Free e-Newsletters

Healthcare Strategist Trend Watch

Incisive summaries of strategy-related articles selected from hundreds of print and online publications, Web site reviews, highlights from Healthcare Market Strategist, news and resources, and more.

2007 | 2006 | 2005

Healthcare Strategist Trend Watch

Issue 39, December 22, 2006

• A baby and a birth certificate, to go

  Looking to add one more measure of convenience for new parents (and improve patient satisfaction...

• Employer demand for smoking cessation up

  Smoking is among employers' top three health concerns for workers, along with high blood pressure...

• Bayer to revive vintage jingle

  A well-known jingle that debuted in 1975 and has been ranked as one of the 15 best advertising...

• Study: Definition of ’errors’ can undermine satisfaction

  A patient's opinion of what constitutes a medical error is much broader than traditional clinical...

Issue 38, December 15, 2006

• For now, FTC ignores watchdog group's barking

  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has refused to look into a marketing practice that the watchdog...

• Teams to design personal health records to help consumers manage care

  A new program will design and test ideas for how consumers can use information technology to better...

• Women Center changes name, creates marketing campaign

  Women's Diagnostic, an Austin, TX-based healthcare provider of diagnostic testing associated with...

• Experience marketing raises awareness for Children's hospital

  St. Louis Children's Hospital recently launched the public phase of its fundraising efforts using a...

Issue 37, December 8, 2006

• With a little help from my friends

  Sometimes, the best medicine for mental illness is the support of a good friend. That's the message...

• Docs: Time to reel in ads, kids

  "Dad, what's Viagra?" Parents won't have to worry about answering this question if the American...

• New Web site devoted to giving 'thanks' to physicians

  A new Web site, www.Hero.md, lets consumers thank doctors who have made a difference in their...

• Survey: Americans support hospital growth

  Americans overwhelmingly support hospital growth, development, and expansion, according to a...

Issue 36, December 1, 2006

• That's a healthy meatball

  The Swedish meatballs at Chicago's Swedish Covenant Hospital just got a little healthier, thanks to...

• Brain scans: Focus group of the future?

  Well-known brands activate positive emotional responses in the brain, according to the results of a...

• New tool to help Kentucky fight battle of the bulge

  Kentucky will offer a weight education program to 235,000 state workers and their dependents as...

• Survey: Americans support hospital growth

  Americans overwhelmingly support hospital growth, development, and expansion, according to a...

Issue 35, November 17, 2006

• Labelman to the nutritional rescue

  To teach Americans about the importance of eating healthfully and understanding nutritional labels...

• Companies to encourage healthy lifestyles in ads aimed at kids

  Ten of the largest food and beverage companies, including Coca-Cola and McDonald's, have pledged to...

• AAMC launches campaign to increase diversity in medicine

  A new marketing campaign encourages more minority students to choose medicine as a career, the...

Issue 34, November 10, 2006

• Multiphase campaign urges long-term care planning

  In an effort to increase awareness about the importance of planning for future long-term care...

• Microsoft announces open call for award entries

  Microsoft Healthcare Users Group of Chicago and Microsoft Corp. of Redmond, WA are calling for...

• Few adults check for source of online health information

  According to a survey released by the Washington, DC-based Pew Internet Project, just 15% of 113...

Issue 33, November 3, 2006

• Portable system connects patients to interpreters

  Miami's Mercy Hospital recently installed a system that helps physicians communicate with non...

• Healthcare industry lags in leadership, supervision of employees

  Already facing significant workforce shortages, U.S. healthcare companies must drastically improve...

• Survey shows U.S. doctors discouraged, have low morale

  Doctor fatigue and emotional burnout have led to family discord, depression, and even suicidal...

• Hospitals to purchase new equipment to care for obese patients

  More hospitals are making changes to accommodate the rising number of morbidly obese patients...

Issue 32, October 27, 2006

• Study: Education boosts mammography appointments

  One-quarter of female patients in emergency departments (ED) who were educated about mammography...

• Hospitals named to first-ever 'Leapfrog Top Hospitals' list

  Fifty-nine U.S. hospitals have been named to the "Leapfrog Top Hospitals" list based on their...

• Study shows consumer-driven plans have mixed results

  Consumer-driven health plans can reduce healthcare use and lower costs, but may also deter...

