This article first appeared in ADAM’s Executive Decisions in Dermatology Winter 2023 Edition.
The downtime patients have in the office is the opportune moment to further educate and engage patients and drive more awareness for your prioritized service lines, treatments and procedures. The most effective way to do this is by leveraging digital technology in the waiting room and exam rooms because you get the unique benefit of knowing who you’re talking to and what they’re doing, without having to pay for this insight.
Perfect medium for a short window of time
Unlike other marketing outlets, messaging to patients in the office has the unique value of being a highly-targeted, uncompetitive marketing and communications channel where you know exactly who’s seeing your messages and exactly what their next action will be—talking to their doctor and care team. You can use this time to share:
- Education on dermatological symptoms or conditions.
- Messages about the practice and promotions.
- Explanations of services and treatments.
Doing so in the waiting room and exam rooms can also reduce perceived wait times by more than 35%, which enhances the patient experience and improves satisfaction.
The ROI of marketing in the office is far greater than digital ads, especially if you partner with a patient engagement company that provides no-to-low-cost solutions for dermatology practices. Choosing to use digital screens as your medium is also noticeably better than flyers or posters as a study of digital signage conducted by Intel found that animated digital content consistently attracted 4 to 6 times the number of viewers compared to the equivalent static posters. On top of digital content having a higher likelihood of patients reading your messages, it also provides a more modern, sleek aesthetic to the room by reducing paper clutter. In fact, 62% of patients say they want their doctor’s office to be more modern, with 78% of those patients wanting technology that showcases relevant education on their condition and symptoms.
The average in-office wait time for dermatology patients is 19.8 minutes, which opens the perfect window to capture patients’ attention and motivate action. For years now, dermatology brands who successfully leverage in-office messaging have seen ROIs as high as 650% in as little as 5 months, proving how impactful these messages can be when served to patients in the right moments.
Value for them, value for you
Keep in mind that if patients don’t feel a connection to the information presented to them, they’ll lose interest. Provide additional value to patients by displaying relatable, educational and entertaining content alongside your marketing messages.
Over half of Americans say that they wish their doctor would provide more education to make their experience better and more comfortable. By using otherwise static space on your walls, you can turn these areas into a marketing channel that not only allows you to communicate with patients but also improves health literacy. Because these screens are in a very specific space, it allows for the health information to be personal, meaning patients are more likely to receive the messages and feel empowered to have better conversations with their doctor, which leads to better outcomes.
Getting new patients is only half the marketing and communications process. Patient communication needs to be consistent throughout the entire patient journey. Using the time patients spend in the waiting room and exam rooms is a proven method for messaging to a captive audience with the added benefit of improving patient knowledge—ultimately improving outcomes for all.
Interested in using PatientPoint devices for your marketing efforts? Learn more about our solutions.