East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) with Medway & East Kent has recently rolled out a successful audiology marketing partnership with Siemens Hearing Instruments UK to increase patient referrals by 80 per cent. The initiative involved the development of marketing materials, communication strategies, a dedicated account manager and support for shows and presentations - all tailored to the individual hospital to encourage patient referrals. It has been successful in achieving the primary objective of increased referrals, plus also delivered cost efficiencies and better working practice across the hospital and wider Trust.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) with Medway & East Kent has recently rolled out a successful audiology marketing partnership with Siemens Hearing Instruments to increase patient referrals by 80 per cent. The partnership includes event and trade show support.
To maximise the opportunities of the NHS' Any Qualified Provider (AQP) initiative, EKHUFT developed marketing materials for its audiology department via the support and guidance of Siemens. This included leaflets targeting all local GPs and a specialist patient booklet. The partnership has also delivered improved working practices inside the audiology department, such as extending training of staff on Siemens' tools AutoFit and UnityTM to speed up and streamline the fitting process. Regular meetings with sales staff and leaner working practices were also introduced.
"We had very little understanding of marketing before gaining the help from Siemens Hearing Instruments. The Siemens team have taught us to think differently and have taken us from scrappy bits of paper to professional, strategic marketing material specifically tailored to gain patients through the doors," said Tina Beckham, Audiology Service Manager for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. "It's given us the confidence to shout about our services and to talk to people, both within the Trust, and outside it. As a result, the whole trust has benefitted from cost efficiencies and streamlined working. Most importantly our direct referrals have increased by 80 per cent due to the increased awareness of our service."
When asked what advice she would give to others looking to adapt in a climate of AQP, Tina states, "Think outside the box and get outside the box. It is essential for anyone affected by AQP to start talking to people in their area. It requires a change in mindset, but that's not something to be afraid of, it's something to embrace. We've found that there are tools out there, such as the partnership offered by Siemens Hearing Instruments, to help you achieve your goals and deliver results."
The marketing partnership offered by Siemens to its customers provides a bespoke approach to achieve competitive and smarter working and offers guidance on professional marketing material for distribution to GP's, patients and commissioners. Beginning with an initial consultation, the objectives are defined and agreed with the Siemens marketing team, who then prepare and propose a marketing plan. When approved, Siemens will create and deliver tailor made solutions to support the needs of the business, taking into consideration the location, hospital and environment. In addition to marketing material, an experienced team offer advice and support across all elements of the business, from identifying revenue streams to helping prepare branded presentations.
About Siemens Hearing Instruments
Siemens Hearing Instruments Ltd (Crawley, West Sussex) provides a comprehensive range of digital hearing instruments and software, patient management systems and audiology equipment to the National Health Service, independent retail dispensers and national chains in the UK. It is the UK operation of Siemens Audiologische Technik (S.A.T.), based in Erlangen, Germany. Part of the Siemens Medical Group, S.A.T. has been at the forefront of audiological innovation for over 125 years and is the world's market leader in the design and manufacture of audiological products. For further information visit www.siemens.co.uk/hearing. You may also learn more about Siemens by visiting the Siemens Web Channel on AudiologyOnline.
