Rebuilding Patient Trust Through Digital Content: Best Practices and Case Studies

Today, consumers have become accustomed to accessing the information they need and connecting with others anytime, anywhere. This hyperconnectivity has had an immeasurable impact on industries and consumers alike, emerging as one of the most revolutionary innovations in recent years. The healthcare industry has already felt the effects of this connectivity. Patients around the world are now connected to one another, able to find supportive communities regardless of the conditions they face or the treatments they undergo. These patients benefit significantly from such new communities, no longer feeling that the companies providing them with critical medications and therapies are distant or out of reach.

Today, 72% of internet users report that they have sought health information online over the past year, with 65% claiming the internet as their primary source for such information. As the internet becomes a crucial information resource for people worldwide, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies are presented with significant opportunities.

Due to numerous business constraints and risks, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies often shy away from embracing digital media. However, Ray Chepseiuk, a member of the Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board, stated, “Despite certain risks associated with digital media, it represents a significant opportunity for pharmaceutical companies, enabling them to reach new target audiences and build trust by providing information beneficial to those audiences.”

Companies excelling in content marketing have established substantial trust with their customer base. To identify top-tier content marketing firms, VCBeat (WeChat: vcbeat) surveyed major health and pharmaceutical organizations. It was ultimately found that pharmaceutical and healthcare companies with successful content marketing experience are leveraging their digital information to forge emotional connections with users, build user communities, and provide convenient, clear health information.

Mayo Clinic:Sharing Mayo Clinic

According to a recent study by Kantar Media, 47% of patients reported that reading stories from peers with similar conditions online helped restore their confidence in their treatment. The Mayo Clinic’s “ShareMayo” platform leverages this sentiment by providing stories that resonate emotionally within the community. ShareMayo is a blog where clinicians and patients share their experiences, serving as an online destination for patients, doctors, and families to find hope, courage, and comfort.

The goal of Sharing Mayo is clearly presented on their website, similar to the Get Old website, aimed at centralizing users. “Each year, more than 500,000 patients from U.S. states and nearly 150 countries come to Mayo Clinic for diagnosis and treatment. These patients, along with their families and friends, as well as 50,000 employees and students, are part of the global Mayo Clinic community. The goal of Sharing Mayo is to provide a virtual space for this community to connect and share their experiences.”

Shared Mayo: A Community Built Around Mayo Clinic, Weaving Together the Stories of Patients, Families, Friends, and Mayo Medical Staff. Topics Include:

The establishment of Shared Mayo was designed to alleviate patient suffering by creating an emotional space where patients can share experiences and support one another. By sharing real patient stories with millions online, Mayo Clinic connects individuals to exchange experiences, fostering a united community that offers mutual encouragement and comfort. For those battling illness, this serves as a treasure trove of educational and inspiring information.

Maintaining close relevance of content is one of the key factors contributing to the success of ShareMayo. By leveraging user-generated content in appropriate contexts, ShareMayo is able to engage its audience on a distinctly different, independent level that aligns seamlessly with the content. Knowing that they are connected to the stories of other real people, users create more emotionally resonant content, thereby enhancing its authenticity and credibility. These genuine stories are subsequently brought to life across multiple platforms, including video. Further connecting with patients through video allows users to see the real faces behind the stories and hear their authentic voices. Some videos also feature hospital staff who introduce the locations of clinics across China. This approach fosters a stronger sense of community around the clinics, with friendly faces ready to assist other patients.

Oscar Health: Oscar Blog

Oscar Health’s mission statement is “to be an insurance company that guides its customers through the extreme complexity of the healthcare system.” This mission is deeply embedded in everything Oscar does, including its blog. The Oscar blog was designed with this mission in mind, featuring a simple style, clean lines, and approachable graphics that reflect the company’s purpose.

This blog is built on three distinctive pillars:

Oscar Blog connects with digital natives (a general term for a new generation of citizens born roughly between 1980 and 2000, who grew up in the era of digital technology) through its design and intuitive platform. The blog intentionally incorporates Oscar’s corporate culture to simplify complex healthcare.

Oscar Blog builds community by making customers the protagonists of all its content. Through patient and physician profiles and narratives, it cultivates community simultaneously on its blog and social media channels. Via Oscar Rx, the blog provides its audience with easy-to-understand health information. Its articles offer holistic solutions and practical tips to help busy young professionals maintain their health.

Original source: exlpharma.com