed public relations officers who indicate that PR has earned an
important place in the healthcare industry. The
importance of and the need for PR can be appreciated when one considers some of
the problems being faced by healthcare industry today such as;
a. High cost of
medical care
b. Public
criticism,
c. Quality care at
affordable cost,
d. Professional
& efficient management
e. Government
agencies
f. Consumer
protection forums
g. Internal
management of hospital.
Different section of people i.e. Doctors, healthcare professionals, patients, visitors, and the community at large etc. form their opinions about the healthcare organisation based on information circulated by different mediums of communication. Healthcare organisation uses Public Relations programs to influence opinions in favour of the organisation.
A well crafted PR program is essential both for internal and external audience. Internally to maintain dedicated and motivated workforce to provide warm and personal service to the patients and their attendants, and externally to communicate the internal activities to the outside world to build and maintain positive perception about the hospital and its management
Healthcare industry is changing fast with the introduction of new methods of healthcare and technologies and that has also revolutionized the practice of healthcare PR in terms of its acceptance and sophistication which is not limited to traditional PR but also dealing with new and innovative concepts of positioning, advertising and marketing, a part of 7Ps of marketing mix. Healthcare PR focuses on the following areas of healthcare and plan and executes programs of communication according to the need:-
· Management
Counseling: This involves providing advice to management about policies,
relationships and interactions.
· Behavioural
Research: Shaping attitudes and behaviors of the internal public in order to
plan strategies to deal with external public.
· Employees
Relations: Responding to concerns, informing, and motivating the employees or
medical professionals.
· Financial
Relations: Creating and maintaining investor’s confidence, building good relationships
with the financial community.
· Community
Relations: designed activity for community to maintain an environment that
benefits both the organisation and the community.
· Industrial
Relations: Relations with other players in healthcare industry and related
bodies.
· Government
Relations: Relating directly with legislatures, opinion leaders, and Govt.
regulatory agencies on behalf of the organisation.
· Special
Events: organising special events for the target audience for understanding and
communication, participation in trade shows.
·
Media
Relations: Handling of / interaction with the journalists to get appropriate
publicity
·
Publicity:
Disseminate strategic communication to select media to reach target audience
· Marketing
Communications: managing corporate and product / service advertising campaigns
in coordination with marketing dept., Publication of marketing materials i.e.
Brochures, pamphlets, posters, banners, direct mails etc.
·
Issues
Management: Identifying and addressing issues of public concern that affect the
organisation.
A large organisation providing healthcare and related services to the public has many departments and each department has an important role to play in building good image of the organisation by providing need based service to the public efficiently. Public opinions about any healthcare organisation are formed on the personal experience of the patients and their families, then on the opinions of the employees and their families. These are the persons who have first-hand knowledge and information about the organisation. There are other public too e.g. visitors, suppliers, service providers whose opinions also matters in image building. Opinions of all the concerned public has a profound influence on organisation’s Public Relations program and is the basis of all internal and external relations PR programs.
Role of Healthcare PR
· To
study the decisions of the management and the impact they have created on the
public perception about the organisation.
· To
analyse on an ongoing basis the communication network and work to improve
communications channels between the organisation and the target audience and
public at large.
· To
develop communication materials such as internal and external newsletters,
medical publications, audio-visuals program, corporate film, corporate
brochure, coffee table book, press release consisting of material on services,
health topic and human interest stories to promote the organisation’s goals and
objectives.
· To
prepare Hospital Information Booklet having information that is helpful to the
patients and their attendants.
· To
develop speaker forum of the organisation comprising the MD, CEO, and Senior
Doctors to speak at various forums, health talks and interviews, civic groups,
prestigious clubs and organizations with a view to promote the image of the
organisation.
There are certain
other areas which need careful observation by PR dept.:-
·
Reception
·
Out
Patient Department and ancillary departments
·
Emergency
& Causality
·
Admission
process
·
Paramedical
and non-medical staff
·
In
ward Management and patient utilities (wheel chairs, trolleys)
·
Guests
visiting hours and visitors waiting and resting area
·
Cleanliness
and appearance
·
Complaint
and suggestions
·
Medicine
shop
·
Blood
bank
·
Food
and food court or cafeteria
·
Public
utilities (Toilets, Drinking water, Telephone, Photostat)
·
Vehicle
parking
·
Ambulance
assistance
Thank you for reading the
blog.
#######
Well said
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