To call Rush University Medical Center's new Web site an unqualified success is an understatement.

Grayson Walker reports


When Rush University Medical Center in Chicago launched a media campaign in October 2003 supported by new collateral materials and a revamped, dynamic Web site, hospital officials set ambitious goals. Imagine their surprise when those goals were surpassed, resulting in an almost 9% gain in patient admissions to the facility. Four times as many people are using the hospital Internet site to locate a doctor as previously, resulting in three and a half appointments a day being made on the Web, said Christine Malcolm, senior vice president of strategic planning, marketing, and program development at Rush. Malcolm said more than 23,000 unique visitors a month use the find-a-doctor service.

There's no question that a dynamic hospital Web site should encourage visitors to hang around, read about the specialty centers at the facility, check out relevant medical information about a condition suffered by the user or a loved one, and allow them to make an appointment with a physician.

But it's not as easy as building a Web site and watching the usage numbers skyrocket. Rush embarked on a multimillion dollar television, radio, and print advertising campaign to build awareness about the facility. Support materials were redesigned and updated, and the hospital's call center was revamped to handle the anticipated increase in call volume.

Holistic marketing

"The Web definitely should be part of an overall marketing plan," said Donald Giller, director of new business development for healthcare at The Rogovin Group, a marketing and communications consulting group based in Massachusetts. "It's important to do this right and regard it as an important tool," Giller said. "We have clients of all sizes, and even the small clients realize the benefits of the Web."

The Rush University Medical Center Web site (www.rush.edu) is unusual in its degree of interactivity, Giller noted. Most health facility Web sites still are static, with listings of classes and information from newsletters produced by the facility. These Web sites are most useful to obtain directions to the facility, visiting hours, and other non-interactive information.

With greater interactivity, users can find a physician, sign up for a course, and perhaps pay a registration fee. At some sites, patients can fill out registration forms and medical histories online, eliminating the need to do that at the facility. Patients can also investigate their condition with accurate, up-to-date information and quickly find the appropriate hospital department that handles that condition.

Even as hospitals and healthcare facilities upgrade their Web offerings, there remains a resistance to what Giller calls push technology, the sending of information to visitors who opt-in to receive it. "If you have that permission, there's a lot that you can do," Giller said.

In the case of a stent recall, for example, patients who received one and had signed up for updates could be notified and directed to their physicians (if necessary) or sent reassuring information that the recall didn't affect them. A person who signed up for a course on cardiac issues would be given the opportunity to receive more information about cardiac care.

In a similar vein, the Thyroid Foundation of America, a former Rogovin Group client, places tags on articles on its Web site (www.allthyroid.org) that relate to different conditions covered. Those who have registered to receive updates about that condition are notified when a new article is posted.

Healthy content

A dynamic Web site sounds great, but providing complete, up-to-date information is a timeconsuming task. That's where companies like Greystone.Net come into the picture.

Atlanta-based Greystone is a leading provider of content to hospitals and healthcare facilities, including Rush. "We can integrate their copy with ours," explained Robin Snow, vice president. "Everyone has four chambers of their heart, but not all hospitals have a heart institute."

Type in "breast cancer" at the Rush Web site, and you'll find more than three dozen articles on the subject; an index of topics; a link to Rush physicians specializing in diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, and oncology; and links to the medical center's cancer programs and women's health services.

"As a CIO, the biggest barrier to implementation of a dynamic consumer Web site is culture," Snow said. "But if done properly, it will be the beginning of a transformation to more efficient, more transparent, more profitable operations."

C-level buy-in is critical, Snow said, as is a content management system that can handle the Web site. Newer systems should be fine, but older systems may need to be replaced.

"Healthcare facilities stay up-to-date on medical technology but lag in communication areas," said Bob Ronchi, vice president of strategic alliance for FatWire Software, based in New York. "Now there's a lot of movement to catch up."

Rush chose FatWire's content server to power its Web operations. The site contains 30,000 pages, 7,000 of those in Spanish. The FatWire server can manage multiple Web sites, automatically tailoring information based on user input. Updates can be made using computer desktop tools, Ronchi said.

"It empowers users to create, manage, and update information on their own," Ronchi said. "You don't have to go through the IT department to keep it updated."

The company recently released its eHealth Accelerator product, which features persuasive architecture and options to customize the look and feel of Web offerings. Out-of-box functionality includes integrated content (maps and patient information), appointment requests, newsletter subscription signup, online gift ordering, satisfaction surveys, and health assessment tools.

Rush University Medical System executives, who Malcolm said are "pretty fanatical" about tracking results, are pleased with the response and increased visits generated by the media campaign and Web site.

Malcolm said the Web site requires only occasional tweaking, noting that most of it is database driven. "We believe it's a workhorse for very little money," said Malcolm. But she stressed that the site is only one piece of the puzzle. "The media campaign, brochures, and Web site were executed as a single strategy—that's why it worked," she said.

Grayson Walker is an Atlanta-based freelance writer specializing in business and manufacturing issues. He can be reached at grwalker@mindspring.com.

Publication: American Executive

Grayson Walker