When healthcare providers try to see things from their patients’ perspectives, they gain insight on patient experience, every single time.
But it’s one thing to promise an experience catering to patient needs; following through is a whole different story. If someone seeks care having seen the promise of a “patient-centered” experience, but is met with long waits, confusing communication, or disjointed care, they’re not likely to return.
With the healthcare landscape more dense and confusing than ever, a seamless experience feels like a respite; and brands who promise one yet fail to deliver leave the consumer exhausted and sometimes hopeless.
The good news is positive patient experiences have overall improved since 2023, and we’re returning to pre-Covid numbers. But it’s not that simple since so much variation exists with different demographics, care settings, and health concerns.
With the stage set, we can understand as healthcare brands and marketers why strong brand promises of a human experience must be fulfilled.
Today’s healthcare consumers are smart. And they have high expectations (or reasonable ones, if you ask us). They expect a provider’s brand promise to match their real-world experience at every touchpoint. Marketing language like “compassionate,” “accessible,” and “patient-centered” can’t just be buzzwords on a digital banner. Those words need to be felt on the phone, in the clinic, and in follow-up care.
The future belongs to provider brands that operationalize their marketing claims into tangible patient experiences.
As marketers and healthcare leaders, this is our call to action: it’s time to ensure that every powerful brand promise is backed by operational truth. Because today’s healthcare consumers aren’t just aware, they’re holding us accountable.
What is a brand promise?
A brand promise is not a slogan or mission statement. It’s the consistent experience patients expect every time they interact with your brand. A brand promise is a value or experience a company’s customers can expect to receive every single time they interact with that company. The more a company can deliver on that promise, the stronger the brand value in the mind of customers and employees.
Think of Geico’s iconic line: “15 minutes or less can save you 15% or more on car insurance.” That’s a brand promise. It’s clear, measurable, and memorable. Healthcare providers deal with much higher stakes than car insurance but the concept still applies. If your practice says it offers “easy access,” then long hold times or three-month appointment delays definitely send a conflicting message.
Learn about how building brand love plays into this in our recent blog post, “How To Build Brand Love.”
Brand Promises Must Be Rooted in Patient Journeys, Not Boardroom Vision
Many healthcare brands define themselves by aspirational values: Excellence. Innovation. Compassion. These intangible buzzwords reflect internal ambitions, not external realities. True brand alignment begins not with a whiteboard, but with a walk in the patient’s shoes.
If your brand promises “compassionate care,” that warmth should show up in the tone of your receptionist, not just your physician’s bedside manner. It should come through in billing clarity, appointment reminders, and how questions are answered post-visit. As healthcare experts remind us, “If you can’t define what [patient experience] is, you can’t provide it and you certainly can’t measure it” (Source: NIH).
What is patient experience?
Patient experience in healthcare is the sum of every interaction a patient has within the healthcare system, from the first appointment request to post-care billing and follow-up. It includes staff demeanor, communication clarity, digital tools, and even parking availability.
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
“Patient experience encompasses the range of interactions that patients have with the healthcare system, including their care from health plans, and from doctors, nurses, and staff in hospitals”
It’s often confused with patient satisfaction, but they’re not the same. Satisfaction reflects whether expectations were met, and experience assesses whether best practices were followed.
In healthcare, the experience is the brand.
No amount of paid media can cover for poor coordination or clunky online systems.
Marketing Can’t Outrun Operational Reality
In a time where 69% of patients say they’d switch providers for better digital communication and follow-up care, patient experience is key to quality care and patient outcomes.
So, if your marketing celebrates “easy access,” but the first available appointment is in 90 days, there’s a clear disconnect. Or if your campaign promises seamless digital tools, but your intake forms still require clipboards and ballpoint pens, credibility takes a hit.
Healthcare brands are now being rated in real-time – on Google, Healthgrades, Facebook. No ad campaign can outrun the operational truth.
Trust Is Built in the Micro-Moments
Trust in healthcare doesn’t hinge on a single appointment. Instead, it’s built across many seemingly small moments.
Micro-moments include:
- Time spent on hold.
- Ease of rescheduling appointments.
- Clarity of discharge instructions.
- Friendliness at the front desk.
- Follow-up communication after a procedure.
Almost 70% of patients want to receive reminders via text message, and over 60% prefer digital methods to complete forms. These touchpoints may not show up in your next brand strategy meeting but they shape perception more than any billboard or social ad ever could.
These moments aren’t just part of the patient journey; they are the customer experience. Gathering and acting on patient feedback around these moments is how brands foster trust.
Strategies for Improving Patient Experience
1. Effective Communication Techniques
Clear, compassionate communication, both digital and in person, is key. Medical jargon confuses patients. A friendly tone and accessible language build trust from the first touchpoint.
2. Leveraging Digital Engagement
Patients expect seamless digital tools. They want online scheduling, virtual visits, text updates, and accessible portals. Meet them where they are. For Gen Z and Millennials especially, digital ease can make or break loyalty.
3. Minimizing Wait Times
According to the Association of American Nurse Practitioners, “26% [of patients] reported waiting more than two months to gain access to a health care provider” and over half just give up when faced with long delays. Reducing wait times doesn’t just boost satisfaction, it improves access and patient outcomes.
4. Implementing Holistic Care Models
Healthcare is not just about treatment; it’s about the whole person. Integrating behavioral health, lifestyle coaching, and community resources goes a long way toward making care feel personalized and proactive for patients and healthcare professionals alike.
Why Marketing and Operations Should Work Together
When marketing and operations are siloed, brand promises fall apart. The best campaigns in the world can’t rescue a poor check-in process or chaotic scheduling system.
That’s why smart healthcare organizations are bringing their teams together to co-create the patient experience. Marketing isn’t just about campaigns anymore; it’s about culture, onboarding, service design, and process alignment.
Progressive systems are embedding brand training into staff onboarding, emphasizing that everyone is a brand ambassador, from nurses to billing staff.
The result? Consistency. And consistency builds trust.
Authenticity over Aspiration in Healthcare Branding
In a climate where patients are digitally aware and deeply skeptical, authenticity wins. And overpromising is a brand killer.
Patients are craving humility. They want to know where you’re falling short and what you’re doing about it.
Brands like Oak Street Health and University Health can stand out by making transparent progress a pillar of their marketing. Instead of claiming “we offer the best care,” they might say: “We’re working to reduce wait times in 2025, and here’s what that looks like.”
This honesty and transparency fueled by real patient feedback can turn moments of disappointment into moments of optimism.
Real beats perfect. Always.
Learn more about why authenticity is key in our recent blog post, “DEI in Marketing: Why Authenticity is Key.”
Final Takeaway
A brand isn’t built in your strategy deck. It’s built in every patient interaction.
In healthcare, brand promises must be more than statements. They must be systems, people, processes, and proof.
The future belongs to the brands that don’t just say they’re patient-centered, but operate that way at every level.
Because today’s patients are paying attention. And they’re done settling for less.
