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5 Strategies to Better Connect Patients with Substance Use Treatment 

How marketing can help patients find a treatment center that can address their long-term care needs

Substance use disorder (SUD) treatment centers and providers face several marketing hurdles in a landscape characterized by high competition and regulatory complexities. For starters, consumer healthcare marketing is one of the most expensive and competitive markets to operate in, with the average U.S. budget topping $9 million in 2023. What’s more, stereotypes around SUD are such that they drive people to Google Search for help before anywhere else. In fact, 86 percent of SUD patients rely on Google Search as a lifeline.

At the same time, SUD patients have the highest recidivism rates within the walls of the health system. The need to provide care and improve outcomes for SUD patients is extremely acute at this moment. More than 100,000 people died last year from SUD. While behavioral health providers are set up to provide care for SUD patients long term, the competition for auction-based bidding is so high that access and availability don’t reach them. 

For SUD patients, a business that is hard to find becomes harder to access, creating unnecessary barriers during a critical time in their care journey – and leading many to the ER. While the ER provides ease of access to immediate treatment for SUD patients, it’s a costly visit and not a sustainable place of treatment to address SUD patients’ long-term care needs. 

Below are five strategies that SUD providers can consider to improve success in SUD marketing: 

Solutions:

  1. Develop a distinct brand identity: Developing a unique brand identity can set SUD providers apart from the health systems and other behavioral health organizations in the region. It can also help SUD providers attract and retain patients, as well as build credibility and trust among their patient population – a critical component to overcoming stereotypes around SUD.   
  2. Forge operational partnerships: The Covid-19 pandemic paved the way for hybrid care models, making it easier to connect with patients wherever they are. By forming strategic operational partnerships, SUD providers can leverage telehealth for screening, first assessment or an initial intake appointment – improving access, efficiency and convenience for patients while reducing costs.
  3. Utilize consumer insights: Understanding patient needs and preferences is critical to not only inform marketing strategy but also prioritize strategic investments that have a greater impact on patient care, brand loyalty, and organizational growth. For example, with clear visibility into the reimbursement structure across a patient population, SUD providers can guide marketing strategies to match growth segments better. 
  4. Demonstrate ROI: Between CRM and EHR, marketing leaders have sufficient data to match campaign leads back to downstream revenue. The metrics include both leading indicators, such as campaign ad metrics, UX, and intent metrics, like web form submissions, and lagging indicators, such as verified phone calls, lead to patient conversion rate, customer acquisition cost, speed to admission, and speed to revenue. 
  5. Leverage health risk assessment tools: HRA tools offer a unique opportunity to engage with prospective patients at the research stage of the “buying” journey and connect the patient to a service that will benefit them. 

By implementing the above strategies, SUD treatment centers and providers can overcome marketing hurdles, improve patient access, and ultimately enhance outcomes in the critical landscape of SUD care for patients and providers alike. 

Photo: sorbetto, Getty Images

A nationally recognized speaker on ethical digital marketing for healthcare organizations, Dan Gemp maintains a year-round speaking schedule, forecasting digital marketing trends and delivering strategies to capitalize on them. His unique perspective at the intersection of business, digital marketing, and healthcare has positioned him as a thought leader and go-to contributor to healthcare conferences, podcasts, webinars, and publications, including Bloomberg and The New York Times.

As a managing director at Unlock Health, Dan has made it his mission to provide healthcare leaders a trusted partner in the development, execution, and management of a performance website and ROI-focused digital marketing campaign that achieves their business goals.

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