Key Takeaways
- Health screenings are a key part of preventive care, helping to detect potential health issues early when they're more treatable and more likely to be less invasive or uncomfortable.
- Effective communication about health screenings should focus on removing fear of the unknown, explaining what to expect, and emphasizing that care visits are private and nonjudgmental.
- Highlighting the role of screenings across multiple areas of health—medical, dental, eye, and mental—can help audiences understand their value in maintaining overall well-being.
- Marketing professionals have the unique opportunity to influence audiences by crafting clear, relatable messages that encourage participation in routine health screenings.
What do most people do when they're not feeling too great? Chances are, they look for some over-the-counter medicines, get some rest, and call their doctor if things don't improve. But sometimes, their health issues—including very serious ones—don't show any symptoms. That's why it is so important for everyone who has a stake in health care to regularly engage with their audiences about health screenings.
Marketing and communications professionals have a unique opportunity to help organizations of all kinds influence their audiences to participate in health screenings. Routine preventive care, like health screenings, is an important part of whole-person health and a measurable way for businesses to save money. The following sections discuss how to get valuable messages about health care to connect with any audience.
Describing what health screenings are
Not many people truly enjoy going to the doctor. There are several reasons for that, but let's start with fear of the unknown. Taking the mystery out of health screenings smooths your path to persuasion. When you approach this roadblock strategically and creatively, remember that your audience needs to understand that:
- Health screenings are medical tests.
- Doctors perform health screenings to see whether people are at risk for a disease or other type of health problem.
- Health screenings enable doctors to diagnose issues early, when they typically are more likely to be treatable.
Make sure your audience knows that some health screenings take place at a doctor's office and can be as simple as answering a few questions. Others may require equipment that's not available at a doctor's office, in which case they'd visit a health care facility that specializes in the screenings they need.
Some people feel nervous about going to the doctor. That's normal. Some worry about having tests done or talking about things they might find embarrassing. That's normal, too. It's a good idea to reinforce the fact that care visits, including anything people discuss with health care professionals, are private. Another smart play is showing that not all health screenings are invasive and painful. In fact, most are not. Stepped onto a scale or talking about current mood are examples that are so commonplace that many don't consider them health screenings at all — but they certainly are. Many health screenings are brief, and most involve little or no physical discomfort.
This is a good moment to remind your audience that it's OK to ask the doctor or a member of the doctor's care staff about health screenings. They should always be ready to explain any part of it in a way that makes sense.
Knowing what to expect before, during, and after a health screening will ease your audience's mind. They still might not have tons of fun at their health screenings, but at least they won't be surprised at their appointments.
Emphasizing the importance of health screenings as preventive care
Health screenings are an important part of preventive care because they're designed to identify people's risks for diseases, keep diseases from taking hold, and stop or limit disease progression.
The more a doctor understands a patient's health, the more they can help that person stay as healthy as possible. And that's true for medical, dental, eye, and mental health. Here are some examples of points to make in your campaigns and communications:
- A doctor checks blood pressure to see whether people may be at risk for heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and other conditions that high blood pressure can cause.
- A dentist checks gums to make sure there are no signs of gum disease or problems with the gumline, which is where the tooth and gum meet.
- An eye doctor tests the pressure inside of the eyes to look for signs of glaucoma, a disease that damages the optic nerve and can cause complete and permanent loss of vision.
- A psychologist, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional asks questions to see how events in a person's past may be influencing what they're experiencing now.
While it's critically important to never engage in fear-based marketing, it's essential that you help your audience understand that some medical, dental, eye, and mental health conditions can pass from parent to child. Doctors often refer to them as inherited or genetic disorders, or as inherited or familial diseases. Those terms just mean that a health condition runs in the family.
Encourage the people in your audience to share everything they know about their family's health history with their doctor. That way, doctors can work with them to figure out which health screenings they might need sooner rather than later, or more frequently than usual. They'll also be able to use what they learn to further personalize ongoing preventive-care plans.
Explaining the outcomes of health screenings
There are numerous short- and long-term benefits associated with health screenings. The most important one for many people is the relief of understanding what's going on with their health. Your messaging should assure your audience that knowing truly is better than not knowing— even when the news isn't what they hope to hear. Here are some other positives to cover when you connect with your audience about health screenings:
Early detection and diagnosis
The sooner a doctor catches a health issue, the sooner they can complete a diagnosis and develop a plan to treat the condition. Many health problems are easier to treat when they're caught early. And if a condition requires specialized treatment, a doctor can work with their patient to build a care team that is ready to help immediately.
The ability to adjust
Change is rarely easy. Having to make lifestyle changes quickly—especially really big ones—can be very stressful for people and those who care about them. When a health screening points out a problem early, people will likely be more able to plan the changes they need to make thoughtfully—and with the support of others. No one enjoys having to rush into major changes alone, particularly when their health is concerned.
Saving time and money
Diseases typically are less expensive and less time-consuming when a doctor catches them early because they tend to be easier to treat. On the other hand, a disease that gets worse may require a variety of medicines and treatments, as well as numerous visits to the hospital or care facility — all of which take more and more time from people's daily lives and can quickly become difficult to manage financially. A disease that progresses can create new health problems that cost people even more time and money — and add to the stress they're already experiencing.
Mentioning the frequency of routine health screenings?
If there's one subject that calls for high-level handling, this is it. That's because numerous factors influence how often people should complete health screenings and which screenings they should have. Help your audience recognize that age, gender, lifestyle choices and changes, family medical history, and their own health histories are some of the things that they should discuss with their doctor when determining the best course of action.
Health screenings are proactive protection
Unfortunately, too frequently, health care is reactive. People call on doctors and other health care professionals to treat health conditions instead of looking out for issues that have yet to show signs or symptoms. But, the good news is that effective marketing and communications can position health screenings as easy ways to enable everyone to care for themselves proactively.
In our next installment, we'll focus on how marketing and communications from health care professionals, health insurers, and employers can help people access health screenings in a variety of ways and support them in preparing financially.
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