It’s hard to believe that we are already nearing the end of February. As your organization continues to plan and implement this year’s marketing and digital strategies, there are some “mega-trends” to keep in mind. Some may even signal a need to tweak your strategy.

In a recent video from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, Paul Keckley explains how the healthcare industry will be heavily influenced by these seven trends in 2013:

1. Demanding demographics. A “graying” U.S. population with more ethnic and racial diversity and more income disparity means the demands on the healthcare system are changing. The changing health insurance picture and an increased desire for online health information and engagement with healthcare providers are leading to changing demands on the industry from many directions.
2. Strategic globalization. Various factors are leading to an increasing demand for overseas expansion by companies involved with healthcare. One-quarter of U.S. consumers report an interest in medical tourism and there is a decreasing demand by local populations in other countries to travel to the U.S. for healthcare. Couple these facts, along with a 31% projected decrease in the U.S. share of the global drug market, and it’s understandable that many companies are considering starting up or increasing overseas operations.
3. Unconstrained connectivity. With the explosion of mobile technology over the past few years, Smartphones and mobile devices are becoming more commonplace. Along with accessing personal health records and medical health records online, consumers are also seeking health information and engagement with providers. This “unconstrained connectivity” is making a permanent change in the way healthcare organizations interact with and engage their audience.
4. Constrained resources. The ability to react to unconstrained connectivity can be a challenge for organizations in an industry where resources are often limited. The impact of a shortage of money, time and/or talent may not always be immediately felt, but it will eventually catch-up to the bottom line.
5. Accelerated consolidation. With 400+ insurance providers, almost 6,000 hospitals, thousands of individual providers, and long-term care and home care providers needing a larger digital platform, yet dealing with resource constraints, it’s anticipated that organizational consolidation will increase in order to obtain a larger platform in a more economical and efficient manner.
6. Big Data. The amount of data being generated by various entities is huge and growing, but only recently have the tools to turn big data into meaningful information become available. The consumer demand for information means that the ability to effectively handle big data will begin to separate the wheat from the chaff among organizations.
7. Consumer discontent. Although 6 out of 10 consumers report being satisfied with what they pay for healthcare, over half of consumers also believe that healthcare spending is wasted and most of those consumers believe the waste is due to a lack of individual responsibility. The focus will increasingly be on consumers, rather than patients or clinical trial subjects.

While many of these trends aren’t new, they are becoming increasingly important to your organizational marketing, digital and operating strategies. Understanding and leveraging these trends will be a hallmark of the most successful organizations in 2013.

Here we are: mid-January 2013. The holiday decorations have been taken down and stored away for another year, winter vacation is over, the kids are back in school and most of us are back to our regular routines.

As we plow back into our work, what will be driving your digital strategy this year? One thing is for sure: mobile continues to rise to the forefront in digital marketing strategy. At the recent CES in Las Vegas, advanced mobile devices were featured everywhere, from connected TVs, tablets large and small, and even “phablets” – a new combination of  tablets and Smartphones in one device. The world is no longer dominated by PCs – there are over 1 billion Smartphones in use worldwide and one in three U.S. consumers owns a tablet, soon to be one in two consumers.

I read with interest Sheryl Patteck’s take-home message from CES: “We are moving ever closer to delivering on … connected, customized and personalized one-to-one marketing in a mobilized way.” That has never been more true, and applies to us in healthcare marketing too. Her key takeways:

• You must have a strong mobile strategy in place. From the consumer’s perspective, it’s all about mobile communication.
• Your content must be relevant, interactive and engaging. Content is becoming more accessible with new technologies and applications.
• Data and customer understanding are key now more than ever. The opportunity to communicate with both current and potential consumers in more personalized and customized ways is available with new technologies.
• Imagination is the only limit. It’s up to you to use creativity to interact and engage with your audience in new and different ways — wherever they may be and however they may be connected.

Keeping all this in mind, we’ve been busy at Greystone.Net, making plans to bring you new and improved products and services.

For example, we’re making-over the Webmaster Workshops, and  think you’ll be really pleased with the results. Check out our GreyMatters newsletter and our Web site in February for more details!

Another new feature we are adding this year to our educational mix is called HCIC: Backstage Pass, a series of Webinars with some of the top-rated presenters from the 16th Annual HCIC. We’ll have more details on these sessions coming out soon, as well. And now for the first time, we’ve made all of the presentations from the Annual HCIC available for viewing/downloading. Learn more about it at HCIC: Rewind.

Believe it or not, we are already actively at work developing the educational program for the 17th Annual HCIC and the 2013 Client Conference, and aim to put on the best conference yet. New Orleans in November will be the place to be. And, it won’t be long before nominations will be opened for the Healthcare Internet Hall of Fame and the Best in Class awards.

And we haven’t forgotten our clients! We are working to continue to provide the finest products and services to our clients in 2013, and finding ways to do even better work. We’ll be sharing soon some improvements, including exciting announcements about our Collaboration Portal product and our mobile Wayfinding solutions, to name just a few.

What plans does your organization have for 2013? We’d love to hear about anything unique, different or fun that you’re planning.

Happy New Year. We, at Greystone, hope it is a healthy, happy and prosperous new year for all, and we look forward to seeing you, and talking with you, again soon.

