March 01, 2016
In 2016, Healthcare Is All About Optimism
Last week in our series of 2016 predictions, we took a look at B2B companies to see how they use verbal strategies to communicate what they do in a more meaningful way. This week, we’re turning our attention to the new communication that’s emerged from the latest and greatest trends in healthcare.
We’ve seen a new wave of trends emerge that are changing the way we think about healthcare. What’s driving this change? People. As consumers, people are empowered by choice and are used to being heard. We’re now seeing patients engage with the healthcare system with their consumer expectations. While the industry has received a great deal of political attention with policy changes and debate over regulation, what’s remarkable, is that if we move past the political chatter, the healthcare industry’s voice is optimistic.
Evolution MD
One company that’s leveraging smarter, more customized care is Sherpaa. Through their app, you can send a message to a physician to see if an emergency room visit is necessary or not. As the name cleverly suggests, this service acts as your guide to “smarter healthcare” and to hoping it’s not as bad as it looks. The company Medicast has shown that empowering caregivers can make a world of difference. With seamless mobile technology, the company provides caregivers the tools to offer home health services that are “extending care beyond the four walls.” The name itself is suggestive of the medical industry breaking through the traditional environment and casting the availability-of-care to a wider array of people.
Hidden In Plain Sight
The California start-up, Heal, paints a picture of a very promising outcome. They provide physicians that do on-demand house calls to your home in less than 60 minutes. What’s astonishing is that they were able to trademark their name. The healthcare industry is so used to having complicated, cryptic names (for example Pfizer, AstraZeneca, etc.) that are very hard to get approved by regulatory. It’s incredibly refreshing to see a name that’s going back to basics in a simple way that still holds meaning. I also can’t help but wonder if the name is a double-entendre for being “at your heel,” or at your beckon call. Another company that’s big on being clear and straightforward is PillPack, the online pharmacy. Their descriptive name really reflects how easy they want to make the experience for people. The full-service pharmacy sorts your medication by day and time and puts it in a convenient on-the-go pack. Simplicity at its finest.
Take the Alternate Route
It’s too often we hear people say, “there has to be a better a way.” Finding a doctor, getting referrals, understanding drug tiers, etc. There are many complexities when dealing with the system and people really value painless experiences (pun intended). The company BetterDoctor is doing just that. With such a straightforward name, they can quickly and clearly communicate to people that they are here to help find and connect them to not just any old doctor, but a better doctor. By providing information on doctor’s education, experience and other patient’s reviews they increase transparency to help you make an easier decision. Taking a slightly different naming approach, the new health insurance company, Oscar, seeks to reinvent the way we think about health insurance. Their minimalist, but inviting communication takes insurance to a more humanized level. By using the name of a person, they help people think they’re dealing not with a money-hungry company, but more like a friend that’s looking out for you. It’s a service you’d actually want to opt in to.
As you can see, we’re hearing a different tune in the healthcare industry. Smart, simplified solutions are exactly what people are asking for and they’re being delivered in a more refreshing and break-through manner. As the industry continues to innovate around consumer-driven expectations, we expect to keep seeing companies push into more emotional and creative communications that are a departure from what we’ve traditional seen in the landscape.
Photo courtesy of Leadership HQ
