Dec
07

Question for healthcare marketers – do you see patients or consumers?

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Are patients and consumers synonymous? Are they two sides of the same coin?

Your organization views your audiences as patients. Your key competitor views this same audience as consumers. Or maybe they refer to them as health consumers, clients, or maybe even e-patients. Does this distinction make a difference? I think the answer is yes.

Let me clarify that I’m not talking about patients from the standpoint of being ill, living with a chronic disease, or the relationship that a physician has with his or her patients.

Rather, I’m referring to “patients versus consumers” from the standpoint of a marketer. And from a marketing perspective, I’m not a big fan of labeling people as “patients.” Because patients denotes a captive audience. It puts guardrails around who they are, the choices they have available to them and the fact that they have lives beyond that of being a “patient.”

Yet patients are far from captive. They’re armed with the knowledge, tools, and ability to reach out to their trusted social circle advisors to make informed and independent consumer choices. And more often (though clearly not all the time), they are in charge. They can choose to involve themselves (to engage) with you or not.

Changing your lens lets you see your healthcare audiences in a different light. While patients perpetuates sameness, consumers open your eyes to imagine and create new and greater value beyond “patient” solutions.

So how can you integrate into the lives of your patients healthcare consumers more meaningfully and completely. How can you gain their participation through content, dialogue, experiences, and solutions beyond that of what you’re doing today. How can you more broadly affect the world in which they and their families live, and the things they want to do?

What do you think about this topic? Please let us know.

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About The Author

Eric Brody is President of Trajectory, a New Jersey-based branding + marketing company creating new brand energy by uniting organizations, creating new value and igniting new growth.

17 thoughts on “Question for healthcare marketers – do you see patients or consumers?”

  2. My opinion? In a word; “Yes” .. it does make a difference. I’ve had to ponder this topic as I develop pages on my websites.

    From my own experience as a consumer and a patient; I don’t feel as though I’m a “patient” until I’ve engaged the services of a provider. I’m a “consumer.” One who is in search of the best solution to my current needs and situation.

    I believe recognizing the distinction is subtle but important. Glad you floated this to the surface. Smart post.

  4. I manage a pediatric office, and I’ve always defined the children we treat as our patients, but the parents are our customers.

    But generally speaking, I agree with Jim when he says that he isn’t a patient until he engages a provider. Anything outside of that, he’s a consumer.

    And that distinction is critical because treating patients as consumers can often be used in different contexts (i.e. Consumer/Customer).

    @PediatricInc

  8. Brandon,

    Thanks for taking the time to comment. My focus in this post is more from a marketing perspective. I think that looking through the lens of a consumer (vs. patient) provides opportunity to more meaningfully engage audiences (patients) in ways they value and want; and that add value to their lives beyond the “medicinal” solution. Eric

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