Telehealth is increasingly popular in today’s health care environment. The increase in people with long-term conditions, rising cost of health care, and a requirement to avoid emergency presentations to hospitals have influenced telehealth development.
COVID-19 has transformed how people live their daily lives and the way health care is delivered. Self-isolation and the need to quarantine individuals at risk of contracting the disease drives a significant amount of online healthcare. Telehealth is a viable way to deliver safe healthcare and used for various conditions. But it also needs a strong content marketing strategy.
Is there a need for telehealth?
When developing a business case for telehealth, it is vital to research the audience’s needs in your chosen geographic location. Think about the type of person who would benefit from telehealth and their current pathway to healthcare. Check out what is already available on the market today and what other telehealth platforms offer. What can you do that is unique and superior to other telehealth companies?
Creating a strategy
As you develop your telehealth practice, set out all the advantages of using this model of care. Include those benefits in a healthcare content marketing strategy. Articles on staying healthy, self-management, and keeping safe in quarantine will attract clients to your website. Create content that’s compelling to read, and your traffic will naturally increase. You can then convert paying customers with a well-positioned call to action.
Data security and governance
One of the most important things when starting a telehealth practice is secure data and a governance structure. Patient data is confidential, highly sensitive and needs to be managed securely. Some states require a number of stringent standards for telehealth provision and confidential data handling. Ensure all of this is in place before you sell to health providers. Patients will also require assurance that you store their data confidentially and will need consent to participate in telehealth.
Building an audience
Before building a patient acquisition list, you’ll need a platform to share your content and a method for interested viewers to get in touch. It’s traditionally achievable through a website, which provides both articles and a contact form.
Content must be engaging, relevant and updated regularly to include current trends so that your audience will return. It also helps to utilize social media channels and market the product by sharing your content.
Start building relationships with local clinics and hospitals. It helps to create awareness about your telehealth practice and how you can support them. Recommendations are a powerful sales technique. Try to get one or two testimonials from your service users. Share them on your site and social media.
Patient safety and accessibility
Patients need to easily and safely access your telehealth service and know what to do if needing help or advice. Have criteria for accepting people into a telehealth practice. It helps to avoid those who would be better in a hospital setting.
Information and procedures must be credible and evidence-based. It is particularly crucial for any content that relates to a telehealth procedure. If a patient shows signs of needing an in-person assessment, there must be a process to escalate a treatment plan. An example would be a COVID-19 practice where a patient develops a high temperature and shortness of breath.
Staying up to date
A telehealth practice should continuously evolve and develop new ways of caring for people. Ensuring advice and guidance is up to date, reflects current practice, and produces content to keep patients engaged. Content can consist of podcasts, virtual events, advice sheets, live streaming videos and quizzes.
While the current boom in telehealth can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, the benefits are here to stay. With a substantial selection of informative articles and engaging material, it’s possible to build a telemedicine company for years to come.
PowerPublish delivers premium health care content written by brand journalists. We also provide the tools to deliver your messages across multiple channels using solid content management, review and scheduling functionality.