Insights December 2008, No. 2
By Steve Segall
Currently an estimated 65 million Americans are either uninsured or underinsured. And this number is likely to grow even larger as the economy slides into a deeper recession, more people lose jobs, and, subsequently, their health insurance.
At Transform, our analysis indicates a near-term increasing trend in traffic to healthcare websites such as WebMD, Yahoo! Health, and Drugs.com as a result of the current economic downturn. As individuals and families look for additional ways to save money, an increasing number of consumers will be turning to the web for free health information as a means to avoid costly doctor visits. These consumers may also turn to other forms of “free-advice” at clinics and pharmacies. However the abundance of free healthcare content available via the web will continue to satisfy most consumers’ need for information and advice.
What does this mean for hospitals and their web presence?
Hospitals that take advantage of this current trend – by investing time and resources in their websites – are in an excellent position to capture some of the increased web traffic. The goal of creating a richer online experience for consumers is to foster the development of a meaningful virtual relationship that will later develop into a profitable physical relationship when consumers become patients. Many hospitals already offer health information, healthcare management tools, and health calculators on their web sites; while leading hospitals are deploying web 2.0 features such as podcasts, streaming videos, social networking, and various means of communication between consumers and healthcare professionals.
Creating a content rich site filled with continuously updated health information and web 2.0 features – such as blogs, discussion boards, and social networking – is relatively inexpensive and easy to implement. As budgets are squeezed and new projects become more expensive to finance, Transform believes that hospitals and health systems investing the time and money to develop their websites will benefit as they build a stronger web presence in their respective communities. As consumers visit hospital sites for more of their health needs, they develop a meaningful, virtual relationship with a hospital that can then be leveraged into a profitable, long-lasting physical relationship over the lifetime of their medical care.
Steve Segall is an Analyst at Transform.
