Just this week, I came across a presentation given by Lee Rainie at the Medical Library Association’s annual conference at the beginning of October. In his presentation, titled “The rise of the e-Patient,” Rainie describes myriad ways in which ePatients research health topics using the Internet. He also highlighted the upsurge in ePatients’ utilization of Web 2.0 tools including the sharing of healthcare information by writing and commenting on blogs, joining social networking sites and interacting with various other forms of social media. In 2009, using the Internet:
- 47% of adults have now retrieved information about doctors or other health professionals
- 38% sought information about hospitals or other medical facilities
- 33% researched how to lose or control their weight
- 27% got answers to questions about health insurance
- 12% learned how to stay healthy on an overseas trip
Unfortunately, it appears that the growing impact of the ePatient still tends to be mostly ignored when hospitals formulate their strategies to grow service line revenues. To maximize growth potential and return on service line revenue, hospital executives need to be keenly aware of the usage patterns of the growing ePatient population and incorporate appropriately aligned eHealth strategies into their service line tactics. Hospitals should look to their consumer Web site and patient portals as ways to assist in gaining market share. To gain a competitive advantage, service line marketing strategies must reflect the behaviors of the ePatient. In this digital age of DVRs and satellite radio, executives must be cognizant that ePatients are spending far more time on the Internet than they are watching television or listening to the radio. Where are the marketing dollars going?
To view Lee Rainie’s presentation go to: www.pewinternet.org/Presentations/2009/40-The-rise-of-the-e-patient.aspx.
