Hospice of the Chesapeake
Healthcare | Intelligence Gathering
(Research)
About the Client
Hospice of the Chesapeake (HOC) provides comprehensive end-of-life care to patients and their families, including medical, nursing, social work, and bereavement services to terminally ill residents of Anne Arundel and Prince George's (MD) counties. HOC commissioned LMD to conduct primary research in an effort to develop a strategic marketing plan to increase its awareness levels and market share among African-Americans in Prince George's County. The results of the research were to be used to guide HOC's strategic marketing and communications plans to promote HOC among African-American families in Prince George's County.
Challenge
Identify and understand the process that African-American families in Prince George's County go through when making decisions for their loved ones who have life-limiting illnesses.
Pinpoint reasons for lower utilization of hospice services in the county, especially among African-Americans.
Learn how African-American families found out about and chose HOC's services.
Discover the importance and role of various referral sources in the overall decision-making process.
Solution
LMD's approach to the research project involved:
Phase 1: LMD conducted one focus group among employees of the Hospice of the Chesapeake in Prince George's county.
Phase 2: LMD conducted one focus group among nine African-American adults living in Prince George's County who were caregivers for a family member who had used HOC services within the last 24–30 months.
Phase 3: LMD conducted three focus groups among 30 African-American health care decision-makers living in Prince George's County who have an elderly relative living in the area for whom they would be responsible should this family member become ill or infirmed.
Outcome
Key Learnings
Awareness of hospice services among the target audience was low.
Education about hospice services are the key to overcoming cultural barriers that inhibit use of hospice services.
Focus group participants felt that existing marketing materials were useful educational tools, but needed improvement.
When faced with the terminal illness of a loved one, caregivers seek advice and information from multiple sources.
Awareness of the specific HOC services was limited. Participants prioritized the services being offered according to perceived value.
Focus groups were videotaped and analyzed. Data and key learnings were analyzed and presented to the client in a 70-page written report.
Recommendations included:
Suggestions for specific marketing messages and media channels to increase awareness and better educate the public about hospice services in general, and about HOC in particular.
Suggestions for improving HOC's marketing materials, specifically with regard to appealing to the African-American target audience.
Targeted marketing outreach to appeal to the various information/referral sources that assist in the end-of-life care decision-making process.
With regard to implementation, HOC incorporated key learnings from the focus groups and LMD's recommendations into its strategic marketing plan for Prince George's County.