• New service aims to make appointment-making easier

  A new online service lets consumers book and pay for medical appointments online.

Issue 31, October 20, 2006

• Report ranks state medical board Web sites

  New Jersey ranks first and North Dakota last in a survey of the content and user-friendliness of...

• Physician job board reports strong start

  A new online job board for physicians reports it received more than 4.4 million hits during its...

• Health IT market to double by 2011

  The healthcare information technology (IT) market will double by 2011, according to a report from...

• Incendia launches breast cancer support site

  In observance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Incendia Health Studios of Irvine, CA, has...

Issue 30, October 13, 2006

• Are you missing a daily opportunity to build your hospital's brand?

  Regular, everyday e-mails sent from your employees to staff, physicians, patients, and other...

• Electronic health records still not routine part of medical practice

  While one in four doctors use electronic health records (EHRs) to improve patient care, only one in...

• Company predicts Internet ad growth

  Internet ad spending will grow 85% between 2005 and 2008, predicts ZenithOptimedia, a media service...

• Healthcare organizations struggling to attract, retain workers

  More than two-thirds of healthcare providers surveyed by the Washington, DC-based financial...

Issue 29, October 6, 2006

• Survey: Most docs in favor of DTC moratorium

  The majority of physicians in a recent survey (80%) said they favor a moratorium on...

• Top drivers of patient satisfaction revealed

  More than 2.2 million U.S. hospital patients said their healthcare experiences were most influenced...

• Kaiser gives parents online access

  Oakland, CA-based Kaiser Permanente will offer members with children age 12 and younger access to...

• Online community raises money for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

  Online retailer CafePress.com says it will donate 40% of all October revenue from its Breast Cancer...

Issue 28, September 29, 2006

• Study shows patients want online services to communicate with doctors

  Most adults say they would like to have access to online medical records and other electronic means...

• Report shows U.S. healthcare gets poor quality scores

  Minneapolis-based MinuteClinic has announced it is the first provider of retail-based healthcare to...

• Online calculation tool helps patients figure costs

  Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, based in Jacksonville, has launched an online tool for...

• New ads seek to repair damaged Kaiser Permanente reputation

  Kaiser Permanente, headquartered in Oakland, CA, launched three new TV spots in September in an...

Issue 27, September 22, 2006

• Women's health outreach program awarded contract

  The Plano, TX-based information technology firm Perot Systems Corporation has been awarded a $16.1...

• Report shows U.S. healthcare gets poor quality scores

  A new report released by the New York City-based health research firm The Commonwealth Fund shows...

• Study: 60% of consumers researching weight-loss use the Internet

  According to a study by the Reston, VA-based Internet analyst comScore Networks, 60% of weight-loss...

• Drug companies spend millions in first-year marketing

  In the first year a pharmaceutical product is available, its company may spend between $1 million...

• Drug companies spend millions in first-year marketing

  In the first year a pharmaceutical product is available, its company may spend between $1 million...

Issue 26, September 15, 2006

• Innovation key to consumers becoming 'champions of their own health'

  URAC, a nonprofit organization that promotes healthcare quality through accreditation and...

• Exposure to light can help reduce medical errors and improve patient outcomes

  Research evidence shows that appropriate exposure to natural and artificial light in healthcare...

• Effect of direct-to-consumer care drug ads have unexpected results

  Television advertising of prescription drugs may prompt more people to visit their doctors rather...

• Several agencies sign agreements to forestall diversity hearings

  Several advertising agencies under scrutiny for lackluster diversity-hiring practices have pledged...

Issue 25, September 8, 2006

• FHA launches healthcare Web site to assist consumers

  The Florida Hospital Association (FHA) has launched a new consumer-oriented Web site to assist the...

• Study shows majority of adults have intermediate health literacy

  A new report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that a majority of...

• Worldwide obesity and weight loss treatment to reach $9 billion by 2010

  The global obesity treatment market is expected to reach $9 billion by 2010, according to a study...

• Television being used as patient satisfaction tool

  A growing number of hospitals are expanding their television offerings to provide health education...

Issue 24, August 25, 2006

• Study reveals marketing preferences of doctors' offices

  A recent study showed that direct mail and office visits are the most popular methods of marketing...

