Hospital Marketing: The Dreaded Colonoscopy

first prostate examMaking it a simple, streamlined scheduling process for the patient can help your hospitals numbers as well as eliminating a truly preventable kind of cancer.

Increasing your hospitals diagnostics is such a challenge as more and more doctor’s groups and other businesses venture into diagnostic labs and services.  But one elective procedure that should be the easiest to sell, from the standpoint of prevention, is also the one that most patients do not want to even think about much less actually schedule-the colonoscopy.

Patients have all heard from Katie Couric and others the cry for every person to have the procedure at age 50 and thereafter as needed.   But what they may not have taken away from all this public awareness is that colon cancer is the one truly preventable cancer unless there are other risk factors such as Crohns’ disease or  a family history.

When there is so much for the patient to gain, and yes, the hospital to gain in procedures, why is this such a difficult procedure to market?

 Is it a taboo subject to put out there in traditional media?  Or just something that we think people won’t respond to with marketing efforts?

After all, it does take several steps or actions for the patient to actually accomplish

1.     First they have to find a gastroenterologist and make an appointment to see them.

2.     After that wait, they get a less than appetizing prep kit and prescription.

3.     They wait yet again for the scheduling of the procedure.

With all this waiting, it gives a patient plenty of time to find excuses and back out of the procedure…no pun intended.

One alternative to this delayed process I saw work very successfully was in a south Texas hospital.

Cultural taboos made it  even harder to convince the largely Hispanic population of the need for the procedures so they developed a colon center along with a team of gastroenterologists who worked on staff at the hospital. 

The center allowed patients to call for one appointment scheduling and they came by that center for a quick review and to pick up their prescription. With this  timely access, patients were often scheduled for the procedure itself within days.  Because there was a large uninsured population, pricing was included  as many diagnostics in that market were actually shopped by price.

Making it simple with one number to call and quick scheduling made all the difference in breaking through barriers to prospective patients.

An emotional plea from the city’s most known gastroenterologist, who had made his life’s work educating the public about preventing colon cancer, was featured in TV advertising along with newspaper ads and radio spots. 

The results: a 40% increase in colonoscopies for that hospital in the following 6 months and likely a good increase at the competition. 

The awareness raised in the local market served the hospital well but just as importantly, educated the residents of the preventative health measure they could all take and help to eliminate a cancer that can truly be prevented by taking early action

Share

16 comments

  1. I am really enjoying the theme/design of your website. Do you ever run into any browser compatibility
    issues? A couple of my blog audience have complained about
    my website not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox.

    Do you have any advice to help fix this problem?

  2. Have you ever considered writing an e-book or
    guest authoring on other blogs? I have a blog based on the same subjects you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information.
    I know my subscribers would enjoy your work. If you’re even remotely
    interested, feel free to send me an email.

  3. wonderful submit, very informative. I ponder why the opposite specialists of this sector don’t
    realize this. You must proceed your writing. I am sure,
    you have a huge readers’ base already!

  4. I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your site.

    It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often.
    Did you hire out a designer to create your theme?
    Fantastic work!

  5. What’s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It positively helpful and it has helped me out loads.
    I hope to give a contribution & help different customers like its helped me.
    Great job.

  6. We’re a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
    Your web site provided us with valuable info to work on.

    You’ve done an impressive job and our entire community will be grateful to you.

  7. Target Characteristics: These are characteristics that talk about the individual that receives and procedures a message.
    Opioids provides short, intermediate and long lasting analgesia, depending upon the specific properties of
    the medication (( An opioid is a chemical that actually
    works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally inside the central nervous system as well as the gastrointestinal tract.
    Your family could be the last anyone to know or believe that you got an important award, your business is
    successful or that you’re helping thousands of people.

  8. Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your article seem
    tto be running off the screen in Opera. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with browser compatibility but
    I figured I’d post to let you know. The design look
    great though! Hope you get thee problem fixed soon.
    Thanks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *