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.


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