• Poor access for non-English speaking browsers

  Despite making some efforts to become more user-friendly, only 34% of state health department Web...

• Doctors practice medicine according to their faith

  A small but growing number of practices around the country are following in the lead of large...

• Diabetes campaign urges Hispanic Americans to uncover their feet

  The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) launched an awareness campaign this week in the...

• American medical spending may be worth it, study shows

  Despite rapidly increasing costs, medical spending has significantly extended the lives of...

• Public opinion: DNA a 'good thing'

  The public is almost unanimous in its opinions on the science of genetics and the use of DNA...

Issue 23, August 18, 2006

• Few hospitals profit from complementary care

  While a quarter of U.S. hospitals offer some form of alternative or complementary care to patients...

• Healthcare experts weigh relative value of device acquisition

  Minnesota hospitals are vying for market share with new and expensive technology, including...

• Americans reluctant to embrace healthcare consumerism

  Americans spend twice as much time researching car and computer purchases than they do when...

• ChoiceMedia changes name, launches 25 health-specific sites

  A suite of consumer oriented health & wellness Websites formerly known as ChoiceMedia, Inc., will...

• Communication guide helps close the cultural gap

  America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the national trade organization based in Washington, DC...

• Web site consolidates drug trials registries

  The Boston-based Center for Information & Study on Clinical Trial participation launched a Web site...

Issue 22, August 11, 2006

• Mobile phones deliver free drug trial offer

  Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is experimenting with mobile coupons, a new way of delivering free drug...

• Computerized records help UNC doctors treat patients

  The Chapel Hill-based University of North Carolina (UNC) Health Care System (www.unchealthcare.com...

• Smoking prevention campaign wins legal battle and gains momentum

  The American Legacy Foundation recently won a legal battle with Lorillard Tobacco Company, which...

• Report concludes FDA violates First Amendment

  The conservative think tank Washington Legal Foundation has released a report that claims the Food...

Issue 21, August 4, 2006

• Skin cancer screening tour encourages visits to the dermatologist

  A campaign to raise awareness of the importance of skin cancer screenings has been a success...

• Indianapolis insurer to pay more for quality

  WellPoint Inc., is launching a program to pay financial bonuses to hospitals and medical groups if...

• New technique helps doctors deliver bad news

  A technique called SPIKES (setting, perception, invitation, knowledge, empathy and...

• Nation's emergency healthcare system faces critical workforce shortages

  Emergency care systems in the U.S. are at serious risk of critical shortages in staffing because of...

Issue 20, July 28, 2006

• URAC tracks rise of consumer empowerment

  The URAC, a nonprofit organization that promotes healthcare quality through accreditation and...

• NQF publishes additional Hospital Care Performance Measures

  The healthcare quality measurement corporation National Quality Forum (NQF) has published...

• Microsoft to offer healthcare software

  Microsoft has announced plans to purchase a clinical healthcare software system developed by...

• Odin Media launches laserlinx

  Odin Media, LLC announced today the launch of its new line of affinity marketing products called...

Issue 19, July 21, 2006

• AIA: Private hospital rooms new gold standard

  Shared hospital rooms contribute to medical errors, higher infection rates, privacy violations, and...

• Johns Hopkins tops magazine's annual list

  U.S. News and World Report is out with its annual "America's Best Hospitals" edition. Of 147...

• Outdoor ad buys go online

  The Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) plans to build an online system for buying...

• Pricey ad spot will reach affluent eyes

  The Wall Street Journal will soon open its front page to advertising, according to an article in...

Issue 18, July 14, 2006

• Sufficient staff, satisfied physicians make for happier patients

  The two factors that most influence a patient's decision about whether to recommend their hospital...

• Campaign exceeds $500 million goal

  The Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Board of Trustees has raised $556.1 million in private donations...

• AHIP publishes list of tools to help address communication disparities

  America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has added a section to its Web site (www.ahip.org) to help...

• Study shows physician IT use growing

  According to a study by the Washington-based Center for Studying Health System Change...

Issue 17, July 7, 2006

• AMA wants to stop DTC drug ads

  The American Medical Association is calling for a temporary moratorium on direct-to-consumer ads...

