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| Two views of the reception area of the Mid-Atlantic Skin Surgery Institute in Waldorf, Md.; George K. Verghese, MD, Medical Director. Photos courtesy of FORMA Design. |
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Because potential patients are unable, in most instances, to immediately quantify the quality of the care provided by the doctor, they rely on other clues to tell them that they are in good hands. The quality and attention to detail in the built environment---i.e., the office space itself, the updated and modern equipment, the lighting of the space, how comfortable the patient feels while waiting for their treatment, as well as how comfortable they feel while being treated---are as important as the quality of the treatment they get from the doctor and their staff.
Just as important as the quality of the built environment and other sensory experiences (how patients are greeted when they arrive, the kind of music they hear while they are on hold on the phone, etc.) are the visual materials that the practice uses to introduce and represent itself to the public. These materials, starting with the practice logo, begin to create a strong visual brand for your practice that sets it apart from your competition. The understanding of brand value early on can make the difference between doing well and doing great.
Everything which is being sent out to, or being seen by, the public, matters. These things become the ambassadors of your practice at any given moment:
Identity brand ambassadors for the practice include:
- Business cards;
- Letterhead and envelopes that the practice uses for written communications and announcements sent to the public on various occasions (relocation announcements, holiday wishes, personal cards, advertising, banners or posters for fundraisers or other events that promote the name and good aura that the practice builds, etc.); and
- The practice Website---as a general rule the site should have a simple and clever design. This allows a potential new or existing patient to easily navigate through it to find information.
It is important that all these materials are well coordinated and send a consistent message to the public. The branding of the practice needs to be both smart and appropriate to the field of practice and appealing to the demographic of the potential patients that it is hoping to attract.
Another important element is the introduction of the personal factor: who the doctor is and his level of expertise in the field. The common concept of seeing the neighborhood doctor or dentist for routine care no longer applies. In this Internet age; patients do extensive research to find the best doctor with the most experience for their treatment. If the branding of your practice as the place to go is weak, potential patients may by-pass your practice and go to another office which has done a better job identifying itself as capable of offering the services they are looking for---you might lose the patient to another better-branded company, even if you are a better doctor than the competition. All these elements need to be incorporated in the mix while the branding of the practice is being created or strengthened.
Andreas Charalambous is the Principal of FORMA Design, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based firm specializing in architecture, interiors, and branding of healthcare facilities. Now in its 15th year of business, FORMA has received numerous local and national awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Center for Health Design, and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and has been published extensively in local, national, and international publications. Visit them on the Web at www.FORMAonline.com.
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