At times, it can be hard to know what’s coming tomorrow, never mind this time next year. But, unless something significant and unexpected happens (I don’t know, like a global pandemic…) the country is set for an election next year. As a health-tech business leader, how do you market yourself in this context?
Do you sit back and wait for clarity, even though that could be more than a year away? Or do you engage now, with the possibility of things changing radically within the next 6-18 months?
The bad news is, some of the challenges the health sector faces are so engrained, they will take more than a year to solve whatever happens. The good news is, such problems are recognised by everyone, regardless of political colour and as such, are likely to be the continued priority for a while. This means you can target your messages accordingly.
These are three of the most important drivers in healthcare to align to if you’re a health-tech business leader.
Prevention
Although first mentioned in the Public Health Act 1848, ‘prevention’ in healthcare is still a hard-sell with ROI taking a long time to be realised. In financially pressing times, delivering quickly on a headline grabbing issue, such as the reduction of waiting times, is considered more attractive.
However, the UK is considered a global leader in medicine innovation and is keen to maintain its reputation, particularly as its relationship with the European Union and others is shifting. Aligning your health-tech PR to this objective – to promote personalised care and prevention – would be a useful asset to any campaign.
An ageing population with complex needs
The average age of people admitted to hospital acutely is over 70 and people over 80 occupy a quarter of bed days in English hospitals, while only representing 5% of the population. The vast majority of people staying in hospital over two weeks are over 65. This is where a lot of the time, money, and resource will be focused in the coming decades.
Not least because this challenge is all-consuming, and impacts the way the NHS is funded, ran, and staffed. While the sheer number of patients the NHS sees will rise, so too will the complexity of illnesses. Already one-third of all patients admitted to hospital have five or more health conditions. This is both a quantity and quality problem.
Ironically, if the system is to improve, these figures will get starker. Health care is better, more accessible, more cost-effective, and more personal than ever, regardless of the aforementioned challenges.
As a health-tech business, understanding patient complexity and demonstrating how your product can alleviate multiple challenges is important.
Risk appetite
It wasn’t long ago that the chief executives of three of the biggest think tanks in the country claimed that the health sector was “addicted” to short-termism, and warned this will “risk the health service”. As a health-tech business, risk is ever-present in most things you do. Making calculated judgements is what got you into this space, but you have to be aware that your audience doesn’t have the same appetite. Framing solutions as low-risk, high-reward is a good way of mitigating this. Developing trust through long-term relationships coupled with empirical evidence to support any claims, is an excellent way.
In any sector, speaking the language of your audience is crucial. Using these three compass points as a means of targeted messaging in health-tech is a good way to get your product heard or seen.
For more information about how best to market your health-tech business, contact george@refreshpr.co.uk