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healthcare

The Great Hospital Visiting Hours Debate: What Patients and Families Really Need in 2025 

How rigid policies are clashing with human needs – and what hospitals can do about it 

Picture this: Your father is battling lupus, spending months in the hospital, but visiting hours run from 4-6 PM – right when you’re stuck in traffic from work. Or imagine racing to the ER with a family emergency, only to wait 12 hours for treatment, then being told visiting hours are over just when your loved one needs you most. 

These aren’t hypothetical scenarios. They’re real stories flooding social media platforms, where patients and families are venting their frustrations about hospital visiting policies that seem increasingly out of touch with modern life. 

The Social Media Outcry: When Policy Meets Reality 

Recent conversations on X (formerly Twitter) paint a vivid picture of the visiting hours dilemma. Users share emotionally charged stories of missed visits, rigid schedules that ignore work realities, and heartbreaking moments of being turned away when family members need support most. 

One recurring theme hits particularly hard: parents and caregivers forced to choose between their jobs and being present for critically ill loved ones. The 4-6 PM visiting window, a relic from a different era, clashes spectacularly with modern work schedules, school pickup times, and the basic rhythms of contemporary life. 

But here’s where it gets interesting: some families are simply ignoring the rules. Stories emerge of people staying bedside through cancer treatments, holding hands during emergencies, and making the conscious decision that “visiting hours didn’t apply” when life and death hung in the balance. 

The Global Wave: How Hospitals Are Responding in 2025 

New Zealand’s bold shift toward 24/7 family visitation in September 2025 isn’t happening in isolation. Across the globe, hospitals are reimagining their visitor policies in response to mounting patient frustration and compelling evidence about isolation’s toll on healing. 

The changes are diverse and targeted: 

In Jamaica, a father’s petition at Bustamante Hospital for Children gathered over 25,000 signatures and led to advocacy for round-the-clock parental visitation for minors, with an overnight suite scheduled to be operational by September 2025, recognizing that sick children shouldn’t be separated from their parents during off-hours. 

Across multiple US states, Nuvance Health now allows two parents or guardians to stay 24/7 with patients under 21, with the flexibility to swap shifts. They’ve even added daytime sibling visits for children under 18 to ease the emotional strain on entire families. 

In Colorado, UCHealth implemented a sophisticated approach: unlimited daily visitors (maximum two at a time) year-round, but with protective restrictions for children under 12 in ICUs and oncology units during respiratory season (November through May). 

The response to these changes? It’s complicated – but promising. 

Breaking Down Barriers: Fighting Discrimination and Ensuring Equity 

One of the most significant developments in 2025 has been the push for inclusive visitation policies. In April, the US Department of Health and Human Services issued updated guidance requiring federally funded hospitals to explicitly prohibit discrimination in visitation based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. 

This wasn’t theoretical – it was a direct response to complaints of unequal access for LGBTQ+ families and non-traditional relationships. Hospitals must now update their policies in writing, inform patients upfront about their rights, and provide virtual visit options as backups. 

The Dignity Health Network formalized this approach by allowing 24/7 access for all designated visitors, regardless of biological ties, focusing on patient-centered “support person” designations rather than traditional family definitions. 

The Science of Specialized Care 

The policy changes aren’t just feel-good measures – they’re backed by hard data. Studies show isolation increases stress and delirium rates by 3-6 times, with particularly devastating effects on children and elderly patients. 

This evidence is driving targeted approaches: 

  • End-of-life care: Vanderbilt Health now allows visitor numbers based on family needs, even in semi-private rooms, countering pandemic-era stories of people “dying alone.” 
  • Pediatric units: The recognition that separating children from parents creates lasting trauma has led to specialized policies across multiple hospital systems. 
  • Critical care: NewYork-Presbyterian now permits children 12 and older in adult areas (with specific exceptions) and actively encourages virtual connections through FaceTime and similar platforms. 

Learning from Success: What’s Actually Working 

The hospitals seeing the most success with policy changes share common characteristics: they use feedback loops, involve patients in decision-making, and remain flexible enough to adjust when something isn’t working. 

Take the UK’s NHS system, which implemented new rules in October 2025 requiring GP surgeries to keep online consultation tools open during core hours (8 AM-6:30 PM) for non-urgent requests. While not hospital-specific, this change addresses wait-time complaints that often spill into emergency rooms, reducing the desperation that drives inappropriate hospital visits. 

Similarly, hospitals piloting “care partner” programs are finding success by training family members to assist with basic monitoring, empowering them to help without overwhelming staff. 

The key insight? Successful policy changes stem from patient advocacy, legal pressures, and solid evidence about isolation’s health impacts. But they also require ongoing refinement based on real-world feedback. 

The Challenges That Remain 

Despite these promising changes, significant obstacles persist. Staffing shortages continue to plague healthcare systems worldwide, leading to uneven policy implementation. What works at a well-staffed facility may fail catastrophically at an understaffed one. 

The 24/7 access experiment in New Zealand revealed these tensions clearly. Supporters celebrated the recognition of families as care partners, but critics worried about turning wards into “circuses” – complete with late-night noise, increased security risks, and disrupted patient rest. Nurses’ unions pushed back hard, pointing to staffing shortages as the real culprit behind restrictive policies. The backlash was swift enough that officials announced a quick policy review. 

This highlights a crucial truth: visiting hour policies can’t be separated from broader healthcare system challenges. The balance between family support and patient rest remains delicate, requiring careful attention to both emotional well-being and physical recovery needs. 

