Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center - Orthopaedics

Overview

Dartmouth-Hitchcock is a leading academic health system with practices in Concord, Keene, Lebanon, Manchester, and Nashua, NH. Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) reached out to MedTouch to discuss running a pilot online campaign for their Orthopaedics service line to confirm what research has already shown, that an increasing number of healthcare consumers are looking for information online before seeking care and their searches are conducted around specific keywords. MedTouch and D-H partnered together to create an online strategy that would enable closed loop tracking of all campaign leads and downstream revenue generated from the initiative. Orthopaedics was an ideal choice for the program, due to the ability for patients to self-refer.

The Strategy

MedTouch created a microsite showcasing D-H’s Orthopaedics services to serve as the centerpiece of the strategy, supported by information on their specialists and patient testimonials. Search engine optimization and paid search keywords were employed to improve D-H’s visibility in search and to draw patients into the microsite as they search Google for local and regional treatment options. The homepage design features a full-page photo capturing the appropriate geography, activity and message of “getting you back to the things you enjoy,” to appeal to the service line’s primary audience of “weekend warriors,” or active adults with sports injuries. The message is reinforced throughout the site’s content and videos, with real patient stories displayed next to associated condition pages as well as relevant treatment and wellness information. To streamline browsing and patient decision-making, D-H’s specialists were also grouped by condition and displayed on a single landing page. Each specialist’s profile lists their clinical focus, establishing the wide range of expertise available in the D-H system.

The Results

• The entire campaign—including the microsite and search strategy implementation –launched on a tight timeline of six weeks
• Highly valuable insights for the hospital from their first online pilot program attempt to drive more business. These include:
• Inquirers showed preference for phone call over use of online form
• Noon was the most popular time of day for calls
• Effective method for tracking patient leads and providing prompt referrals to practices
• Service lines can fine-tune campaigns based on specific health conditions or treatments as well as geographies
• Marketing’s ability to provide a true ROI on patient leads from the campaign
• A highly effective microsite serving as web destination to support print and radio advertising
• 22 inquirers successfully transferred to appropriate D-H practice in New Hampshire, 5 of whom were new the Dartmouth-Hitchcock system
• 12 patient appointments scheduled, for hip, knee and spine condition consultations
• 4 X-rays and 2 surgical procedures (arthroscopic knee surgery and laminotomy spine surgery) came as a result of consultations