We are working on a video for a hospital that is using a new procedure to diagnose and treat heart conditions. The hospital is looking for a way to enhance its image as a cutting-edge medical facility. The basic idea is to reach out to prospective patients (read: customers) with a compelling message.
While it is easy to focus on the talented doctors and nurses in the operating room, the real story is about who benefits most from their skill. During the planning phase of our project, the hospital’s marketing department told us they had identified a patient who would share his surgery experience on camera. Not every person makes for a good interview. However, this particular patient was terrific.
This patient’s unique story became the centerpiece for a powerful video. The answer lies in connecting the visual piece with the message of the story. As storytellers, the healthcare industry offers a rare opportunity to create stories that generate a response from the viewer. From new drugs to new technology, what is happening in the healthcare industry can directly affect our lives.
More people are going online to get health information. Kevin Kruse is the organizer of an upcoming conference geared toward reaching and supporting digital health consumers called e-Patient Connections 2010. In a recent interview, he made an interesting point about storytelling and healthcare.
“This year our focus is really on how do you not just connect with e-patients, but how do you connect in a way that leads them to take action. How do you spark healthy behavior change? To this end, we think an underutilized secret weapon is storytelling. We are often moved by other people’s stories, our emotions fire up when we hear stories more than facts.”
There are many different mediums in which to pass along stories. But we live in a video age. The healthcare story is so important and so relevant that it is a natural fit for video.
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