Create Population-Specific Policies 

One-size-fits-all approaches are failing. Successful hospitals are developing targeted policies: 

  • Pediatric patients: Nuvance Health’s model of allowing two parents/guardians 24/7 for patients under 21, with sibling visits during the day 
  • End-of-life care: Flexible visitor numbers based on family needs, even in shared rooms 
  • High-risk units: UCHealth’s seasonal approach – unlimited visitors year-round, but protective restrictions during flu season for vulnerable populations 

Eliminate Discrimination and Embrace Inclusion 

Following federal guidance, successful hospitals are: 

  • Explicitly prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability 
  • Updating policies in writing and informing patients upfront about their rights 
  • Focusing on “support persons” rather than traditional family definitions 
  • Providing virtual visit alternatives for situations where physical presence isn’t possible 

Build Feedback Systems and Stay Flexible 

The most successful policy changes come from hospitals that: 

  • Listen to patient advocacy (like Jamaica’s father whose petition changed pediatric policy) 
  • Conduct regular policy reviews (as New Zealand did when their 24/7 policy faced pushback) 
  • Use multiple feedback channels including webinars, surveys, and direct patient input 
  • Remain willing to adjust when real-world implementation reveals problems 

Communicate Changes Clearly and Consistently 

With visiting policies evolving rapidly, clear communication becomes critical. Hospitals implementing successful changes ensure that: 

  • Phone systems reflect current policies with accurate, up-to-date visiting hour information in multiple languages to serve diverse communities 
  • Updates happen immediately when policies change, preventing the frustration of families receiving outdated information that leads to unnecessary trips or missed visits 
  • Multilingual support acknowledges that healthcare serves diverse populations who may not speak English as their primary language 

Consider how New York City Health + Hospitals addresses this challenge in their phone greeting: they provide specific hours (9 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week), visitor limits (up to two at bedside), safety requirements (ID and potential PPE), and importantly, they direct callers to their website for complete, current guidelines. This approach acknowledges that policies have nuances – like age restrictions for children under 12 or specialty area variations that require more detailed explanation than a phone message can provide. 
The system also provides this same detailed information in Spanish and French, ensuring non-English speaking families receive equally comprehensive guidance. 

The key is ensuring that initial phone contact gives families the essential information they need while directing them to comprehensive, regularly updated resources for the full picture. 

Balance Safety with Access 

Effective hospitals are finding creative ways to maintain security while expanding access: 

  • Visitor badges and enhanced security patrols 
  • Training staff in de-escalation techniques 
  • Clear guidelines about appropriate visitor behavior 
  • Quiet hours enforcement (typically 10 PM-6 AM) with reasonable visitor caps 

The Human Element: Why This Matters 

Behind every policy debate is a fundamental question: What kind of healing environment do we want to create? 

The social media conversations reveal deep frustration, but also something more profound – a desire for healthcare that recognizes the whole person, not just the medical condition. Families aren’t asking to throw parties in hospital rooms; they’re asking to hold hands during scary moments, to be present when their loved ones wake up from surgery, and to participate meaningfully in the care process. 

Moving Forward: Lessons from the Front Lines 

The most successful policy changes, like New Zealand’s willingness to review and adjust their approach, demonstrate that flexibility and responsiveness matter more than perfect initial policies. 

Hospitals that listen to patient and family feedback, that acknowledge when policies aren’t working, and that prioritize both safety and compassion will build trust and improve outcomes. The goal isn’t to choose between family support and patient care – it’s to create systems that optimize both. 

The Bottom Line 

Hospital visiting hours might seem like a small administrative detail, but they represent something much larger: how healthcare systems value relationships, recognize diverse needs, and adapt to changing realities. 

As one social media user put it perfectly: “Policies should prioritize healing without adding stress.” That’s not just good advice for hospitals – it’s a prescription for healthcare that truly serves everyone it touches. 

The conversation is far from over, and that’s exactly as it should be. The best healthcare policies emerge from ongoing dialogue between patients, families, and providers, with the flexibility to evolve as we learn what actually works in the real world. 

What’s your experience with hospital visiting hours? Have you encountered policies that helped or hindered your family’s healing process? The conversation continues, and your voice matters. 

Sources 
  1. Jamaica Observer (February 26, 2025). “Allow us 24-hour visits.” Jamaica Observer 
  1. Jamaica Gleaner (May 1, 2025). “More time for parents: visiting policy at Bustamante hospital under review.” Jamaica Gleaner 
  1. Jamaica Information Service (May 5, 2025). “Health Ministry Looking to Extend Visit Time at Bustamante Children’s Hospital.” Jamaica Information Service 
  1. US Department of Health and Human Services (April 11, 2025). “FAQs on Patient Visitation at Certain Federally Funded Entities.” HHS.gov 
  1. NHS England (2025). “Changes to the GP Contract in 2025/26.” NHS England 
  1. GOV.UK (February 28, 2025). “New deal for GPs will fix the front door of the NHS.” GOV.UK 
  1. McDermott Will & Emery (June 2, 2025). “Ensuring Nondiscrimination in Patient Visitations.” McDermott 

Note: Some hospital policy examples mentioned in this article are based on research that referenced multiple hospital system websites and policy documents. For the most current visiting policies at specific hospitals, readers should check directly with individual healthcare facilities, as policies continue to evolve rapidly in 2025. 

Categories
ai healthcare

Enhancing Patient Care Through AI-Powered Language Replacement: Holdcom’s Solution for Englewood Health’s Bariatric Department 

In the healthcare industry, effective communication is crucial for patient care and recovery, especially when it comes to complex post-operative instructions. This case study explores how Holdcom, leveraging innovative AI technology, helped Englewood Health overcome language barriers and significantly improve patient education for its Spanish-speaking population in the bariatric department. 