• New study challenges perception of physician work ethic

  A new study indicates that older physicians are placing a greater emphasis on quality of life and...

• Antipsychotic drug market to decrease by $5 billion by 2015

  The antipsychotic drug market will fall from $15 billion in 2006 to a little over $10 billion in...

• Two new initiatives promote elder healthcare

  Two new initiatives have been designed to improve the health and quality of life of older...

Issue 16, June 30, 2006

• Bedside TVs that offer more than soap operas

  In an effort to improve patient satisfaction and the overall hospital experience for patients and...

• New tool would focus healthcare search results

  Google has been testing a new feature that allows users to limit their search to sites with health...

• Outpatient medical care exceeds one billion visits

  People made more than one billion visits to doctor's offices, emergency rooms, and hospital...

• Forecaster lowers spending estimate

  Widely known as the dean of ad forecasters, Robert Coen has lowered his estimate for growth in ad...

Issue 15, June 27, 2006

• Leading market research professionals focus efforts

  Representatives from the Chapel Hill, NC-based research firm Best Practices, LLC said results from...

• New Empire marketing campaign highlights quality docs

  The New York City-based Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield has launched a new marketing campaign...

• AMA gives guidelines for improved patient communication

  The American Medical Association (AMA) has released a report offering guidelines and measurable...

• Study shows word-of-mouth spreading

  A recent study by the New York City-based market consultant GfK Roper Consulting showed that 70% of...

Issue 14, June 16, 2006

• IHI's 100,000 Lives Campaign exceeds goal

  United States hospitals participating in an 18-month effort to prevent 100,000 unnecessary deaths...

• ER wait times vary wildly between states

  The average wait time for emergency room patients varies by more than 2.5 hours between the...

• Raise awareness with surgical Webcasts

  Akron's Children's Hospital offers surgical Webcasts to raise awareness about treatment options...

Issue 13, June 9, 2006

• More doctors beef up marketing efforts

  Driven by higher costs and inspired by direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertisements, an...

• GE Healthcare tries to get to the heart of CT

  The technology behind a CT scanner could open a new market for GE Healthcare, according to a...

• Personal injury lawsuits filed against Pfizer

  A pair of personal injury lawsuits has been filed against Pfizer Inc. charging the drug company...

• MMA honors marketer of the year

  Holley Malia, director of global brand management at Santa Barbara, CA-based medical device maker...

Issue 12, June 2, 2006

• Kaiser marketing practices investigated

  State regulators are investigating Kaiser Permanente's Southern California operation for allegedly...

• Cord-blood banks shift marketing tactics

  The market for cord-blood banks, which freeze blood from a baby's placenta and umbilical cord to...

• Wanted: Clear healthcare information

  A new award plans to honor healthcare organizations that clearly communicate information to...

• CMS to post information on procedures and admissions

  In an effort to help consumers, providers, and payers make more informed healthcare decisions, the...

Issue 11, May 26, 2006

• CIGNA introduces the virtual house call

  CIGNA Healthcare and Relay-Health Corporation (www.relayhealth.com) have announced that they will...

• Increasing number of therapists using instant messaging to work with patients

  An increasing number of therapists are using instant messaging (IM) to communicate with patients...

• Hospitals report improved quality from IT

  Findings of a recent study suggest that Information Technology (IT) has improved quality at medical...

• Campaigns maintain growth in spinal fusion surgery market

  Strong marketing efforts by leading manufacturers and surgeon demand for less invasive surgeries...

Issue 10, May 19, 2006

• Web users spend as much time online as watching TV

  A JupiterResearch study found that average online consumers spend 14 hours per week online, which...

• Site to auction product placement deals

  A new subscription-only Web site called Embed will host auctions for product placement...

• MayoClinic.com adds symptom checker to online tools

  MayoClinic.com has added a new tool that lets users search for the most common causes of their...

• HHS Secretary makes plea for pricing transparency

  Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt called health information technology "an essential...

Issue 9, May 12, 2006

• New Web site aims to be a medical search engine

  Healthline Networks has launched a new Web site, www.healthline.com.

• State health organizations launch advertising campaign on health impact fee

  Several of the Minnesota's leading health advocacy organizations launched a statewide advertising...

• Walkers join campaign to fight premature birth

  March of Dimes' popular fundraising event, WalkAmerica, takes place in May in cities across the...

