It’s easy to get caught up in reporting on the new technology your hospital has acquired or new procedure a physician is offering — especially when that’s the directive from above. We get it; hospital administration allocates large percentages of their budget to these types of things, and they want you to shout the news from the rooftops.
The truth is, a large capital investment or expanded service line is newsworthy. It’s also only part of the story. You need to connect the dots for your audience as to why hospital news is important … to them. And the best way to do that is through patient success stories. Here are four reasons they’re effective.
1. They show rather than tell.
What does showing rather than telling mean in practice? It means that instead of telling people your new MRI machine is only 60 decibels — much quieter than some other MRI machines! — you explain it from a patient’s perspective. How the headphones were enough to block the noise during Jane’s exam. Plus, she listened to music, which made the entire experience faster and less stressful for her. In fact, she didn’t even need the Valium that she had taken for such tests in the past.
It means that instead of stating recovery from hip replacement is “simpler” than in the past, you describe what your patient was able to do the next day, the next week, the next month, and how that made him feel. See the difference?
2. They humanize science.
Science in and of itself is fascinating to a lot of people. But it’s not always relatable, nor is it easily understandable. Connecting a medical advancement or treatment to a human experience puts the science into context and helps tell the bigger story. It helps people imagine their own lives, their own medical problems, their own desires for a more active lifestyle.
3. They show results in a relatable and meaningful way.
Thanks to frivolous malpractice suits, physicians often are hesitant to tell patients what they can expect from a procedure beyond estimates and ranges: You’ll likely be back to work in six to eight weeks. The procedure should relieve about 80% to 90% of your pain. But while statistics can be useful supporting information, people tend to have a hard time seeing themselves in numbers.
Patient stories, on the other hand, can be used to paint the picture of what a patient can expect following a treatment without providers having to make any promises since they are based on an individual’s experience. It’s important to note here that patient success stories can be aspirational in nature but should never mislead. So go ahead and feature the grandmother who lost 110 pounds and became a yoga instructor following weight-loss surgery, but don’t leave out the fact that it took three years of diligent work on her part to do it or the challenges she had along the way.
4. They offer an emotional connection and memorability.
At the end of the day, your job is not only to inform readers about your services but also to make a lasting impression on them. And storytelling does that better than statistics. While people generally forget about a third of the information presented to them as a story after a single day, they forget much more — nearly three-quarters of information — that’s presented through statistics, according to Harvard Business School research.
So instead of touting your neurosurgeon’s fellowships and accomplishments — or at least, in addition to doing so — why not tell the story of the 41-year-old elementary school principal and mother of two who is recovering from lifesaving brain surgery to prevent her from having an imminent hemorrhagic stroke? After all, which story would you rather read?
Get started on your next patient success story
Patient stories are much more powerful (read: effective) than news stories about your hospital’s technology and services. The good news is they don’t have to be difficult to put together. To learn how, check out How to Write a Patient Success Story.