NY Times has a nice article on how consumers today search and compare information about medical symptoms, doctors and hospitals:
Now that millions of consumers are surfing the Web to research their own medical symptoms, many are taking the next step: comparison-shopping online for hospitals and doctors.
When Kirk Emerich, a bank executive in West Bend, Wis., needed knee surgery for a volleyball injury earlier this year, for example, he researched the local doctors and hospitals, using a Web site provided by his employer's insurer, Humana. The comparative data included the number of patients that the hospitals treated annually and the complication rates after surgery.
This kind of consumer initiated activities provide immense marketing opportunities for pharma companies, health insurance companies and hospitals. There is not enough proactive customer-centric marketing done in this space. For example, when customers are searching for medical symptoms, the millions of dollars pharma companies invest in research can be used for pre-emptive, education-led marketing. The companies can get consumers to download whitepapers, research materials, testimonials, doctor opinions during this process. Also, they could work in tandem with hospitals and doctors to invite them for a "know more about the symptom" days in hospitals and doctor's clinics. Also, health insurers can do "preventive health check" campaigns for prospects and hand-hold prospects along their decision making process for a health insurance.