Market This II (too)

Taking a proactive and interactive education approach with referring providers has been shown in a Cochrane Systematic review to be the most effective method of improving referrals, while a a more passive, information distribution approach most likely does not.

Today's health care environment is increasingly consumer focused and driven.  Well, that is the general trend despite despite the inertia and what can only be described as paternalistic healthcare malfeasance in some cases. 

Do health consumers know who is best equipped to initially handle their case when they are beset by one of the many common, non-operative musculoskeletal disorders physical therapists deal with on a daily basis?  Do you know?  There is evidence that addresses this issue (and this study was published long before we started traipsing through the blackberry bushes with our thumbs, but I bet most of you never heard of it).   

What effect would this kind of information (and that contained in a related post on this blog) have on referrals and access (and the cap, reimbursement, and....) if the general public was more aware of it?  Most likely nothing.  However, if the message was put out repeatedly in the right places with the right approach then we might just see some positive change. 

That is called marketing.

 

Rob

Comments

[sean]

Rob,
Great post. I especially liked the link to the Delitto post. As I have recently learned, APTA has added access to Cochrane full text articles as a membership benefit. This is one of the great things they've done in the last year.
I've just finished reading 4 more great books about permission marketing which echo your comments.