The Challenge 

Englewood Health’s bariatric department, serving a significant Spanish-speaking patient base, faced a critical challenge: how to provide equal access to detailed post-operative instructions for non-English speaking patients. These instructions are crucial for proper recovery and contain numerous important details that patients must follow carefully. The hospital needed to convert an existing English instructional video into Spanish to ensure all patients could fully understand and adhere to these vital guidelines. 

The hospital’s constraints were typical of many healthcare institutions: 

  • Limited budget for full-scale video production 
  • Time constraints for creating new content 
  • Resource limitations for traditional dubbing processes 
Holdcom’s Solution: AI-Powered Language Replacement Services 

Holdcom, specializing in audio and video solutions, proposed an innovative approach using AI technology to perform comprehensive language replacement: 

  • Transcribe the original English video 
  • Translate the content into Spanish 
  • Replace the original audio with Spanish voiceovers 
  • Translate on-screen text 

This solution promised to be both cost-effective and efficient, allowing Englewood Health to provide crucial post-operative instructions in patients’ native language without the need for extensive resources or time investment. 

Language Localization and Replacement Services

Implementation and Results 

Cody Weber, Director of Communications at Englewood Health, initiated the project in response to a request from the bariatric nursing staff. Although aware of Holdcom’s Language Replacement Services, this was their first opportunity to utilize the technology for such a critical application. 

Key outcomes of Holdcom’s implementation included: 

High-quality translation and voiceover, with only minor edits required by the hospital’s internal Spanish-speaking team 

Cost-effective solution that provided excellent value for the investment 

Efficient turnaround time, meeting the hospital’s urgent need for clear patient communication 

Accurate translation of complex medical terminology and detailed instructions 

Utilization and Impact 

The language-replaced video has become an integral part of Englewood Health’s bariatric patient education process: 

Patients receive a link to the video during their hospital recovery 

A QR code is provided by the nursing team for easy access 

Family members can also view the video, improving patient compliance with the detailed post-operative instructions 

This enhancement is particularly significant for bariatric patients, as proper adherence to post-operative instructions is crucial for successful recovery and long-term health outcomes. By providing these instructions in patients’ native language, Englewood Health has taken a major step in ensuring better understanding and compliance. 

Looking Ahead 

Based on the success of this project in the bariatric department, Englewood Health is open to using Holdcom’s Language Replacement Services for future video needs across various departments. They recognize the value of accessible, multilingual patient education materials in improving overall patient care and outcomes. 

Conclusion 

This case study demonstrates how Holdcom’s innovative AI-powered Language Replacement technology can help healthcare providers like Englewood Health overcome language barriers and significantly improve patient care, particularly in specialized departments like bariatrics. By leveraging these services, Holdcom was able to efficiently create high-quality, language-replaced educational content, ensuring that Englewood Health’s Spanish-speaking patients have equal access to crucial, detailed medical instructions. 

As healthcare continues to evolve, solutions like these will play an increasingly important role in providing inclusive, effective patient care across diverse populations, ultimately leading to better health outcomes and patient satisfaction. 

About the Organizations 

Englewood Health

Englewood Health, one of New Jersey’s leading healthcare systems, delivers nationally recognized inpatient and outpatient care through its hospital and network of physician practices, urgent care centers, and imaging centers. Founded in 1890, Englewood Health consistently earns high marks for clinical excellence and patient safety, including the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade ‘A’ and multiple Leapfrog Top Teaching Hospital awards. The Englewood Health Physician Network offers comprehensive primary and specialty care at over 140 locations across northern New Jersey. Englewood Health is dedicated to health equity, population health, and providing culturally sensitive care to enhance individual and public health. 

Holdcom

Holdcom, founded in 1987, specializes in helping businesses communicate effectively with their customers through innovative audio and visual solutions. Initially focused on Message On Hold and Voice Prompt services, Holdcom has evolved to offer a wide range of audio-visual marketing solutions, including telephony, in-store messaging, and digital media. With a commitment to responsive customer service, Holdcom continues to leverage the power of the recorded human voice to inform, engage, and influence audiences. 

Categories
customer experience healthcare message on hold

Boosting Patient Engagement: 5 Ways to Repurpose Your Medical Practice’s On-Hold Messaging 

Original Article “Healthcare Marketing: 6 Ways to Reuse Message On Hold” by Megan Andriulli, published January 22, 2013 

The healthcare landscape looks much different today than it did just a decade ago. Medical practices that want to thrive need to find creative ways to educate and engage patients across multiple digital channels. An effective message-on-hold program provides the perfect content backbone to power your entire patient outreach strategy.  

Keep reading to discover 5 innovative tactics for repurposing your medical practice’s on-hold audio content into engaging multi-channel patient education. 

1. Convert To Social Media Videos  

Segment your message-on-hold audio into short, punchy social videos focused on specific health topics. Maintain continuity by using the same friendly voice talent. Increase viewership by optimizing hashtags and targeting relevant healthcare influencers.  

2. Craft Chatbot Conversations 

Today’s patients expect instant access to health information. An artificial intelligence-powered chatbot integrated into your website can provide 24/7 automated assistance by repurposing content from your on-hold messaging to answer common patient FAQs. 

3. Send Email Newsletters    

Curate and repackage audio clips from your on-hold messaging into emailed newsletters centered around important health observances and seasonal wellness tips. Increase open rates by incorporating staff photos, practice updates, and special offers.  

4. Print Patient Education Brochures 

Maximize your marketing spend by creating printable brochures and flyers that highlight essential information from your on-hold messaging. Keep copy tight and graphics simple for easy digestion. Mail or hand out during appointments. 

