How it started

Despite the valiant efforts of the care teams assigned to them, patients were arriving for surgical care not having read or understood the pre-op and post-op materials, or having gone to or absorbed the content from the classes they were required to attend.

Patients hadn’t followed the instructions for the weeks leading up to their surgery, and they hadn’t prepared their homes for post-surgery, leading to poorer long-term outcomes even after a successful surgery.

What we did

We knew that a prepared patient is more likely to have successful outcomes. We conducted audience research and market analysis to uncover insights and opportunities for patient learning.

Our a-ha moment: There was plenty of patient material available, but the quality and consistency were lacking. Without a central strategy, each physician’s office and hospital was creating their own post-op instructions, resulting in wildly varying levels of clarity and readability.

From this insight, we developed a content strategy, including content recommendations to rebrand, rewrite, and redesign the majority of Banner Health’s patient education materials.

How it’s going

Today’s Banner Health’s educational and informational patient content feels warm and smart, with a goal to ensure patients and their families engage with the materials, from pre-op through recovery.

These materials were used for the rollout of Banner Health’s acquisition of a leading regional orthopedic group, and the methodology to create and distribute consistent messaging helped Banner Health educate patients on the importance of cancer screening and treatment, even during a pandemic.

The materials were then repurposed to help referring physicians understand Banner Health’s commitment to patient care.

Instructional Marketing Content for Patients