With the increasing number of patients that have become more vocal about their healthcare experiences, it’s important to emphasise the importance of public relations. With social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook available, those who are looking for information on a particular medical issue can find a variety of opinions from other patients. Sometimes these opinions might not be positive, which makes public relations even more crucial for the healthcare sector. In this article, we will explore what you need to know about PR in healthcare.

Why Public Relations in healthcare?

Healthcare organisations use public relations to build relationships with patients, families, physicians, staff, and the community. 

Public relations can be used to build trust and credibility, raise awareness of healthcare issues, and promote positive behaviours. Healthcare organisations must carefully consider their public relations strategies to ensure they are aligned with their overall mission and goals.

Major areas where Public Relations professionals perform

There are several areas where Public Relations professionals perform, and each has its own unique set of goals and strategies. Below are some of the those major areas listed:

1. Media Relations: The goal of media relations is to generate positive media coverage that will help promote a healthcare organisation or specific campaign. This can be done through pitching stories to reporters, arranging interviews, and holding press conferences.
2. Community Relations: Community relations involves building relationships with the community in order to increase support for a healthcare organisation. This can be done through outreach programs, events, and partnerships with other organisations.
3. Government Relations: Government relations is all about advocating for healthcare policies that will benefit the public. This can be done by working with elected officials, organising grassroots campaigns, and testifying before the legislature.
4. Investor Relations: Investor relations is focused on building relationships with potential investors and shareholders. This can be done through providing financial updates, hosting investor events, and issuing press releases.

How does public relations affect the Healthcare sector?

Public relations has a big impact on the Healthcare sector. It can help promote a positive image of the healthcare organisation, while also providing a way to communicate with the public. Through public relations, healthcare organisations can build relationships with the community and connect with potential patients.

When should PR be used in Healthcare?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the use of PR in healthcare will vary depending on the specific situation and goals of the organisation. However, PR can be an effective tool in healthcare for a variety of purposes, such as raising awareness about a new healthcare initiative, improving the reputation of a healthcare organisation, or promoting a health campaign.

When deciding whether or not to use PR in healthcare, it is important to consider the target audience and the message that needs to be delivered. For example, if the goal is to raise awareness about a new healthcare initiative among the general public, then using PR to generate media coverage may be the most effective approach. On the other hand, if the goal is to improve the reputation of a healthcare organisation among its stakeholders, then using PR to directly communicate with these individuals may be more effective.

The choice of whether or not to utilise public relations in the healthcare industry should ultimately be based on the situation and what would most effectively accomplish the desired goals.

Conclusion

Public relations in healthcare is a vast and complex field. It might be challenging to keep up with all the changes because there are so many moving elements. Anyone working in healthcare PR, however, must have a strong foundation in these concepts. We hope this article has given you a better understanding of the landscape and what you need to know to be successful in this field.

Interesting Read: Tips to Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance as a PR professional

Tamanna Singh 

Tamanna is an Alumna of SCoRe (Class of 2020) and has worked as a PR consultant before (re)joining SCoRe as the Head of Student Affairs. She has also been a teacher previously, which helps her ensure that our curriculum & pedagogy are the best in the country, and our students get the value they join us for.  She has worked as a PR Consultant at Value 360 Communications, New Delhi. She has a knack for being brutally honest, for which is she is as respected as she is feared! She goes by @TamannaS03 on Twitter.