- By Melissa Murphy, RN
Healthcare writers knowledgeable in content management strategies increase workflow productivity with their organizational and time management skills.
Providing healthcare information means overcoming hurdles regarding content management. Having the right content that balances the importance of marketing, patient retention, and satisfaction while keeping information secure and engaging can take time and effort. Expert healthcare writers like nurses help companies provide high-quality information from writers familiar with the industry’s nuances.
Fundamentals of Content Management for Healthcare Companies
Content management in healthcare presents challenges, including growing with healthcare organizations and using security features such as encryption, position-based access, and HIPAA compliance to protect patients’ health information. Healthcare content should also be customer-appropriate, as many patients need help understanding medical terminology. Nurses are known for garnering patient relationships and educating in a non-medical way, making them an excellent source of information.
While retaining patients is one fundamental goal for content management, another is gaining new patients. To entice new patients to read your articles or blog posts, it’s imperative that your website consistently has new material while avoiding producing unfounded or redundant information.
Streaming Workflow with Specialized Healthcare Writers
Healthcare writers have various knowledge that allows their content creation to feel authentic and understood by most readers. Some main advantages of including healthcare writers on your team include the following:
- Improved workflow efficiency
- Clinical expertise
- Patient-centered approach
- Trustworthiness
- Compliance and accuracy
Healthcare workers are used to fast-paced work environments, allowing quick project turnaround times. As nurses must stay current with continuing education, you can feel confident they will incorporate the most up-to-date information in your content. Healthcare writers will also require less subject matter oversight, as many will not need constant guidance from physicians and other experts. They are well aware of HIPAA and other regulatory compliances, allowing them to create content within those parameters.
When looking for content management strategies for specific healthcare topics, finding a qualified individual knowledgeable in that field gives more authenticity to your piece.
Integrating Effective Content Strategies
When providing healthcare information, meeting marketing goals while being trustworthy, accurate, and compliant is essential. Content management in this realm requires strategic planning and influential writers. You want your readers to feel confident in the information provided, and this is where the need for healthcare writers comes into play.
Specific approaches will help you meet your goals:
- Identifying your target audience and their particular needs
- Leveraging SEO and digital marketing strategies
- Creating a content calendar to promote consistency
- Building a brand voice
- Collaborating with marketing and medical teams
Healthcare writers, like nurses, are the gold standard when providing healthcare content management. Their education and background in healthcare allow them to understand the importance of up-to-date, factual information while maintaining regulatory compliance. Healthcare writers also have strong work ethic and time management skills, leaving you to do more critical tasks. Integrating specialized writers who understand your specific content management needs will improve trust and authenticity, leading to higher website traffic and confidence in your site.
FAQs
What are the best practices for content management in healthcare?
Maintaining content management in healthcare includes staying compliant with regulatory organizations by ensuring that the patient information you use is compliant with HIPAA and other privacy regulations.
Follow FDA guidelines when your content includes medical treatments, equipment, or medication information.
Before publishing, utilize medical, legal, and compliance experts to ensure accurate content.
Personalize content that creates engagement and interaction with the patient using educational content regarding their diagnosis, healthcare tips, diet needs, appointment reminders, etc., while targeting their age, gender, and needs.
How do healthcare writers contribute to content strategy?
Healthcare writers are experts in their field and can transform medical jargon into easily explained text, allowing for a greater overall understanding. Healthcare writers use peer-reviewed research, evidence-based content, clinical studies, and other sites in their written content, allowing for trusted information. They also stay updated with regulations, trends, and guidelines through regular training and education.
What tools and technologies enhance content management for healthcare?
Many tools exist in content management, including the following:
- Use metadata and tags to help organize content.
- Implement version control to be aware of revisions and keep your content current.
- Take advantage of security features to protect delicate patient information.
- Practice SEO (Search Engine Optimization), a technique used to make your content more searchable by considering the audience’s wording, whether they are searching for treatments, symptoms, or advice.
- Follow Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience-Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) guidelines for ranking and credibility of healthcare content.
How can I measure the effectiveness of my content management strategy?
A few ways to ensure your content management strategy is effective are to utilize patient feedback surveys and feedback loops to gather perspectives of healthcare workers and patients on how easily the information is understood.
Another way is monitoring content analytics through sites such as Google Analytics, including page views, length of time on the page, and audience engagement. Other analytics are the click-through rate (CTR), which shows how appealing your headlines or meta descriptions are to searchers, and the bounce rate, which calculates the number of visitors who leave your site after only viewing one page.
What are common mistakes in healthcare content management, and how can I avoid them?
We’ve learned that healthcare content has a unique set of challenges it must overcome, making it essential to be aware of issues that may arise.
- Know the needs of your target audience and avoid creating generic content that doesn’t reach the group you’re aiming for (e.g., medical staff, patients, or insurers). An article written for a group of physicians will not have the same tone as one written for patients, as their level of knowledge differs.
- Publishing outdated or inaccurate information can lead to distrust in your content. You can overcome this challenge by using vetted writers who are trained in researching medical information.
- Writing over complex information makes it difficult for patients or non-medical people to understand the text, driving them away from your site. You can overcome this error by using writers who avoid medical jargon and acronyms and write in a plain voice, breaking down complex medical terms.
References
Akash. (2024, March 5). 6 Powerful tips for successful healthcare content writing. Content Whale
https://content-whale.com/blog/healthcare-content-writing-tips/
Viseven. (2024, July 10). Medical writing in enhancing healthcare communication.
https://viseven.com/medical-writing-in-enhancing-healthcare-communication/
About the Author
Melissa Murphy, RN
Melissa Murphy, RN, is a registered nurse and aspiring freelance writer with 17 years of clinical experience in postpartum, pediatrics, med-surg, hospice, and home health care. She is an avid gardener and nature lover who helps to encourage healthy lifestyles and alternative treatments as an added modality to healthcare.