By John Lavey | Hammock President and COO

Yesterday’s release of the Brookings Report on Nashville as a hub for Healthcare IT (HIT) is a fascinating read. Journalist Milt Capps’ take on the report provides relevant background and continuing coverage of the opportunity Nashville faces—and the hurdles ahead—in developing into a HIT center akin to what our city enjoys as a base for the hospital management industry.

Much of the talk will likely center on the need for a more skilled technology workforce so Nashville can develop a “deeper pool of superior talent,” said Brian Moyer, CEO-designate for the Nashville Technology Council, in an interview with Capps.

However, healthcare marketing, communications and content challenges are relevant to this ongoing discussion, as well. Here are two points to consider:

  1. Healthcare IT companies based in Nashville are often smaller—with smaller marketing budgets—and find it “extremely hard to get on the radars of companies right here in Nashville,” according to the study. Finding ways to engage larger healthcare companies with active marketing is critical. The study mentions ways to encourage greater collaboration between HIT firms, providers and the higher education research centers located here. That would be great to see.
  2. In today’s outcomes-based delivery model for healthcare, the creation of patient-facing technology should focus on human communication as much as intelligent technology. Innovation must be about user understanding and experience along with data management.

What does that mean for marketers? Communications and content will play a large role on the front end of any technology development. While attention might be focused on the need for greater HIT infrastructure, there’s another crucial need: for a high-quality, tech-driven customer experience. That need challenges healthcare marketers, communicators and content creators equally.

 

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Photo | Thinkstock



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