According to research from Siemens Helthineers, almost one in three patients feels anxious before a radiological examination. The reasons vary greatly from individual to individual: Some are afraid of heat or noise, or loss of control when forced to lie still in a narrow scanner tube. Others report feeling worried about being “isolated, confined, alone, and dependent on others.” As a result, patients who feel so ill at ease, tend to move more. This reduces the quality of around 20 percent of all scans. A study has shown, however, that various methods can help relieve patients of their fear or give them back at least partial control. Knowing how long the examination will last, having a mirror to see outside the scanner, and being able to press an alarm button can all help to reduce patients’ fears. Further reassurance comes from trusting the people involved in the examination and simply having a sense of being “in good hands.”
Who is the content for? —Your patient persona
A 50-year-old male with lung cancer. He’s getting a CT scan and it’s his first time ever having one, so he’s anxious about going into that room on his own and what it will feel like when he’s in there. He wants to know exactly what happens before, during, and after so that he can get back home as soon as possible. But he also knows very little about diagnostic imaging or scanning—he doesn't know why doctors order scans or what they find on them; instead, he just knows that doctors want him to have them regularly.
For mammography imaging, your patient might be a 55-year-old woman who’s been getting them every year since her early 50s. She knows that it’s part of her routine, but she still gets nervous before each one—particularly because she recently read about another woman who got breast cancer and how sad that was. She wonders if it will happen to her, too. And as much as she tries not to worry about it and just have faith in her doctors, anxiety often wins out.
For PET scans, your patient is a 73-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease whose primary care physician has been telling him he needs another scan because his symptoms are worsening: He keeps forgetting things and his short-term memory isn't what it used to be.
Your website should offer information targeting the main interests and frequently asked questions from your patients. Instead of talking only about your clinic and team, show that you also know how to listen the patient concerns.
What is your audience interested in? — Planning Around Anxieties
The American College of Radiology recommends creating a patient-centric environment at diagnostic imaging centers, which could help reduce anxiety among patients and empower them to ask questions.
- How often is it safe to have a CT scan?
- What types of side effects will I experience after a CT scan?
- How should I prepare before undergoing a CT scan?
Addressing the most frequent questions your patients might have, provides a great opportunity for them to engage with your content, to get reassurance and to learn more about your technology and quality controls before their exam.
The SEO impact is also not negligible, as these Top of Funnel topics often receive high volumes of traffic.
Case study
One informational video we developed for one of our clients, reached over 30k views in less than 6 months.
Discovering what your target market wants to know can be easier than you think! Each day you will receive inquiries whether that be in person, over the phone or by email. Inform your team to begin making note of each inquiry, then take those questions and write a blog, a social media post or even a FAQ E-book.
Another great tool is Answer The Public. Answer The Public allows you to search a specific keyword and the tool then brings up the most frequently googled questions surrounding that topic. This is a great way to not only create valuable content but to become a source of reliable information for your audience.
How Often Should I Post Content?
Firstly, your content plan should always follow the ‘quality over quantity’ rule. You don’t want to inundate your followers with constant posts just for the sake of posting, keep them engaged but in the correct way.
We recommend posting 1-3 times a week on all social media platforms. Your content should include a range of videos, blogs, graphics, E-books and infographics. This allows your audience to see a range of different content and keeps your page interesting.
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