• What men don’t know about their health and aging can hurt them

  A national survey released in April indicates that one third of American men over the age of 39...

Issue 8, May 5, 2006

• DM program gets high marks from participants

  One Southeastern Pennsylvania health insurer's disease management program not only improved its...

• Calling all Web sites

  Entries are now open for the 10th annual international WebAwards competition, hosted by the...

• Public service program offers free mammograms

  The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) and Commerce Bank are celebrating Mother's Day by...

• Businessman, adventurer to headline marketing conference

  Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group, will be the opening keynote speaker at...

Issue 7, April 28, 2006

• Don't touch that dial

  Talk of new technology that would allow broadcasters to freeze a channel during the commercial...

• Health accounts on the rise in Minnesota

  The Minnesota Council of Health Plans, a nonprofit trade association based in St Paul, says...

• Life's major moments are increasingly researched online

  As the Internet becomes a bigger part of Americans' lives, more and more of them are turning to the...

• The right note to promote kidney disease awareness

  A new public awareness campaign that aims to educate African Americans about chronic kidney...

Issue 6, April 21, 2006

• Hey, big spenders

  A 30-second spot on the finale of the American Idol reality TV show will cost advertisers $1.3...

• Helping consumers make better healthcare choices

  A new booklet aims to help patients take better charge of their own health by making them more...

• Consumers go online to research offline purchases

  New research confirms the importance of search in influencing consumer's offline buying decisions...

• Video news releases sometimes aired without attribution

  An "epidemic of fake news" is infiltrating local television broadcasts across the country...

Issue 5, April 14, 2006

• Firm donates design services to 10 non-profits

  Response to a design firm's contest that was to award a free "logo makeover" to three non-profit...

• Survey: Marketers lack confidence in their Web skills

  A survey of more than 250 marketing executives found that while the Web is playing an increasingly...

• 'Grassroots' campaign to help seniors with drug benefit

  Medicare experts and volunteers across the nation will help seniors enroll in Medicare's new...

• A market-based approach to healthcare in Massachusetts

  In Massachusetts, a new law signed by Republican Governor Mitt Romney mandates that individuals buy...

Issue 4, April 7, 2006

• Campaign will teach patients about healthcare delivery

  A coalition of physician groups has launched a public education campaign designed to help patients...

• Healthcare sites score well in content

  Healthcare Web sites are strong in content, but could be more innovative, according to a report by...

• Physicians speculate on charity care decline

  Healthcare professionals have been buzzing about a recent study showing a decline in charity care...

• Research shows majority of physicians don't support P4P initiative

  A recent online study showed 62% of 2,727 doctors surveyed do not support the Bush administration's...

Issue 3, March 31, 2006

• Study on race disparities draws protest

  Rand Corporation study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that...

• Web strategy: Technology trends will drive marketing in 2006

  The latest trends to impact online healthcare marketing include an increase in the use of search...

• A more patient-friendly approach to hospital bills

  Is your healthcare organization considering a patient financing program? Proponents say the move is...

• Hospital worker helps patients communicate

  A special ID card will help people with speech impairments to clearly identify their conditions in...

Issue 2, March 24, 2006

• ER guarantee: 30 minutes or the movie tickets are free

  A new marketing campaign promises emergency patients at the Chesterfield, VA-based St. Francis...

• Poll: NY ad industry lacks diversity

  A majority of respondents to an online poll by the magazine Advertising Age said that the new York...

• New initiatives promote healthcare transparency

  Several new transparency initiatives will soon give consumers better access to pricing and quality...

• Survey: Massachusetts docs are good listeners

  Massachusetts residents can view performance results for more than 400 multi-physician practices in...

Issue 1, March 17, 2006

• Pricing transparency: Hospitals face federal pressure

  Hospitals should make pricing and quality information available to consumers in user-friendly...

• WebMD acquires Internet rival

  WebMD Health Corporation, a leading provider of health information services to consumers and...

• Industry News: Hard Sell coming to a theater near you

  Former Pfizer sales rep Jamie Reidy's memoir "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman," will...

• Group takes aim at prescription drug ads

  Commercial Alert, a nonprofit organization that takes aim at over-commercialization, has launched a...