How Healthcare Organisations Can Improve Community Engagement
If a hospital or medical practice wants to encourage their patients to adopt healthy behaviours, they must look for ways to generate feedback from the public and connect with their community.
To provide the highest standard of medical care, they must aim to reverse negative health trends, improve patient education, and listen to people’s needs and opinions. Find out how healthcare organisations can engage with a community.
Develop a Social Media Presence
A dedicated social media page will allow medical organisations to keep the public updated on internal and industry news, medical campaigns, events, and activities, which can help them to form a stronger connection with the public.
Social media can make a community feel more connected to a healthcare organisation, which can build trust between patients and medical practitioners. Plus, it can provide a forum to open a dialogue with people of all ages and backgrounds across a community. There are also various social media networks to choose from that can complement a hospital or practice’s image and desired reach, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Perform Public Sector Marketing Research
Gathering feedback from the community by using a resource like a patient experience survey can greatly help healthcare organisations of all sizes to make better decisions. If a hospital or practice is failing to connect with a hard-to-reach group in a community, such as those in a minority or who struggle to have their voices heard, an organisation must find ways to engage with them to ensure their healthcare wants and needs are catered for each day.
Medical practices and hospitals can give a community a voice with public sector marketing research, as it can help them to engage with people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Rather than making assumptions about patient care, they can make educated decisions to ensure their treatments and processes will complement their patients’ needs, lifestyles, concerns, and preferences.
Partner with Local Organisations
Partnering with local organisations and facilities can help medical organisations to engage with a community. For example, a church could encourage patients to receive healthcare services from a local practice or hospital, and it can improve patient education and serve as a form of support when a church member is struggling with a medical condition. Medical practices could also partner with local businesses, not-for-profit organisations and neighbourhood associations to address health issues across a community.
Join Forces with Like-minded Organisations
In addition to partnering with local organisations, it could be beneficial for hospitals and healthcare practices to join forces with health organisations that have shared goals and ambitions. For example, they could improve the quality of life of people living with dementia by partnering with dementia-friendly groups, and they could launch a joint campaign or strategy that connects with a local community.
Improve Family and Caregiver Engagement
Many patients will lean on their family, friends, and caregivers when living with a health issue. As they will be privy to a patient’s wants and needs and can serve as a huge source of strength and support during uncertain times, healthcare organisations should involve family members and caregivers in the decision-making processes.
It can be a key strategy for improving patient care and creating a positive patient experience. It could lead to better outcomes, greater satisfaction, and a stronger reputation across a community. It is, however, a balancing act, as it is essential to respect the patient’s wishes over their loved ones, who might have conflicting wants or opinions.
Host or Support Health Events
Hosting or supporting health events can increase a community’s awareness of a health issue and could encourage people to get their body moving and heart pumping. For example, if obesity is a medical concern in a city or town, a medical practice or a hospital could launch a community fun run to boost awareness and raise money for the health issue. It’s a great way to bring people together, reduce a local health epidemic, and improve the lives of participants.
Conclusion
There are many benefits to building a relationship between a healthcare organisation and the community. If a hospital or medical practice takes the time to listen and engage with the public, it could improve its clinical standards, healthcare outcomes, and the patient experience. Plus, it could experience a decrease in re-admission rates, mortality, and hospital-acquired infections.
It is, therefore, essential for healthcare providers to look for ways to boost community engagement and its reputation, which could range from developing a presence on social media to performing public sector marketing research.
