Your Patient Stories Need a Makeover

With a patient story, you can show the true heart of your hospital. What a patient experienced, how they picked your hospital, why they love their doctor and why they’d recommend your hospital to their friends and families.

But sometimes, patient stories fall short of reaching these goals. You’ve probably seen some lackluster patient stories out there: they’re too long, the images aren’t compelling or the quotes are ho-hum.

Or you may have too many stories from one specialty (or for a certain procedure) and none from another area. Then you run the risk of appearing as if you only treat one type of patient.

Here’s how to freshen up your stories and update your library:

Put out your feelers

As a marketer, your need to connect with your service line leaders on a regular basis to check-in for story updates. They are your eyes and ears as to what’s happening in your hospital. Make an effort to develop a personal relationship with each leader, tell them what you’re looking for and when the story runs — share the results of how well the story performed.

Find that sparkle

You want your patient story to shine. To do that, you’ve got to ask questions that lead to quote-worthy answers. Here’s a few to get you started:

• How did this procedure change your life?

• What’s the difference between how you’re feeling now and before the procedure?

• If someone was asking where they should go for treatment, why would you recommend this doctor or hospital?

• When you wake up every morning, what do you say to yourself?

• What are you grateful for?

Quick tips for a patient video. Here’s a few things to keep in mind:

• Keep it under three minutes.

• Pay attention to your freeze frame. Don’t make it a talking head. Use a compelling image to pull the viewer in.

• Include b-roll of the doctor and patient interacting and talking, instead of just having each one speak separately. That way, it looks like a team effort and seems more personal.