What is it about?
The NHS provides many alternative options for treatment of non-urgent conditions. However users of the NHS continue to attend high cost (A&E) departments, when, in many cases, an alternative would be more suitable. It is therefore important to better understand the factors that influence patients when choosing to visit an A&E department, over a less costly (primary care) service to ensure delivery of effective and high quality emergency healthcare.
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Why is it important?
It is important to understand the influences on users’ choices, otherwise incorrect assumptions made could undermine the impact that a persuasive communications campaign can achieve.
Perspectives
From the findings of the research study, a marketing communications campaign will need to concentrate on creating a conversation about “what to do when you don’t know where to go and you’re not sure how bad things are”, invoking new beliefs and values rather than focusing on what to do when something is ‘urgent'.
Mr Stephen Craker
University of South Wales
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Influences on choices to inform a persuasive communications campaign to reduce non-urgent Accident and Emergency attendance, Journal of Communications In Healthcare, April 2014, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1179/1753807614y.0000000048.
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