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Strategic Health Care Marketing Interest in Development of Cardiac Programming Targeted to Women
Is Growing Dramatically Making a Difference - Heart to Heart In 2001, Supple says, 38 percent of the women who participated in the center's Women's Heart Program increased their physical activity, 22 percent began exercising five days a week, and 24 percent lost weight. Before the program's opening in July 2000, women in the community had identified cancer as their greatest health risk, but in 2001 they identified heart disease as their greatest health threat. In addition, Supple notes, the program was self-supporting and generated $292,000 in net revenues for services provided by other parts of the medical center, such as increased noninvasive testing. The physicians in the center's program assessed risk factors, identified intervention strategies, educated women, and provided risk factor follow-up care as needed. They did not, however, provide primary care, nor did they have hospital admitting privileges. As a result, the program was a referral source for area physicians, with 21 percent of patients given physician referrals in 2001. Norman and Supple are quick to point out that their model, now offered under the name Making a Difference - Heart to Heart, is not a marketing campaign. The model focuses heavily on outcome measurements and offers what they refer to as a "closed loop to care," which includes five stages. Phase I involves community and health care provider information and free self-administered risk assessments. In Phase 2, the risk identification phase, individuals who complete screening tools get a follow-up nurse consultation and information on any lab data needed. Phase 3 goes further in terms of risk identification and begins the intervention stage. Women can come into a clinic setting to see a physician and undergo a physical examination and diagnostic tests. Those needing intervention are referred to specialists but can come to the clinic setting for risk factor modification. Phase 4 completes the intervention and education phases. Women learn in group or individual classes about such topics as hypertension, diabetes, nutrition, exercise, and smoking cessation. All issues relevant to women's health (e.g., mammograms, menopause) are addressed. "We take the holistic view. We don't have tunnel vision only on the heart," Norman says. The final, or fifth phase, is about tracking and benchmarking. Norman and Supple report that over the years they have worked with 30 different institutions. They have helped set up models for places ranging from the Cardiovascular Center of South Florida in Miami to George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC. The cost of their model depends on an institution's needs. An initial two days of workshops, materials, and templates costs $3,500. The benchmarking, tracking, and survey database package, which includes a separate daylong workshop and a year's support, costs $5,000. They also sell a complete turnkey package, including everything from community ads to tracking modules, for $50,000.
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