Introduction
Many individuals are involved in taking care of patients and have access to information about the health care needs. The services offered require communication technologies for effective delivery at the convenience of consumers. Communication in health care involves exchange of messages between two parties where feedback is expected. The information conveyed should serve the specific purpose according to the needs of the receiver. The marketers in the health care use email because it is effective and many clients prefer it.
Email Marketing
One Benefit to the Patient
The patient is able to receive information at specified time according to the need. This helps the marketer in health care to deliver message about an event earlier in order to inform the patient about the date of future appointment. When the health care providers organize a forum to educate patients about a certain issue, it is easier to send an email before the actual date of the event. Two or more messages can be sent through email in a sequence about a subject that patients need to be informed. When a subscriber of email clicks message in a link, there is a message for follow-up that is sent for the health care providers to respond (Coiera & Touissant, 2005).
The values and importance of maintaining patient confidentiality when using email
There is maximum protection of records by the doctors to ensure that other people do not obtain them. This improves confidentiality because patients access information that belongs to them in the email. Email allows the doctor to access the records of patients easily and makes it flexible to be shared with medical professionals in the same field.
Email is an effective mode of communication because it helps patients to access their medical records easily. When emergency cases arise, doctors refer to the medical records from patients to determine the treatment. This helps to save life in situation where the patient is very sick and cannot explain his or her problem to the doctor for immediate medical attention. Information in the email can be accessed any time at any place when need arise (Safran, 2003).
Why email is effective to communicate between consumers and providers
Many people use email to communicate with the doctors because they can access it easily. The interaction is great making information to be passed according to the individual needs of consumers. The consumer behavior changes leading to improvement of health because information is passed regarding how to change diet to improve health or the dangers of smoking that is harmful to health.
The passage of information from health care providers to the consumers through email helps them participate in improving their health. The providers of healthcare have reduced costs because patients communicate through email that is easily accessible without incurring transport expenses. The consumers are able to take care of themselves through the information provided without visiting the hospital.
The doctors emphasize on the risks involved in different behaviors such as dietary habits as well as how they affect health through the Email. This leads to the need for reliable information from health care providers that are accessible to all consumers (Coiera & Touissant, 2005).
How Does This Mode Of Communication Differ From Others?
Email reduces barriers to effective communication where information passed cannot be distorted or changed before it reaches the recipient. This improves the relationship between the sender of information and the recipient through communication before visit to the hospital.
The patients are able to communicate any time when they are available with the doctors and receive feedback. The doctor can send information to the patient to inform him or her that there is need to see him or her at specified date concerning health in case of new diagnosis. Through the email, a patient can recommend another to the doctor who offers quality services according to the specific health care need (Safran, 2003).
How might media and social networking change communication in health care?
The media and social networking through the amplified signals can have influence on behavior as well as actions of people. There is passage of information from doctors to patients with immediate feedback. Many consumers share ideas about health care needs and support one another to improve it.
The interaction between patients and the health care providers is done at the right time as their behavior is monitored. The health care providers value social networking because they are able to reach the potential customers as well as stakeholders for them to get the required information.
Networking through the social media helps to share ideas and consumers collaborate with colleagues. Social networking such as Google and Facebook spread information very fast where consumers influence each other in the social circles. Individuals can participate in promoting wellness through the trust they have in their social network (Caldwell, Taha & Uang, 1995).
How Is This Mode Of Communication Used To Market Health Care Products Or Services?
Audience segmentation ensures that messages are delivered to the general or segment audiences. Segmentation of audience depends on the culture and behaviors of different consumers. For example, there can be a national cancer campaign targeting Hispanic people because according to the national data they have fewer intakes of fruits as well as vegetables. The health care providers can send information through email to the public to inform them about the products and services depending on the income levels (Safran, 2003).
Health messages that are effective for specific people are adapted easily in achieving the goal of having healthy people. Email marketing allows health information to proliferate to those people whose income and level of education is low. Through email, health care marketers are able to identify branding strategies to promote sales. The messages that are sent includes prevention of illnesses, how to promote health and maintenance of good health.
Email marketing can have the objective of preventing health behavior that is risky through educating consumers on the recommended behavior. Email marketing help health care providers to be competitive in order to have attention of the consumers who purchase the products and services. The message sent to consumers should be easy to understand in order to persuade them and affect their behavior towards the products and services (Safran, 2003).
Conclusion
Communication through email helps to reach as many consumers as possible who need health care products and services. Email ensures the delivery of health care services is according to the expectations of consumers. Email marketing is cost effective and several messages can be sent to consumers with immediate feedback.
When there is improvement in the health care services offered, the consumers should be guided on how to use the products and services. The health care providers are able to update consumers all the time without visiting the hospital. Communication through email is the cheapest and requires more attention so that consumers are informed about health care products and services.
References
Caldwell, B., Taha, L. & Uang S. (1995). Appropriateness of communications media use in organizations: situation requirements and media characteristics. Behavior and Information Technology, 14(4), 199-207.
Coiera, E. & Touissant, P. (2005). Supporting communication in health care. Int J Med Inform, 74(10), 779-81.
Safran, D. (2003). Defining the future of primary care: What can we learn from patients? Ann Intern Med, 138(3), 248-55.