Cost Containment
Healthcare organizations that adopt telehealth simply for cost-containment measures need to use an alternative approach when marketing the technology. Typically, potential patients are not interested in what the organization is saving on their treatment; rather, patients are focused on the quality of the treatment and the means by which they receive the treatment. Growing an image as a cost-cutting organization will diminish the reputation of the organization and limit its appeal for the typical patient, but cost containment could be a strong marketing tool when approaching third-party payers interested in both cost and quality of care. The cost advantages of telehealth may enable healthcare organizations to negotiate contracts with third-party payers and thereby increase their patient volumes. Caution should be taken, as payers may use the lower costs incurred by the facility to negotiate lower reimbursement rates.
CONCLUSION
Through the strategic management process, specific marketing strategies can be identified for each organizational strategy. Because of the synergies that exist between technological preeminence and clinical excellence, healthcare organizations could also employ a two-pronged approach when marketing telehealth. Using this combined strategy, healthcare organizations can emphasize the improved medical outcomes derived from the use of the new telehealth technology. This combined message should appeal to potential patients on two levels: (1) their belief that technology can improve their level of care and (2) the knowledge that the organization is investing in this technology to enhance its capabilities in delivering the highest-quality care available.