It’s a known fact and we all do it.

People look online for health information

Many of us do it despite our awareness that much of the health information inaccurate, outdated, confusing, or anxiety-provoking. Sometimes it’s even dangerous.

If you’re a health professional you can use your website to take control of what patients learn.

You can use your website to

• Provide information on conditions and treatment
• Address frequently asked questions
• Reduce patient anxieties and encourage compliance
• Prevent complications and increase compliance by giving aftercare information
• Help patient be better prepared for visits with questions and symptom logs
• Provide breaking news on topics related to your specialty

Are you a doctor, dentist, psychologist? Or a physical therapist, nurse, pharmacist, or other health practitioner? A website can do a lot more than post your contact information and list the conditions you treat. It can be a powerful extension of what you already do with your patients. Much of your time is spent exchanging information with patients. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a way to provide information even when you’re not physically available?

By providing information about conditions, treatment, prevention, and self-care you are providing a real service to your patient.

Publishing this information on the internet also has another powerful side effect. Information about a variety of related topics will attract search engines and improve your rankings. And that increases the likelihood that patients and prospective patients will come across your site.

Consider publishing content of these types:

• inoculation schedules
• medication and patient history forms
• new patient packets
• safe self-treatment of common ailments
• a medical glossary or explanations of terminology
• listings of support groups
• medication instructions
• links to related resources online
• post-surgery home care instructions
• physical therapy rehab

There are many effective and interesting ways to present this information and to assure that the “right” patients are seeing the “right” content on your website.

Contact us to find out how we can help you get more out of your healthcare website for your patients and your practice.