Many Thanks

By Sandra VanWyk-Fancher, PMP – Vice President of Operations

Thanksgiving always proves to be a time of reflection. It’s been a really exciting year – the last month alone we’ve helped one client launch a new Internet and numerous others introduce redesigned sites. And we have number of launches on the horizon. Now is the perfect time to take a moment and share our appreciation to our clients. 

Thank you for partnering with us and allowing us to play such an important role in helping you build relationships with your patients and communities. Thank you for trusting our team to help make your vision a reality. We hope you continue to be impressed by our service and support.

And most of all, thank you for being passionate about the Web. You inspire us to continuously push the envelope and try new things.

From all of us at Geonetric, best wishes for a healthy and happy Thanksgiving!

Making the wait bearable: Knowing the wait time

By Matt Youngblut, Technology Implementation Manager

I ran across an interesting article about queuing psychology - in other words: waiting in line – and it got me thinking about waiting in the urgent care.  I’ve taken my daughter there when she’s been sick, and nothing makes me more anxious than waiting with a sick child to get in to see the doctor.

After reading the article, I realize that it is not just me who has these anxieties.  The study found that letting people know upfront the length of the wait reduces their stress.  

The Web as an Invitation

By Sam Meers, President, Meers Advertising

Most of us have grown up watching, listening to, or reading traditional media. Television, radio, newspapers and magazines have been part of our lives. These media, supported by advertising, relied on the fact that we could be “interrupted” during a particular television show for a commercial message. In fact, broadcasters, publishers and advertisers built an extraordinary industry based on this fact.

Then the Internet came along. And over the past ten years or so, people have been figuring out how to change the media conversation. The Web has slowly been evolving marketing communications from an “interruption” model to an “invitation” one. Today, people are intentional about seeking information online about organizations. Over the past five years, Yellow Pages search is down 43% while online search is up 52%. It’s pretty easy to see where the trend is headed. But not every industry is ready to fully embrace the open communications environment offered by the World Wide Web.

HSI – Closing Thoughts

By Ben Dillon, Vice President & eHealth Evangelist

After a few intense days here in Orlando, HSI is beginning to wind down. It’s been a very successful show for us from our perspective as an exhibitor. Attendance was strong and attendees where very engaged in conference activities.

A few takeaways:

HSI – From the H.S.I. Exhibit Hall

By Linda Barnes, Vice President of Business Development

The exhibit hall has been a busy place over the past three days. We’ve had lots of good conversations with attendees and met many people looking for a vendor/partner who can help them with their hospital’s Web sites – extending their brand online, making the site easier to use, or increasing its functionality.

HSI – Behind the Glass: Real Time Usability Testing for a Patient Portal with Actual Patients

By Ben Dillon, Vice President & eHealth Evangelist

Henry Ford presented the usability analysis for their Web site.  They used three tools for their assessment – Heuristic analysis (having experts look at the site and make recommendations, this time by Nielsen-Norman Group), Focus Groups and crazyegg.com.

HSI – Reaching Healthcare Consumers with Microsite Marketing and Accessibility Strategies

By Ben Dillon, Vice President & eHealth Evangelist

Terri Golas and Alan Powell are discussing M. D. Anderson Cancer Center’s Microsite strategy.

MD Anderson invests a tremendous amount into advertising.  I am excited to see how they’re doing leading-edge work in this space, but hope that it will be applicable to organizations that aren’t MD Anderson.

HSI – Beyond Blogging

By Matt Youngblut, Technology Implementation Manager

The opening talk this morning at the 2008 Healthcare Strategy Institute Internet Conference is called Beyond Blogging.  One talking point is Twitter, so I want to let you know that there is a #HSI hashtag that you can follow on Twitter for all-things HSI.

HSI – Beyond Blogging

By Ben Dillon, Vice President & eHealth Evangelist

Shel Holtz is always full of insights on movement in the social media space.  Social media is much more than simply blogs, but is increasingly social networks, content networks, link sharing, etc.  This isn’t news, but he does present a segmentation model mapping people’s behavior to the types of tools out there and users level of interaction and participation in those tools (not clear, but this framework may actually come from Forrester, he uses their tools apparently in applying the model).

HSI – Newspapers, Healthcare and Schools …

By Ben Dillon, Vice President & eHealth Evangelist

Newspaper Web guru Rob Curley presented his thoughts on the evolution of the Web from where he’s sitting.  He’s now with the Las Vegas Sun.  True, the world of the traditional printed newspaper is under assault, but they’ve taken an eyes-open overhaul of both their print and online editions.