It’s hard to believe that after months and months of planning and coordinating, the 16th Annual Healthcare Internet Conference will be in full swing by this time next month.

On Monday, November 12, hundreds of professionals involved in Web strategy, healthcare marketing, IT and business strategy will gather at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas for 2-½ days of educational programming. This year, HCIC offers four keynote sessions, two pre-conference workshops, two post-conference events and 42 concurrent sessions in between it all.

In addition, there will be ample opportunities to network with colleagues and attendees and to learn about new tools and solutions through the robust and vibrant exhibit hall – featuring over 50 top industry vendors. See all the sponsors and exhibitors at hcic.net.

Have you registered yet? If not, you still have time! Visit hcic.net to register for the conference. You may also register for the pre- or post-conference events as well. The block of low-cost, reserved rooms at The Cosmopolitan is almost sold-out, but if you act quickly, you can also make your conference hotel reservation online.

If you are a client of Greystone.Net or Krames StayWell, you’ll want to join us on Monday morning before the main conference begins for the combined Client Conference. Don’t forget – your paid HCIC registration entitles you to attend the Client Conference at no additional charge! But you do need to register for the Client Conference, so please don’t forget to do so.

During the next four weeks, we’ll be working on the final preparations and finishing touches, and we’ll be thinking a lot about John Eudes, whose passion envisioned and drove this conference from its beginning. HCIC isn’t quite as much fun without him, but he’d be so proud of its growth and expansion. We will keep that flame burning brightly, and I, for one, will think of him often throughout the show.

It’s a great venue – in a fun city – and the educational sessions and networking opportunities will absolutely rock. Travel safely to Vegas and see you soon!

I know, I know … you’re hearing a lot about voting these days, but here’s a little different take on the subject. Voting is now open for the 2012 Greystone.Net and Krames StayWell 2012 Best-In-Class Awards. The finalists have been announced in eleven categories, and you can have a say in who the winners will be. Between now and September 28, 2012, visit www.greystone.net to view the finalists and vote for your choice in each category.

Here is your chance to evaluate the work of your peers in categories such as Best Redesigned Web Site, Best Use of Multimedia, Best Use of Mobile Strategy and others. Gold, Silver and Bronze awards will be given for each category. Popular vote will count as a percentage of the overall score to help select the winner for each award category.

The winners will be announced and honored at a luncheon on November 12th during the 2012 Client Conference in Las Vegas.

Be sure to vote before time runs out, and if you are planning to attend the Client Conference and HCIC, join us to find out the winners at the awards luncheon!

What a year.

I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I’m glad to see 2011 in the rear view mirror. Parts of 2011 were really tough for all of us at Greystone.Net — saying goodbye is never easy. But much good happened this year too though — getting to know new colleagues and clients, working hard to expand our products and services, traveling across the world to speak at conferences, and most importantly, reconnecting with many friends in this busy world of healthcare Internet marketing.

Even though we had sadness, many good things happened for us this year, including:

• We worked with more than 35 different hospital and healthcare system clients this year — more than half of them brand new to Greystone. Thank you!
• We hosted the 15th Annual Healthcare Internet Conference in Orlando with more than 560 attendees and over 60 exhibitors and sponsors. Thank you.
• Created a 15-year retrospective of the annual Healthcare Internet Conference. If you missed it, here is a quick review of the last 15 years of the healthcare Internet industry. Thanks to Robin Snow for all the hard work on the video. Much appreciated.
• We were honored to host more than 130 of our clients from across the country at our annual Client Conference. Thank you!
• We opened a satellite office in Troy, Michigan.
• We launched two new product offerings: SmartMap and the Collaboration Portal.
• We began offering formal strategic advice in the development of mobile strategies/tactics and mHealth plans.
• We held our 9th Annual Best In Class Web Awards competition in the Fall that honored some of the best Web work in healthcare.
• Greystone staff and executives gave speeches at more than ten national events in 2011 and participated in HIMSS Asia/Pac 2011 in Australia in September.
• We exhibited at the Healthcare Marketing Strategy Summit in the Spring, the Annual Conference from SHSMD in the Fall and of course, at the 15th Annual Healthcare Internet Conference in November.
• We launched the Healthcare Internet Hall of Fame to honor men, women and organizations that have made outstanding, long-lasting contributions to the Healthcare Internet industry. We were proud to oversee the induction of the initial class of “Hall of Fame” members. What fun. We are looking forward to this becoming an industry-guided event beginning in 2012.
• We announced the establishment of the John A. Eudes Vision & Excellence Award in memory of our co-founder and to honor men and women who embody John’s ideals. The first honoree will be announced in November 2012 at the 16th Annual Healthcare Internet Conference.

Whew! No wonder it feels good to slow down a bit around the holidays.

Seriously, please know that we all so appreciate the conversations, relationships and friendships. It’s what drives us every day to do a little more.

As we close the year, the Greystone team thanks you, our friends and colleagues, for the time together and we look forward to an exciting new year.  Have a wonderful New Year’s break, be safe and enjoy the chance to recharge and renew for next year.  Keep in touch. We look forward to hearing from and seeing you in 2012!

Happy New Year.