Marketing with patient data: turn patient data into marketing gold

Marketing with patient data to develop well-integrated social-based marketing and advertising

How can a chiropractor transfer private patient information onto public platforms while reaping all the benefits of marketing with patient data — but experiencing none of the pitfalls? When ethically and responsibly leveraged, patient data can become a mutually beneficial resource that can lead to improving the lives of future chiropractic clients and helping your practice thrive financially.

Striking gold on the marketing front requires more than advertising smarts, however. It also takes savvy navigation of the regulatory landscape to avoid exploiting the patient-practitioner relationship.

Marketing with patient data and the segmentation data to be mined

There is a lot of data that can be mined from your EHR (electronic health record) system:

When are patients dropping out of care?
What is the percentage of new patients who still return to the practice a year later?

According to a study by Medicare Advantage, the average visit with a doctor is only 17 minutes — and 44% of those surveyed hadn’t visited their physicians in the past year, and even further, 13% in the past five years. This means patients aren’t finding enough value in their visits as an incentive to follow through with appointments — and health care providers are turning to big data analytics for answers (Evōk Advertising, 2020). Where is the breakdown in communication regarding marketing with patient data and what opportunities are being missed in your practice?

Today’s health care consumers are about personalization. They don’t want to be treated like everyone else. When it comes to patient emails and promotions, a single man who plays golf on the weekends is not interested in the benefits of prenatal care in your practice. It is important that all your marketing is segmented to appeal to the needs and wants of your patients.

What about compliance?

There’s a fine line between smart utilization of patient data and a HIPAA violation. The first step is getting patients’ consent to use their private health information. The next is knowing what does, and does not, constitute marketing to previous, present and potential patients.

This hinges on understanding HIPAA’s Privacy Rule, which is especially important if you’re thinking about involving a third party in your marketing efforts. It’s highly recommended that you create a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) when using an outside business for promotions. With these key considerations understood, you can take more confident steps toward marketing (HHS, 2003).

Emails can be sent to existing patients only when HIPAA’s email-specific rules have also been met. This will allow a clinic to safely promote goods or services related to the patient’s current treatment, as well as other goods or services which may potentially be of interest from outside parties (HIPAA Journal, 2022).

Marketing within compliance

You can even market yourself via promotional gifts of nominal value (HHS.gov) which could generate interest, incentivize action and lead to returns. The current Office of Inspector General (OIG) definitions and limitations on nominal value are less than $15 per item, and no more than $75 annually per patient. For example, giving patients an ice pack with your logo on it or a trial size of a topical analgesic (HHS, 2002).

Using data to craft testimonials is another — and arguably the most powerful — way to strike marketing gold. Potential patients often trust previous/current patients more than they do any doctor, nurse or advertisement. Receiving a recommendation from family, friends or even a stranger can carry greater weight in deciding where they spend their money.

According to Marketing Charts, personal recommendations and third-party reviews top the list of trusted sources while traditional advertising flounders in last place (Marketing Charts, 2020). Again, it’s essential to ask a patient’s permission to use their name, likeness or any other detail which could personally identify them and reveal details about their private life or medical status. This will help you avoid regulatory fines and legal trouble, particularly the potential for advertising injury (IRMI, n.d.).

If permission is granted, a chiropractor could then spotlight that patient’s story using multiple media such as blogs, videos, social platforms or a podcast. This communicates in very human, and proven marketable terms, the kind of work a clinic does and the sort of positive results they can achieve.

Let patient data lead the way

Your perceived usefulness as a practitioner could depend greatly on well-integrated social-based advertising, marketing with patient data to promote the public to the public, rather than solely promoting you and your service (Big Commerce, n.d.). Following HIPAA rules in every instance can make your marketing as worry-free as it is effective.

RAY FOXWORTH, DC, FICC, is a certified medical compliance specialist and president of ChiroHealthUSA. He has served as president of the Mississippi Chiropractic Association, is a former staff chiropractor at the G.V. Sonny Montgomery VA Medical Center and is a Fellow of the International College of Chiropractic. He can be contacted at chirohealthusa.com.

REFERENCES

Big Commerce. (n.d.). Word-of-Mouth Marketing. Retrieved from Big Commerce: https://www.bigcommerce.com/articles/ecommerce/word-of-mouth-marketing/

Evōk Advertising. (2020, February). 5 Benefits of Big Data in Healthcare. Retrieved from Evōk Advertising: https://evokad.com/healthcare-marketing-2020-big-data-analytics/

HHS. (2002, December 20). Are prior authorizations required when a doctor or health plan distributes promotional gifts of nominal value? Retrieved from HHS: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/288/are-prior-authorizations-required-when-a-doctor-distributes-promotional-gifts/index.html

HHS. (2003, April 3). Marketing. Retrieved from HHS: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/marketing/index.html

HIPAA Journal. (2022, February 7). How to Make Your Email HIPAA Compliant. Retrieved from HIPAA Journal: https://www.hipaajournal.com/make-your-email-hipaa-compliant/

IRMI. (n.d.). Advertising Injury. Retrieved from IRMI: https://www.irmi.com/term/insurance-definitions/advertising-injury#:~:text=Advertising%20Injury%20—%20a%20general%20liability,invasion%20of%20privacy%2C%20copyright%20infringement%2C

Marketing Charts. (2020, June 3). Friends and Family Still the Most Trusted Sources of Brand Information. Retrieved from Marketing Charts: https://www.marketingcharts.com/cross-media-and-traditional/word-of-mouth-113276