very high demand for quality treatment info/index.php/eamj/issue/view/16944)
services. However, seeing that there is no the 'Current Issue' is a Vol 94, of 2017.
evaluation/rating system word of mouth is
In stark contrast when you search for 'US
all there is to go by.
medical journal' you find The American
Journal of Medicine where the 'Current
Digital Diagnosis as a
Issue'
(https://www.amjmed.com/
Content Marketing Strategy current) is Volume 131 of October 2018.
They are more updated, Free content is
For most Kenyans when it comes to having available in full text readable online or
questions answered, Google is our Friend. in PDF. Paying Subscribers (https://
More so when one feels ill, or has an ill www.amjmed.com/action/ecommerce)
family member or loved one. The first step have access to multimedia content such
as podcasts, videos and slides among
for most is self-diagnosis.
other paid content. They even have Social
In 2017 at number 9 of Top 10 'How To' Media channels (Facebook (https://
searches on Google in Kenya was "How www.facebook.com/amjmedicine/) and
to get pregnant." However, despite quite Twitter (https://twitter.com/amjmed)),
a high number of highly specialized and which they use to distribute their
experienced gynecologists in Kenya, there content to increase public awareness of
is no Kenyan website publishing this kind the issues covered, and increase industry
of content. Top Sites with helpful answers engagement.
to this being WebMD, Baby Centre,
when you modify the search to "How to
Flier Websites and the
get pregnant Kenya" again top results of
Kenyan websites include diaper brand Patient Journey
Huggies, media websites such as Nation,
As a patient once I have been able to
Tuko and Standard.
identify what illness I may have, I will
Meanwhile, if you are a parent and have try to find a proximal solution such as a
been to any of the top Kenyan hospitals, hospital or clinic, mostly Google has got
they must have pitched to you their me sorted on this.
maternity packages. But none of these
hospitals is creating such content that However after Google refers me to your
would help them attract the very patients hospital/clinic website, once there I would
they seek. This approach is called Content like to know more about your hospital/
clinic, such as where it is located, who are
Marketing.
your doctors, what are their qualifications,
For an industry with so much information what helpful information do you have
and some of the top minds in this country, about your understanding of my ailment,
they do very little of sharing (information). what is the experience of other patients at
Yet this, despite the 'No Advertising' rule, your center, how I can get in touch with
is the very strategy that would endear you you, how I can book an appointment?
as a doctor/hospital to new patients as
they would identify you as a subject matter However, most Kenyan Hospitals/
Clinics have what can be classified as
expert/authority.
flier websites. A flyer is a simple form of
However, in a country that is taking a lead marketing which is non-interactive, and
globally at innovations such as MPesa, as traditional as they come. It just packs
could this lack of digital adeptness be all the information that they need you, the
a more telling sign of the slack in our reader, to know. In this day and age of the
Digital world, such a website is no longer
Medical Industry's leadership?
sufficient.
Even as an industry their journal is still
old school and when you search for 'Kenya The patient journey should have a digital
medical journal' what is available is the touch-point at every step. Where you can
East African Medical Journal where the book an appointment online, selecting a
'Current Issue' according to the one on date and time of your convenience. The
the University of Nairobi Portal (http:// Hospital/Clinic reaches out to you and
journals.uonbi.ac.ke/eamj/issue/current) confirms this booking. Closer to your
is a 2010 volume which you can't read appointment date you receive a reminder
online, you can only download a PDF. call since most of us tend to forget such.
The one on AFRICAN JOURNALS Also in case, you have any questions
ONLINE (AJOL) (https://www.ajol. you need to ask the Doctor you should
76 MAL32/19 ISSUE
be able to engage them directly and get
feedback either via Chat (On the Website
or the Clinic's/Hospital's Social media
pages) or Email. There should also be a
Blog (https://theperiodontist.co.ke/blog)
packed with consistent helpful content
around their areas of practice.
After a patient has been to the Clinic/
Hospital, they should be added to a
Customer Relationship Management
system, where periodic follow-up is made.
This follow-up is first to get feedback
about their treatment experience at the
Clinic/Hospital which could be solicited
via email or a Survey form on your website
or a Review on your Social media pages. It
could also be helpful information relevant
to their ailment in the form of an email.
This could also be shared through Social
Media. Such has been my experience at
The Periodontist (https://theperiodontist.
co.ke/) one of the very few who are an
exception.
Loyalty programs for
Savings
In the future, however, customers would
look to finding a hospital/clinic which
has a loyalty program for their patients.
After all, it is the onus of Kenyan medical
practitioners to train Kenyans on the
importance of having periodic medical
check-ups. Not as is the trend where most
Kenyans will only visit a doctor once in
unbearable pain, which normally is the last
step of the problem which could have been
identified and resolved earlier before it got
worse.
Sadly though the cost of treatment in
Kenya is very prohibitive hence this idea,
if well thought out could see the industry
buck the loyalty programs trend. It would
help most Hospitals/Clinics improve
their cash-flow problems, disentangling
themselves from the ugly clasp of the
insurance companies and hence more
affordable services for their patients.
Mungai Charles is a digital native,
speaker, consultant and a thought
leader. He is currently serving as
the Chief of Digital Media at
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.
You can commune with him on
this or related matters via email at:
Charlogig@gmail.com.