Not surprisingly, healthcare providers are inclined to consider first and foremost the myriad ways new AI technology can improve the care they deliver to their patients. But some stakeholders suggest healthcare executives should bear in mind how AI upgrades can enhance an organization’s marketing opportunities, as well.

In a recent commentary at Forbes, for example, Ajay Prasad, CEO of GMR Web Team, a healthcare digital marketing agency focused on patient acquisition and retention, points out that as patients expect better services from providers, those charged with marketing their organizations should be looking to the value added to their operations by new technology.

He points first to telehealth, noting that sector’s steady growth over the past decade as well as the expectation for its continued growth in the years ahead. 

But as patient experience exerts an ever-greater influence on consumers’ healthcare purchasing decisions, Prasad suggests a number of uses on the healthcare marketing front for AI-based tools and applications.

First, while predictive analytics may be considered first and foremost as a tool to help providers project health outcomes, Prasad recommends using it “to predict staffing needs, the viability of new locations and clinics, and the availability of clinical trial subjects in your recruitment marketing campaigns.”

Next, speech recognition technology, increasingly considered a valuable tool for providers seeking an easier way to interact with patient EHRs, can be used “to conduct marketing surveys and clinical trials and to collect patient feedback to help you improve your patient retention numbers as well as create more effective patient recruitment campaigns.”

Finally, says Prasad, chatbots can be tapped “to increase your website engagement, encourage conversion or direct potential patients to complete online forms and book appointments,” thus contributing to an overall improvement in patient experience.

In Prasad’s view, healthcare organizations that incorporate AI into their marketing efforts stand to benefit in three ways.

First, they’ve got a better chance at offering patients an overall better patient experience and taking significant steps toward building a satisfied and loyal patient base.

Similarly, focusing on improving the patient experience leads to a better reputation online, particularly when it comes to increasingly ubiquitous online patient reviews.

And, says Prasad, “AI-based tools, telehealth services and online customer experience tools such as reviews can all work to give your healthcare facility a robust internet presence and, in turn, help you stand out from the competition and rank higher on Google Maps and search engine results pages.”

All of which is likely to increase an organization’s revenue flow, a particularly pressing concern for many providers as the pandemic continues.