MedTech, Audiology and Digital Marketing

Audiologists and hearing healthcare providers supply technologically advanced medical devices designed to improve the quality of life of individuals who have a hearing loss.  Historically, the hearing healthcare industry has similarities to other industries, for example, the eyeglass industry.  However, the industry also has distinctly unique idiosyncrasies.  Hearing aids are a product that is rarely purchased by the consumer the day they need it.  Medical insurance plans do not typically cover hearing aids.  And finally, it is a product that requires a lot of convincing to the end user that it is something they both need and from which they will derive an enormous amount of benefit.

What is MedTech?

Medtech is a term that is appearing everywhere these days.  But do you know what it means?

From Nobles Global Communications,  “In 1650, a German Jesuit named Athanasius Kircher invented the ear trumpet, a funnel-shaped device to collect sound waves and direct them into the ears of nearly deaf patients. Medical technology has come a long way since then, and today, MedTech devices include robots for physical checkups and electronic “aspirins” that prevent migraines by blocking pain-causing neurotransmitters.  Beyond high-tech devices with a big “wow factor,” MedTech defines any devices, procedures, and systems developed to solve health problems and improve quality of life. There are an estimated 1.5 million different types of medical devices used worldwide, from blood pressure cuffs to MRIs, heart valves, and artificial limbs. These are crucial for disease prevention and diagnosis and the treatment of and rehabilitation from illness.”

Paraphrasing Nobles Global Communication, one of the earliest examples of Medtech, was a rudimentary device used to improve the ability of an individual with a hearing loss to hear.

MedTech and Digital Marketing

So, as forerunners in Medtech, why is the hearing healthcare industry lagging in the use of advanced technology to spread their message?

Who you are and what your company represents is being discussed online.  The proliferation of social media platforms allows people to discuss health care providers, practices, and products with people they know and people they do not know.  Consumers can search for reviews of you, your practice, and the products you dispense.  They can search for information about the symptoms they’re experiencing, and most importantly, the solution to their problem.  Opinions will be formed based on who they talk to and what they read.  And they will make decisions about how they will solve their problem through an analysis of all the information they’ve gathered.

If you aren’t telling your story and providing your customer with a solution, then you need to understand that “someone else” is.  You better hope that “someone else” is doing it well.