5. Boost Virtual Tours  

Bring your office fully to life by augmenting virtual video tours with relevant segments from your message-on-hold audio. Match voice-overs to corresponding visuals for powerful show-and-tell patient education. 

In today’s digitally-driven healthcare landscape, the companies achieving growth are those creatively repurposing high-quality content across multiple patient touch points.   

We hope this has been a helpful guide in transforming your existing on-hold messaging into an expanded omni-channel patient engagement approach. The more exposed patients become to your medical practice, the more likely they’ll choose you for their care needs. To learn more about leveraging the power of message-on-hold to improve your patient outreach strategy, feel free to contact us. 

Key Takeaways 

*On-hold phone messaging provides informative, engaging content that can be repurposed to educate patients. 

*Creating social media videos and chatbots from audio messages enhances digital engagement. 

*Email newsletters and print brochures allow combining on-hold content with practice updates. 

*Augmenting virtual tours with relevant audio segments brings your office fully to life. 

*Consistently exposing patients to your practice across multiple channels increases conversions.  

*Repurposing high-quality on-hold audio content to power an omni-channel patient engagement strategy is an effective growth tactic for today’s medical practices. Consult with your message-on-hold provider for creative inspiration when planning your own content repurposing initiatives. 

FAQs 

Q1: Will repurposing my message-on-hold content get repetitive for patients? 

A1: If concerned repurposed message-on-hold content could be repetitive for your patients, a smart tactic is to have your audio marketing provider record multiple versions of the subject matter. Be sure to cover different health topics that can then be used across channels. Keep each video, newsletter, brochure, and chatbot conversation focused on a single subject to keep things fresh. 

Q2: How often should we update our on-hold phone messaging content? 

A2: The update frequency can vary based on factors such as changes in services, promotions, or seasonal information; however, industry best practice is to refresh your healthcare phone messaging every three to four months. This keeps patients informed of recent innovations, staff changes, new health observances, seasonal reminders, and more. Regular updates help maintain a professional image and ensure that the information provided is current and relevant. Additionally, it’s essential to review and update the content promptly if there are any significant changes within the practice. 

Q3: How can medical practices measure the success of their on-hold content repurposing strategy? 

A3: Success metrics may include increased engagement on social media platforms, higher click-through rates in email newsletters, improved chatbot interactions, or even patient feedback. Utilize analytics tools to track these metrics and regularly assess the impact of your repurposed on-hold content on patient education and overall engagement. 

Q4: Are there best practices for selecting voice talent for on-hold messaging across various channels? 

A4: Choosing the right voice talent is crucial for maintaining continuity and engagement. Consider the tone, pitch, and style of the voice to ensure it aligns with your brand and resonates with your target audience. A consistent voice across different channels helps in creating a cohesive and recognizable brand identity. Consult with your audio marketing provider for guidance on selecting the right voice for your patient outreach strategy.  

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healthcare localization multilingual Translation

Harmonizing Healthcare: Transforming Patient and Visitor Experiences Through Localization

In our increasingly interconnected world, effective communication transcends borders and cultures. This rings true especially in healthcare environments, where clear, timely, and culturally sensitive interactions can greatly enhance experiences and outcomes for both patients and their loved ones. Localization – the process of adapting communications to meet diverse linguistic and cultural needs – unlocks new realms of inclusivity and understanding within healthcare settings. As an advocate for effective communication, offering professional audio recordings in any language, we at Holdcom understand the vital role that localization plays in fostering connection within the world of healthcare. In this blog, we’ll explore how localization transforms experiences for patients and their visitors in today’s hospital settings.

The Importance of Cultural Sensitivity  

Every individual carries a unique set of beliefs, values, and practices influenced by their cultural background. By demonstrating respect for these differences, medical centers foster trusting relationships and provide tailored experiences that resonate with patients and their visitors. This cultural competence extends beyond just acknowledgment – it is woven into personalized care plans and welcoming environments where all feel valued. 

Transcending Language Barriers  

Language barriers can significantly hinder effective communication and impede positive experiences in hospital settings. Whether it’s ensuring patients understand their diagnosis and treatment or helping visitors navigate the hospital environment, seamless communication is essential. Yet, linguistic diversity often outpaces accessibility. Localization bridges this divide by providing multilingual resources. Examples include providing medical instructions tailored to patients’ native languages, multilingual wayfinding signage to assist in navigating a hospital’s complex layout, and professionally recorded overhead announcements in multiple languages to ensure seamless communication among staff, patients, and visitors. 

The Legal and Ethical Imperative  

In the pursuit of localization, adherence to legal mandates and ethical principles is non-negotiable. Patients and visitors alike possess the fundamental right to receive information they can comprehend – a tenet of patient-centered and visitor-centric care. By upholding these standards, hospitals and medical clinics create environments where all feel respected, empowered, and able to actively participate in their care or loved one’s treatment. 

The Power of Multilingual Audio in Healthcare Communication 

Technological advancements have ushered in a new frontier of localization within healthcare. Automated translation systems and multilingual digital signage represent powerful tools for fostering inclusivity for patients and visitors visually. Yet, while leveraging localization in visuals is undeniably impactful, true inclusivity necessitates addressing the auditory element as well.  

By providing professional voice recordings in a comprehensive range of languages, Holdcom has helped empower healthcare facilities to optimize audio communication and cultivate enriching experiences for patients, visitors, and staff. 

