Before spending more on service line marketing, check the path to care

When a service line is behind its growth goal, the first question is often whether marketing needs to do more. A more useful starting point is to ask where the path to care is breaking down.

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A campaign can generate interest. Converting that interest into care depends on the service’s positioning, referral relationships, and access. Before expanding a campaign, bring marketing, clinical, strategy, and access leaders together around four questions.

 

1. Which patients are we trying to reach?

Define the priority patient group and the relevant geography. Be specific about the clinical need and the reason someone would choose this program. “Grow oncology” gives a team less direction than a defined cancer program serving a defined market.

 

2. Do referring physicians understand the offer?

Referrers need a clear account of who the service treats, what capabilities are available, and how to refer. Review the information they actually receive. Different descriptions across physician outreach, web pages, and campaign materials can create avoidable uncertainty.

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3. Can someone act on the message?

Walk through the next step from the patient’s and referring physician’s perspective. Is the contact information clear? Can the person find the right location? Does the team have capacity to respond? Marketing and access teams should agree on what happens after an inquiry arrives.

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4. Are we measuring the same outcome?

Agree on the growth objective and the available indicators. Reach and engagement help explain campaign activity; inquiries, referral trends, appointments, and patient volumes help assess what follows. Use measures the organization can reliably access, and be clear about what cannot be attributed directly to marketing.

 

Turn the answers into a working plan: The next step is a short list of actions with owners: clarify the audience, align the message, improve the referral information, resolve an access barrier, or coordinate the campaign. A growth plan becomes useful when leaders can see what will change and who will make it happen.

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TF & Partners provides senior strategy and execution support for healthcare service line growth. Book a 20-minute conversation to discuss your priority program.