Medical Marketing & Advertising During the Covid-19/Coronavirus Pandemic

How Medical Marketing and Advertising is Being Impacted by Coronavirus/Covid-19

We’re watching industry by industry be hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Nations are each reacting to it differently. Panic and misinformation is spreading like wildfire. At the center of it all is a healthcare system on the brink of being utterly overwhelmed. At M.Ad, we manage medical marketing campaigns for medical service providers across the United States and Canada. It’s quite normal for research about a new treatment or news of a new FDA approval to hit suddenly and cause a surge of search interest that we need to strategically respond to for our clients. That being said, we have never seen a search phenomenon in the medical space like that of Covid-19/Coronavirus. The Google Trends report below shows some search terms that are experiencing 4700% increases in search volume.

Rest Assured: People are Searching Online. Now, More than Ever.

Telehealth, New Sanitization Protocols, Reassuring a Patient Base

1. It’s possible I’ve never seen my clients in need of more help spreading clear, concise messages that really grab people’s attention than at this moment in time. Fear is a powerful emotion. Powerful enough it seems to trump reason and a sense of self-preservation. The media is spewing an endless stream of disinformation much to the healthcare industries frustration. M.Ad has the privilege of running digital marketing campaigns for some of the hardest working medical service providers in North America (we may be a little biased). Some of the items being requested include:
2. Updating practice policies to calm patient fears about coming in for appointments. Reassuring physician reader-bases that extra precautionary measures are being taken to provide treatment in a sanitary, safe environment for all parties involved.
3. Building out HIPAA Compliant fillable forms so practices can shift towards a full digital patient experience. Patients need to be able to read the necessary legal documents prior to their appointment, they also need the abiltiy to sign with their finger and send the completed forms directly to the practice manager.
4. Content development, marketing and advertising surrounding telepsychiatry  and telemedicine services. This includes recommending video-conferencing software to help digitize translation of medical services in a HIPAA compliant environment.

New Federal Law Expanding Medicare to TeleHealth

On Tuesday March 17th the Trump administration expanded Medicare to cover telehealth services to physicians can recieve renumeration for providing services digitally. This move increased physician interest in providing telehealth services and made it fiscally possible for them to transition their businesses to favor telehealth:

EXPANSION OF TELEHEALTH WITH 1135 WAIVER: Under this new waiver, Medicare can pay for office, hospital, and other visits furnished via telehealth across the country and including in patient’s places of residence starting March 6, 2020.  A range of providers, such as doctors, nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers, will be able to offer telehealth to their patients.  Additionally, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) is providing flexibility for healthcare providers to reduce or waive cost-sharing for telehealth visits paid by federal healthcare programs. You can read more about this announcement here.

Physicians now have an urgent need to communicate to their audiences that they can offer telehealth services, how those services will be delivered, and to answer their abundant questions about the new method of treatment.

As there are new developments in the media everyday related to Covid-19 and Coronavirus, there are new opportunities for medical service providers to adapt and adjust to changing market conditions. The public seems to have a new appreciation for healthcare providers and the services they offer. Here at M.Ad we are ensuring our clients plan for the sustainable growth of their business taking advantage of the opportunities that are arising everyday. 

Are you a Medical Service Provider Concerned for your Practice During the Coronaviru/Covid-19 Pandemic? We Can Help. Reach Out.