A prime example is the case study of our client, a prominent healthcare system in New York City, who faced the challenge of effectively communicating with its diverse patient population. With English, Spanish, and Mandarin being the prevalent languages spoken within its community, the hospital recognized the need for multilingual communication solutions to improve patient experience and visitor compliance. The hospital partnered with Holdcom to implement professional “quiet time” announcements in their community’s prominent languages. By leveraging Holdcom’s expertise in audio communication, the hospital aimed to create a more inclusive environment where every patient and visitor could understand and adhere to quiet time policies effectively. 

The impact of the localization initiative was profound. By providing quiet time announcements in English, Spanish, and Mandarin, the hospital witnessed a significant improvement in compliance with quiet time policies. Patients, their families, and friends expressed appreciation for the effort to accommodate their linguistic needs, enhancing their overall experience during hospital visits. 

The success of this initiative highlights the transformative power of localization in healthcare communication. Through collaboration with Holdcom, the hospital successfully optimized audio communication to better serve its diverse patient population. And by embracing multilingual solutions, the hospital not only improved compliance but also fostered a more inclusive and patient-centered environment, reinforcing the importance of tailored communication in healthcare settings. 

The Future of Patient and Visitor Experiences  

As we look towards the future, the potential for healthcare localization is more promising than ever before. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning have the potential to power real-time translation services, revolutionizing how we facilitate patient-provider communication and visitor interactions. By embracing innovation, healthcare organizations can overcome linguistic barriers and usher in a new era of unparalleled accessibility and personalization. 

Localization represents the harmonization of healthcare – a powerful strategy for delivering inclusive, compassionate care tailored to the distinct linguistic and cultural needs of every patient and visitor in hospital settings. By implementing professionally recorded multilingual audio solutions, healthcare facilities can significantly enhance their localization efforts, ensuring effective communication across cultures and communities. 

Discover how Holdcom’s professional recording solutions can elevate your localization efforts and enrich patient and visitor experiences. Contact us to learn more. 

Key Takeaways: 

  1. Localization Enhances Patient and Visitor Experiences: Effective communication is essential in healthcare settings to ensure positive experiences for both patients and their loved ones. Localization, through the provision of multilingual resources and professionally recorded audio solutions, fosters inclusivity and connection, ultimately enhancing the overall experience for everyone involved. 
  1. Cultural Sensitivity Drives Patient-Centered Care: Acknowledging and respecting cultural differences is paramount in healthcare delivery. Cultural competence goes beyond mere acknowledgment, influencing personalized care plans and creating welcoming environments where patients and visitors feel valued and understood. 
  1. Addressing Language Barriers is Imperative: Language barriers can significantly impede effective communication in hospitals. Localization plays a crucial role in overcoming these barriers by providing multilingual resources, including medical instructions, wayfinding guidance, and professionally recorded announcements, ensuring that communication is seamless and accessible to all. 
  1. Legal and Ethical Considerations are Non-Negotiable: Upholding legal mandates and ethical principles is essential in healthcare localization efforts. Patients and visitors have the fundamental right to receive information in a language they understand, underscoring the importance of patient-centered and visitor-centric care. 
  1. The Future of Healthcare Localization is Promising: With advancements in technology, the potential for healthcare localization is more promising than ever before. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning offer innovative solutions for real-time translation services, paving the way for unparalleled accessibility and personalization in patient and visitor interactions. 

By embracing localization and leveraging professional audio recording solutions, healthcare facilities can optimize communication, enhance patient experiences, and cultivate environments of inclusivity and compassion. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): 

Q: What is localization, and why is it important in healthcare?  

A: Localization refers to the process of adapting communications to meet diverse linguistic and cultural needs. In healthcare, localization is crucial for ensuring effective communication with patients and visitors who may speak different languages or come from varied cultural backgrounds. By providing information in multiple languages and tailoring communication to cultural preferences, localization enhances patient experience and improves outcomes. 

Q: What types of healthcare facilities can benefit from localization services?  

A: Localization services are valuable for all types of healthcare facilities, including hospitals, clinics, urgent care centers, and medical offices. Any healthcare setting that serves a diverse patient population can benefit from providing multilingual resources and professionally recorded audio solutions to enhance communication and patient experiences. 

Q: How can healthcare facilities effectively implement localization in their audio communications?  

A: Healthcare facilities can implement localization effectively by partnering with an experienced provider like Holdcom. The process involves identifying the linguistic and cultural needs of the facility’s patient population, creating multilingual resources such as digital signage and announcements, and ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards related to language access. 

Q: What are some examples of successful localization initiatives in healthcare?  

A: Successful localization initiatives in healthcare include providing multilingual patient education materials, offering interpreter services for non-English speaking patients, and implementing multilingual wayfinding signage and overhead announcements. Case studies, like the one highlighted in this blog, showcase the positive impact of localization on patient and visitor experience and satisfaction. 

Q: How does Holdcom contribute to healthcare localization?  

A: Holdcom offers professional audio recording solutions in any language, helping healthcare facilities communicate effectively with patients, visitors, and staff. To learn how these solutions can enhance your healthcare localization efforts, please contact us or visit our website for more information. 

Categories
healthcare resources tips

Effective Patient Communication Strategies for the Evolving Healthcare Landscape

Original Article ” Effective Patient Communication Strategies for the Evolving Healthcare Landscape” by Juli Durante, published February 12, 2013

Healthcare is an industry of constant change – mergers, acquisitions, regulation updates, and technological innovations continuously reshape the landscape. As the pace of change accelerates, maintaining clear and concise patient communication becomes even more crucial. Here are some key guidelines on communication strategies to employ during transitional periods to maintain patient confidence.

1. Enhancing Your Phone System

While digital engagement continues to expand, the significance of reliable and effective phone communication cannot be overstated. Here’s how to ensure seamless transitions:

Answering Protocol: Ensure consistent and accurate answering procedures, whether by live operators or automated systems.

