Online healthcare initiatives that focus on prevention, wellness and fitness are commanding more of a presence than ever on the Internet and intranets. And for healthcare marketers these interactive opportunities offer unique image-boosting links to two critical audiences - the community and employees.
Unlike other hospital-based or government-sponsored healthcare sites that focus on disease management issues, these sites allow hospitals to become affiliated with goal-oriented health and wellness initiatives, which are useful for quality accreditations and community health education. Here, we look at two online newcomers (an Internet and intranet program) that provide proactive avenues for healthcare organizations to extend their patient relations, community communications and overall health risk assessments programs.
Intranet Newcomer
McMurry Publishing's E-Health (http://www.ehealthmag.com)
To reach Web-savvy patients and people in your hospital's community, McMurry Publishing is launching E-Health, its first customizable quarterly wellness/fitness hospital marketing magazine with its own entertaining Internet site. The magazine uses electronic links throughout its editorial to drive traffic to your Web site and the E-health Web site which will feature additional health tips, exercise routines and surveys. Unlike McMurry Publishing's other hospital syndicated magazines, E-Health allows a hospital to customize the whole magazine (24 pages) or use its standard content. Only one hospital in each market can license E-Health.
Target: Hospital's community/patients.
Frequency: Quarterly, the first Spring issue will debut in January, 1998.
Content: The editorial advances hospital marketing objectives by inviting readers to participate in health/disease-risk surveys, health screenings and preventive lifestyle choices, according to Fred Petrovsky, E-Health's VP and publisher. Hospitals can customize the editorial based on their marketing objectives (new pediatric wing or expanded cardiac services). Each article will use catchy graphics to direct readers to E-Health's Web site for additional exercise tips, recipes, product information, as well as strategic areas on your hospital Web site. And, for readers who don't have Internet access, E-Health will provide free online access for a month through its partnership with CompuServe.
The standard departments include: "Eating Smart" featuring "eating light" recipes; "Health Chat," covering the latest health-related surveys and findings and "Signing Off," which offers a snapshot of the latest exercise/fitness trends.
Internet Users At A Glance
Source: E-Health</FONT |
Costs: There is no standard pricing, but costs are determined by number of copies, length of contract and how much E-Health customizes the content. For more information, call Fred Petrovsky at 888/626-8779.
Heads Up: McMurry is also gearing up to launch a new hospital syndicated Web site that will focus on a diverse range of health issues including men's health, disease topics and emergency care. This online project is targeted to hospitals without Web sites or those that would like to update their sites with fresh information. Hospitals will be able to choose from a list of health-related modules, purchasing the content that best meets their marketing needs. The unnamed project should be available in early 1998.
Internet Newcomer
Rodale's Online Health (http://www.rodaleonlinehealth.com)
As the largest consumer health publisher in the world, Rodale Press used its preventive health know-how to create Rodale's Online Health. Focusing on self-reliance, this intranet program takes an actionable and practical approach to preventive health. Rodale's Online Health will be introduced in the 1998 Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Catalog which will be available next month. The catalog targets 15,000 to 20,000 leading corporations, hospitals and managed care organizations and provides health assessment and improvement materials and multimedia programs. Rodale's Online Health is the only wellness-focused intranet program being offered in the catalog.
Target: A healthcare organization's employees and patients. Employees receive security passwords so they can access the information at work and home. Patients, can use the system in common areas like the lobby or waiting rooms.
Frequency: The content is updated monthly.
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Content: The editorial offers the latest on how to be healthier through nutritional advice, health-related survey findings and recipe tips. Online Health is organized into four sections:
- The Library: A searchable catalog of over 400 health topics to help people prevent and self-treat both minor and serious health problems.
- Briefs: Digestible snapshots of the latest health, fitness and lifestyle research studies. Each month, more than 50 of the latest discoveries-from the most recent news on smoking to findings of surgical procedures-will be featured.
- The Newsstand: Six interactive newsletters covering a range of health issues from fitness and nutrition to occupational/home safety and work/family balance will be featured here.
- The Quick and Healthy Kitchen: More than 25 low-fat recipes will be offered here each month developed by nutritionists.
Costs: Online Health is subscription-based for employees (costing $.25 to $.50 per employee) and a flat yearly fee of $3,000 for patient usage.
For more information, call Scott Overholt, marketing director at Rodale Health Promotions, at 610/967-8497)