I still remember the meeting with the physician several years ago when he said, “I wish they’d quit spending money on all these fancy brochures to get business from me and just hire another nurse . . . ”

Since then, I’ve heard various renditions on the same theme and it’s caused me to do some serious evaluation of the type of tools needed to assist with physician communication. It begs the question, ‘Can marketing materials and solutions in the toolkit both enhance and detract from our credibility?” The answer, of course, is yes.

When developing support tools for physician relations, keep in mind these ways to enhance credibility for you and your organization:

1. Make it relevant. Always have their needs and interests in mind.
2. Stay current. Make certain the data is updated quarterly and make sure the “keeper of the data” understands the importance of keeping the information timely.
3. Say more with less. Keep the look, contents and ability to read and discern information simple.
4. Target specific messages to the audience, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
5. Consider the type of material that physicians read and rely on for factual information. Journal articles often have a mini-summary at the front end; relevant clinical findings are always presented with numbers.

Choose your tools to accomplish your goals.

Often the best tools are the most simple. A one-page, desktop-published fact sheet that’s easily updated can work very well. Physician newsletters, when they contain relevant content for both the physician and the practice, show that you know what issues are important to them today. Published articles written by members of your medical staff can be wonderful tools to position a service and /or niche area of expertise.

This brings us to a key area for credibility in tools for physicians. If you’re interested in taking further steps to write journal articles that feature your physicians in a specific aspect of medicine, hire a medical writer. Don’t assume the professionals who write for the public have the level of expertise or time it takes to make this happen.

As with all tools, it’s important to think before you act and to manage the internal customer issues (the physician who wants a brochure to “market” her service). Tools are relevant for positioning new services and new people and showing safety, quality and value issues.

Create an objective assessment tool. Once it’s in place, discipline yourself to the process of regular updates. Look for differential advantages in your access, service delivery, depth and breadth of expertise and find a way to create the connection through a simple leave-behind or follow-up mailing.

If this method is new, make certain that as you transition to this approach, you validate it by gathering feedback from referring physicians. This is good for internal credibility and helps you and the marketing team in deciding what the next tools should be!

Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA, is a senior consultant with Corporate Health Group, a national healthcare consulting firm, and is based in Wisconsin. For additional information, please call 715-381-1171 or contact us via the Web.

To print this page select the print button from your browser window or click here.