• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Medicom Health HomepageMedicom Health

Contact Us
  • Health Risk Assessments
  • Company
  • Support
    • HRA Management Portal
    • HRA Support Articles
    • Contact Support

Health Risk AssessmentBlog & News

  • Overview
  • Case Studies
  • Blog & News
  • Events & Webinars
  • Support Articles

Blog:

Where Are All the ER Patients?

June 3, 2020 Barb Goergen Category: Blog, News & BlogTags: Health Awareness, COVID-19

Where Are All the ER Patients?

ER patients are down nearly 50% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, morbidity and mortality have increased accordingly. This is according to a May 14, 2020 report in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) Catalyst.

The mission of health care systems is to deliver services to meet the medical and health needs of people in their communities. Even so, in the chaotic times of dealing with the pandemic, the general public is perceiving that hospitals are for COVID-19 patients only. Even more concerning, there is a fear that going to the hospital for other reasons will increase the chance of developing COVID-19. This even carries over into emergency visits for life-threatening conditions.

Clear Messaging for ER Patients Is Vital

This is a very important time for hospital marketing departments to remove the misperceptions that are preventing people from seeking timely and often-times life-saving services. A summary of patient interviews reported in the Catalyst article showed the following concerns:

  1. People believe hospitals are often infection reservoirs
    Most people fear exposure to coughing respiratory patients who create infectious aerosols. Several interviewed were also concerned about not being able to maintain a safe social distance in the ER. Provide information about the safety measures in your facility that prevent the spread of COVID-19.
  2. Patients don’t know about hospital risk mitigation efforts
    Wouldn’t patients would feel more reassured if they receive an email that describes hospital cleaning practices? Commercial entities like airlines are doing this. Patients would also like to know what to expect when they go to the hospital.
  3. The most vulnerable patients may need encouragement to seek care
    Because they are sheltering-in-place away from family and friends, many of the most vulnerable may be in denial that they need care. You should provide extra messaging about monitoring a loved one’s health and about when to encourage the person to get care.
  4. Signs of heart attack and stroke are important and require emergency services
    Shortness of breath and chest pain can be a symptom of both a heart attack and COVID-19. Some people with these symptoms may be self-isolating at home, hoping the virus will pass and they will get better. This delay could mean the difference between life and death. The CDC has identified a set of symptoms that may be confused with COVID-19 and require immediate emergency care:
    • Trouble breathing
    • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
    • New confusion
    • Inability to wake or stay awake
    • Bluish lips or face

Conclusion

It is important to educate people about what these symptoms are so they can seek emergency care for themselves or a loved one. Medicom Health has a COVID-19 Symptom Assessment that provides education about these symptoms and instructions to get immediate care. The COVID-19 Symptom Assessment is being offered at no charge to hospitals and health systems. If you would like more information about this application, please contact us.

In summary, the overwhelming theme people participating in the survey reported in NEJM Catalyst was fear – fear of contagion, fear of getting the virus, and fear of dying. Focusing your communications on messages to reduce these fears will provide important reassurance and information to the general public.

Barb Goergen

Co-founder

Barb Goergen is one of the co-founders of Medicom Health. She oversees all research and health information activities of program development, assuring scientific accuracy and health literacy of content. Barb has over 30 years of experience developing medical and health education programs. Barb is also President and founding member of the Minnesota chapter of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists. She has a B.S. degree from the University of Michigan.

More by Barb Goergen

Primary Sidebar

  • HRA Overview
  • HRA Strategy
  • HRA Features
  • Path to Success
  • Available HRAs

To see what the health assessments look like:

Try the HRAs

To see the real power of the HRAs and Management Portal:

Request a Demo

Download PDF

The heart health profiler provides a fun tool that people want to use.

Pam Brock

Vice President, Marketing

Trident Health System

Special pricing offer! Eruptr’s optimized search promotions supercharge Medicom Health HRA traffic & completions. Contact us to learn more.

Footer

Company Posts

Meta Pixel Potential Issue (Facebook Tracking)
Discount Offer on Eruptr Campaigns for Medicom Health HRAs
Video Spotlight: Embrace Consumerism: Building a Post-Health System Brand (Chris Bevolo from Revive)
Milestone: 2 million health risk assessment (HRA) completions! 

HRA Posts

We’ll be at SHSMD Connections 2022
early email collection Feature Spotlight: Early Email Collection
Our HRAs Can Help Promote National Immunization Awareness Month in August
Join us at the 2022 NESHCo Annual Conference

HRA Case Studies

henrey-ford-200-02How Facebook Campaigns Supercharge Health Risk Assessments
How Banner Health’s HRAs Drove Patient Engagement & Service Line Revenue
How Baptist Health Increased HRA Completions & Service Line Revenue
completion rates Heart Health HRA – Improved Global Completion Rates

Medicom Health LLC

16417 Cornwall Lane
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
Get directions
(800) 971-0785
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
Return to Top

Copyright © 2022 · Medicom Health LLC – View Privacy Policy

Thank you for your interest.

If you have any questions, please email
[email protected]

Thank you for your interest.

A link to the PDF will be sent to your email address shortly.

If you have any questions, please email
[email protected]