Tag Archives: breast cancer

Get Ready for the Self-Directed Healthcare Consumer

Posted on December 8, 2011 | 1 comment

By guest blogger Susan Lilly

So I’m Susan Lilly, recently “outed” on this blog as a breast cancer patient, and now, a survivor.  My experience over the past year has given me some fresh insight into trends that we’ve been talking about here at Corrigan Partners, most notably the rise of the self-directed health care consumer.

After my diagnosis last spring (Stage 2, invasive ductal carcinoma), I pretty much created my own treatment path by assembling a disparate, but top-notch medical team.  Why does this matter to health care marketers?  Because I did this without the sway of traditional marketing messages.  In fact, I decided to go out of area for part of my treatment because I found out about a unique surgical procedure from a top hospital’s online forum for breast cancer patients.

The irony is that the hospital’s discussion board was nothing fancy, but it was moderated by a nurse practitioner who counsels newly diagnosed breast cancer patients from all over the country.  Yet, by suggesting the out-of-area hospital as a destination for a second opinion – and touting its unique approach to a common illness – she planted the seed in my mind to go out of area to have a look.

This is why the digital space can be so effective at growing the business.  From the comfort of home, during a frightening time, people are searching for the best, most compassionate care after a serious diagnosis.  They (we) do this by searching for answers online, and seeking others who are going through the same thing.

Looking for a digital welcome mat, really . . .

Hospitals, with their mission to serve and available resources, are perfectly positioned to put out such a welcome mat.  Every single institution, from the rural community hospital to the academic medical center can set up such programs by building on their unique strengths in caregiving, and supplementing their internal resources with outside expertise – anything from marketing assistance to more technical matters.

The self-directed consumers are out there, and they’re looking for your help.  Will they feel welcome when they find you?

Next post – a challenge to the oncology field, and how marketing can help.

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Posted in Corrigan Partners, Oncology Service Line Marketing, Social Media

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Marketing the Power of Pink

Posted on October 29, 2011 | 2 comments

True confession: I dislike pink. And the marketer in me winces every time I see another pink ribbon etched, woven, stamped, hung or printed on everything from yogurt cups to kitchen appliances to clothing and even pet food. Don’t get me wrong – I get it. Breast cancer has taken the lives of people I treasure. And I wholeheartedly believe that physicians, healthcare marketers, organizations like the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and even all of the consumer products and services brandishing pink have saved countless women by raising awareness of the importance of early detection.

So what’s the beef? I wish I could offer up a rational argument for my stance on pink, but admit it has more emotional than rational origins. Perhaps it’s what appears to me to be the over-commercialization of the cause. Or maybe something more deep-seated, like fear.

Six months ago, Susan Lilly (one of our colleagues at Corrigan Partners) learned she had breast cancer. She found a lump under her arm and soon discovered that it was a particularly aggressive form of the disease. The past six months have been an endurance race of chemotherapy, surgery and recovery for Susan, her husband and two young daughters. The good news is good! While she still has a couple more surgeries to go, she is now re-entering normalcy – whatever that is.

I remember the stomach-sinking dread felt when Susan first called to say she had breast cancer. And can only imagine what it must have been like for her and for thousands of other women who hear those words coming out of their physicians’ mouths. But Susan taught us much here at the office. How not to give into fear. How to take control of your illness. How to be a smart healthcare consumer, not just a patient. How to keep going through the chemo treatments. How to embrace the fashion possibilities when she lost her hair. How to keep your humor – and your faith – through it all. 

So there it is. I’ve outed Susan with her full permission.  She has incredible strength of character and is much loved and admired by her colleagues for ‘just being Susan.’

And yes, she and I share similar views on pink. But maybe we just need a little more distance from the tribulations of the past six months to embrace its power to heal.

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Posted in Corrigan Partners, Oncology Service Line Marketing

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