Innovating Healthcare: Strategies for Rapid User Activation to Condition Management Programs

7/12/2024 Steven Keca

In the world of healthcare innovation, being able to quickly place new users into wellness and condition management programs isn’t just a desired result — rather, it’s a necessity when it comes to meeting cost-of-care goals. 

For companies seeking to activate health plan members and employees of self-funded corporations, however, outdated marketing processes likely won’t motivate users to sign up for supplemental benefits that can improve their health. Instead, a modern, multichannel approach — one with print at its core — is required to maximize adoption goals.

The integration of traditional direct mail with digital technologies is crucial for innovative population health companies in today's multichannel marketing landscape. It allows them to leverage the tangible, high-impact nature of physical mail while simultaneously benefiting from the trackability and personalization capabilities of digital marketing.

Here, we'll explore an approach to implementing an effective print-based activation program — one that includes both automation and digital print work. 

Assessing for and leveraging automation

Print marketing, even when efficiently executed, can be challenging if every step in the process is done manually. So, before doing anything else, take a step back and thoroughly audit your existing workflows and processes. 

Can you pinpoint a location in your current workflow where bottlenecks and inefficiencies occur? Perhaps it’s in early stages such as content creation and design, or perhaps you see the traffic jam primarily happening in a later approval stage. Review all of your print processes and formats, then obtain feedback from staff and contractors on which areas might be ripe for automation. 

Don't underestimate the value of simply documenting and mapping out your creative and production workflow. This step alone can spotlight some valuable opportunities for optimization and change management.

One of the biggest game-changers for improved marketing workflows is tapping into content automation capabilities. Today’s advanced content tools allow you to automatically generate infinite variations of marketing materials and documents based on data and rules. Simple interfaces enable rapid updates and collaborative proofing, eliminating the manual bottlenecks of the past. The ROI can be huge when it comes to saving time and labor costs.

Transitioning to a digital print workflow

Ditch the outdated campaign mindset in favor of a digital printing approach. With today's digital color presses, it’s possible to cost-effectively produce infinite variations of personalized content. 

A digital print workflow enables healthcare marketers to:

• Transition from preprinted forms and consolidate similar formats into a “white paper factory” approach, using high-volume digital print runs to maximize efficiencies
• Implement live audit capabilities, holding (and releasing) content for quick virtual press checks
• Garner detailed analytics by client, product, format, and more — allowing you to continually optimize your materials and message

Embracing new technologies, processes

Activating new users requires the ability to quickly leverage print, and effective print marketing in today’s world necessitates leaving legacy processes behind. An automation-first mentality, coupled with tools for intelligent content creation and production, can drastically shrink activation timelines. 

By embracing these strategies, health plans and their population health partners can streamline processes, enhance member engagement, and achieve faster go-to-market strategies to win the innovation adoption race.

Steve Keca is the Director of Healthcare Solutions at RRD. With our communications and marketing expertise — including RRD's AvenueSM platform — RRD can successfully steer organizations in the right direction when it comes to digital printing, automation, and artificial intelligence.