Information Updates: Regularly update automated responses to reflect changes, minimizing confusion for callers.

Professional Voice: Utilize professionally recorded voice prompts to convey confidence and credibility. Use a single professional voice across messaging for stability amidst change.

Informative Hold Time: Use hold time effectively by providing updates on changes and addressing frequently asked questions.

2. Optimizing Your Website

In the digital era, your website serves as a crucial resource for patients seeking information. Consider these strategies to optimize user experience:

Data Analysis: Utilize tools like Google Analytics to understand user behavior and tailor your website accordingly.

Navigation and Search Functionality: Simplify navigation and enhance search to make finding answers intuitive.

Highlight Changes: Feature merger-related information prominently on your homepage to guide visitors efficiently.

Multimedia Integration: Enhance engagement by incorporating multimedia elements such as videos, virtual tours, audio clips, and images to convey information effectively.

3. Leveraging Social Media

Harness the power of social media to disseminate important updates and engage with your audience:

Concise Messaging: Keep posts succinct and engaging to capture audience attention effectively.

Visual Content: Accompany posts with images or videos to increase engagement and resonance.

Include Links: Direct followers to your website for comprehensive information, leveraging social media as a gateway.

Encourage Sharing: Prompt followers to share posts, amplifying reach and facilitating dissemination of crucial information.

In times of transition, transparent and effective communication with patients is paramount. By optimizing phone systems, websites, and social media platforms, healthcare facilities can navigate changes smoothly while keeping patients informed and engaged.

Key Takeaways

Prioritize Phone Communication: Despite the rise of digital channels, maintaining a reliable phone system is crucial for patient communication during transitional periods. Ensure consistent answering protocols, update information regularly, and utilize a professional voice for stability.

Optimize Website Experience: Your website is a primary resource for patients seeking information. Utilize data analysis tools to understand user behavior, simplify navigation, and enhance search functionality for intuitive access to information. Highlight changes prominently and integrate multimedia elements for increased engagement.

Harness Social Media: Leverage social media platforms to disseminate updates effectively. Craft concise, engaging messages accompanied by visual content, and include links directing followers to your website for comprehensive information. Encourage sharing to amplify reach and enhance communication during times of transition.

By implementing these strategies, healthcare facilities can navigate the evolving landscape with transparency and effectively engage patients, ensuring continuity of care and confidence amidst change.

FAQs

1. Why is effective patient communication important during transitional periods in healthcare?

Effective communication is vital during transitional periods to ensure patients remain informed and confident amidst changes such as mergers, acquisitions, and technological advancements. Clear communication fosters trust and maintains continuity of care, reducing confusion and anxiety among patients.

2. How can healthcare facilities ensure reliable phone communication during transitions?

Healthcare facilities can ensure reliable phone communication by implementing consistent answering protocols, regularly updating automated responses to reflect changes, utilizing professionally recorded voice prompts, and providing informative on-hold messages to address patient inquiries effectively.

3. What steps can be taken to optimize the website experience for patients seeking information during transitions?

To optimize the website experience, healthcare facilities can utilize data analysis tools like Google Analytics to understand user behavior, simplify navigation, enhance search functionality, highlight changes prominently, and integrate multimedia elements such as videos, virtual tours, and images to convey information effectively.

4. How can social media be leveraged to communicate updates and engage with patients during transitional periods?

Social media platforms can be leveraged by crafting concise and engaging messages, accompanied by visual content such as images or videos, directing followers to the website for comprehensive information, and encouraging sharing to amplify reach and facilitate dissemination of crucial updates.

5. What are the benefits of transparent communication with patients during times of transition?

Transparent communication with patients fosters trust, reduces anxiety, and maintains continuity of care. By keeping patients informed about changes within the healthcare facility, healthcare providers demonstrate a commitment to patient-centered care, enhancing patient satisfaction and overall experience.

6. How can healthcare facilities ensure consistency in communication across different channels during transitions?

Healthcare facilities can ensure consistency in communication across different channels by establishing clear communication protocols, training staff adequately, utilizing professional voice recordings, and regularly updating information across all communication platforms to reflect changes accurately.

Categories
healthcare marketing-triage Uncategorized

Establishing a high bar for vendor value  

Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians, BI Medical Center  

Marketing professionals have always needed vendors to support their work – today they are de facto staff. From photographers and writers to graphic designers and printers, vendors are now an extension of the marketing executives’ office and a lifeline for creating and implementing successful campaigns and programs. Christine Baratta, Chief Communication Officer for Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians, BI Medical Center has worked with many vendors across her successful career, and she has advice for those who would become vendors for healthcare marketing executives today.  

Before you walk in the door, be prepared:  
  1. Know healthcare: If you want to become a trusted vendor in the complicated field of healthcare, know the business. Read the organization’s website and understand the difference between a teaching hospital and a community hospital, a clinic and an ambulatory care center. 
  1. Know the terminology: Understand the difference between a practice and a department, an advanced level practitioner and a physician. Know the meaning of HIPAA and other acronyms central to healthcare.  
  1. Give yourself a foundation of knowledge: Understand the clinical area you will be involved in, read the website, research the topic. The marketing executive doesn’t have time to educate you.  
Bring a full-service solution to the plate:  

When well-meaning, talented individuals approach a busy healthcare executive to pitch services, they may not be promoting the comprehensive services needed. The more successful approach is to promote a suite of services. “Almost always I need more than just one person,” said Christine. “If I am producing a video, I could use a writer and a videographer, so it is advantageous for venders to see themselves less as individuals and more as units.”   

Work in symmetry with the healthcare executive:  

The best strategy for the vendor is to send a brief, informative email to the marketing executive, promoting services and healthcare experience. An aggressive, noisy sales pitch just is not going to work. “Vendors who are relentless with contacts and outreach aren’t the most successful,” says Christine. “However, I will usually keep an email from someone who offers a service I may need in the future, and I will reach out to them when I need them. Most of us in healthcare keep files of good people.” 

Mostly, understand who you are pitching into. Today, the fast paced, complex healthcare marketing department works with:   

  • Very lean marketing staff 
  • Farming out increasing amounts of work to vendors and virtual staff 
  • Multiple, shifting priorities that may delay and/or reschedule work  

Marketing executives need vendors experienced in healthcare who bring insight and understanding of the field to the table. 

“My word of advice to potential vendors is this,” says Christine. “If you are an individual vendor, find a retired healthcare marcomm professional, or someone who is between jobs. Combine their talent and experience with yours and then pitch your services. It will make you a powerful candidate for the project.”  

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marketing marketing-triage multilingual Translation

How to translate English into English for different audiences  

You may be speaking English to English speakers, but if you are talking over their head, or delivering irrelevant information, your message is not being understood. Add to that the challenge of speaking to a splintered internal audience that holds doctorates, GED’s, and/or speaks English as a second language, and external audiences that have no background in the subject matter, and you have quite the communications challenge on your hands. It’s something that Kelly Katapodis is very familiar with, serving as the Head of Comms and PR at SOPHiA Genetics and previously as Director of Marketing at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, MA.  

“Many of us in healthcare have to communicate complex, technical topics in a way that can be easily understood by internal and external audiences,” she said. “The challenge is figuring out how to loop in the audience and connect with them to further the business at hand. 

Kelly says the first step in crafting any message is understanding “the why” of the message. “Remember your potential readers will be asking, ‘Why are you telling me this’, and ‘Why is this happening’? If the communication answers those questions, there is a much higher likelihood that it will be seen as relevant and will be read.”  

Whether the audience is comprised of employees and patients or potential customers, asking “why” is just as important for the writer as it is for the recipient. Internal communications set the tone for the organization’s culture. External communications need to be carefully “translated” so readers can understand and connect.  

She uses the five “Ws” of journalism to organize her approach and weave common sense into a complicated communication equation. Being intentional and proceeding with clarity of purpose helps determine where the audience is and increases the chances they will be listening.   

  • Who are you trying to reach?  
  • What is the message? What are you trying to say?  
  • When do they need to receive it, in what cadence and timing? 
  • Where will people see the message, on what platforms?   
  • Why is the communication being sent? 

For communicators working inside large organizations, the audience will always be splintered, and there isn’t necessarily the luxury of crafting multiple laser focused messages. Kelly has one piece of advice, “You may not nail it the first time, but that’s ok. Have a desire to learn what works, evolve your style, and your success rate will continue to grow and you will continue to improve the rate at which you connect with an ever changing, diverse audience.”  

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branding marketing-triage

Brand is everything: Julie Ganong with Chococoa Baking Company

A brand, once well established, is really still sitting at the beginning of the runway. Successful brands realize they need to constantly reinvent and refresh themselves to remain relevant, interesting, and vital to their customers. Thousands of brands vye for consumer attention, and only the ones that matter to the consumer are kept in their fold.

Julie Ganong of Chococoa Baking Company knows this very well. She is part of the husband and wife team that founded the company and reinvented the whoopie pie. They created an updated, rich, gourmet whoopie pie made with premium chocolate and all natural ingredients that has turned an old New England original into a luxurious, special occasion dessert. The Whoopie has been named Best of New England by Yankee Magazine, and featured in Chronicle, O Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and other national publications. They make 8-10,000 whoopies a week and ship them across the U.S.

Julie believes that all marketing comes down to brand. If you want to maintain a brand that will drive revenue, you must continuously reinvent that brand to maintain customer interest. Once a customer becomes engaged with your brand, they expect it to continually be exciting.

“We reinvent The Whoopie, within our brand standards, every month,” said Julie. “Our strict adherence to the highest quality, all natural ingredients never wavers. But within those parameters we have lots of room to play. For example, during the pandemic we decorated our whoopies with little faces wearing blue masks. They flew off the shelves as hospitals and healthcare providers bought them to say thank you to their staff. It’s a great example of how we can remain relevant and create new interest, all within our brand.”

A brand, well executed, can also support the community. During the pandemic Chococoa Baking Company decided to stay open, and it became a haven for customers. “They regularly told us that being able to come to the cafe was part of their new normal,” said Julie. “But they also trusted us and expected that we would know how to operate within Covid protocols so they would be safe when they came here. As a result, they supported us while we supported them. When the pandemic eased, we didn’t have to rebuild the brand or find new customers. They were right there with us, and we had built loyalty we could never buy.”

Chococoa Baking Company has proven that a brand can be luxurious and community minded at once. It can be adapted for holidays, weddings, special occasions, and even a pandemic. A good brand is versatile, and can be stretched to meet extraordinary situations while maintaining its integrity. The best brands know who and what they are, and what they are not. They are not all things to all people, but they are the absolute best to the audience they seek and their loyal customers.

_ _ _ _ _

We can help you maintain your brand through rich content that attracts and educates your audience. Our Marketing Triage program mines and creates the content you know is there, but can’t get to. We hired healthcare insiders to write for you, so it is right, relevant, and on target with healthcare nuances. We do the work for you, so that finally, content generation is under control and you are filling that deep crevice of content need for social media, blogs, web, and more.

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customer experience healthcare marketing marketing-triage scriptwriting tips

Can Your Content Catch a Reader in 2 Seconds?  

As social media platforms expand and attention spans shorten, so does the time you have to capture readers’ attention and get them to stop scrolling – two seconds to be exact. It’s called “thumb stopping content” and that is what Jim Mancari spends his days analyzing and creating. He’s Director, Digital Marketing and Social Media for NYC Health + Hospitals and says the challenge to create content that will stop readers in their path is a dynamic one, with a target that is constantly shifting and changing.  

“The goal is to be relevant and engage our readers,” Jim said. “That means thinking about what we say, how we say it, and then posting it at the right time in the right place. Content has to matter to a reader to stop them as they scroll.”  

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and numerous other platforms have already splintered reader’s attention and there are always new platforms crashing into view. So how does one cut through the noise to command attention in a target audience’s content feed? By generating relevant content and knowing what you are doing every day. James has hardwired specific tools to generate purposeful content.   

First you organize: By generation, topic, current events, community interests, hospital health services, and by calendar day, time, week, and month.   

Then you integrate: Messaging, channels, and timing. This is the weaving of content into a tapestry that makes sense. It matches messaging to audiences and schedules publication at the right time in the right place, so it hits when it is relevant. 

You make sure the lead is at the top: Your audience isn’t going to stop on their way by if the image, message, video or audio aren’t compelling. Put the point of the story at the very front, if it stops them there is a greater chance they will read or view the entire story. But if the front is boring, you’ve lost them. 

You learn where your audience is: Where is each audience segment? What platforms are they on? Data informs you and is critical to molding the message to the audience in a way that makes sense on the platform.  

Remember: Everyone is on their phones: All content is mobile. Create it that way. 

“At the end of the day, we don’t want to compete with ourselves,” says Jim. “We need to make sure that we use data, knowledge of our audience, and the unique characteristics of each platform to expand our social reach. That’s what it’s all about – talking to the people we care about to keep them well and give them access to information that will make their lives better. We can do that through digital marketing and social media, but we must always have our ears to the ground and our eyes on the audience.”  

Great advice – and we can help. We know there is always more content than you can get to. We can help. We triage content – mining it from inside your organization, organizing, and producing it. We offer content generation, written by healthcare insiders, that expands your bandwidth and gets work done.

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healthcare marketing-triage podcast Uncategorized

Can You Nudge a Consumer Toward Better Health? 

Communicating with healthcare consumers to improve outcomes and save money 

Communicating with your audience is challenging even on the best day. Consumers either drink from a fire hose of media or filter it down to a tiny drip. When the goal of communication is to change healthcare behaviors to improve outcomes and reduce healthcare costs, finding a way through those barriers becomes mission critical. It can be done, but you have to employ practical communication and a laser focused, data based strategy. 

There’s a lot on the line. Americans spend $4.3 trillion dollars on healthcare annually. That’s $12,914 per U.S. resident, the majority of it spent on hospital care*. It’s an unsustainable, skyrocketing situation that is driving healthcare providers and insurance plans to motivate patients to wellness in order to reduce consumption and costs. That means engaging them in education and that means reaching them somehow, with effective communication.

Engagys is at the center of trying to solve that Rubik’s cube. They are a national healthcare consumer engagement consulting and advisory services firm that helps corporations engage their consumer base and nudge them toward healthier behaviors. Holdcom Marketing Triage interviewed Kathleen Ellmore, Cofounder and Managing Partner of Engagys and asked her how communications can drive consumer behavior for better outcomes. 

“It takes an evidence based approach that assesses data and uses it to figure out how to get the consumer’s attention as the first step in the strategy”, she said. “You need to engage the individual before you can even begin to communicate with them, and that communication has to be relevant and resonate in the context of their everyday lives.”

First, the nuts and bolts

To achieve this, Kathleen and her firm approach the complicated communications equation with an “above and below the waterline” assessment. It’s a discovery of whether the nuts and bolts are in place to effectively communicate with engaged and disengaged consumers, and drive behavior change.

Above the waterline: 

  • Do you have the behavioral science data to determine what your consumers are doing, reading, and how they are living now? 
  • Have you identified the social determinants of health that impact their ability to change healthcare behaviors, like transportation, food scarcity, access to healthcare, etc.? 
  • Do you have messaging in place that can be used for AB testing? 
  • Do you know your channel mix? Where are you going to place the messaging and is that based on the data you have? 

Below the waterline: 

  • Do you have the people you need to craft and place messages effectively? 
  • Do you have the right process in place to create and maintain the messaging? 
  • Do you have the technology to make all this happen? 

Is your communication practical? 

You don’t hear the word “practical” very much, but it’s the lynch pin of reaching the consumer. In other words, are you taking a practical approach to any given communication campaign? According to Kathleen, practicality requires asking questions that provide essential insights: 

  • Do I understand where my audience is – figuratively and literally speaking? 
  • What is their social-demographic profile? 
  • Do I know where they live and work? 
  • Can I estimate their level of health literacy? 
  • Do I know if they can be compliant, even if they read the communication?
    • What are the barriers to that compliance? 
    • It’s one thing to try to educate a consumer about diabetes control, but it’s not going to be effective if s/he doesn’t have access to healthy food. 

Reaching consumers will always be challenging. Now it’s essential. As you review the how and what to communicate to engage your customers and patients, consider what content you have accessed and what remains to be optimized for various channels. We know there is always more content than you can get to. We can help. We triage content – mining it from inside your organization, organizing, and producing it. are part of that solution. We offer content generation, written by healthcare insiders, that expands your bandwidth and gets work done.

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