Hospital Marketing for the Most Reluctant Patients: Men

A 2012 study showed that men tend to avoid seeing a doctor or going to the hospital far more than women, increasing their need for more serious treatment down the road. Some hospital marketers have seized this opportunity to make their facilities more appealing to their most reluctant patients—men.

A 2012 study showed that men tend to avoid seeing a doctor or going to the hospital far more than women, increasing their need for more serious treatment down the road. Some hospital marketers have seized this opportunity to make their facilities more appealing to their most reluctant patients—men. These hospitals have begun offering a wide variety of male-centric treatments in the hopes of tapping this market and providing much needed treatment to men with treatable conditions before we require emergency care.

Men’s Health Center at Miriam Hospital

The Men’s Health Center at Miriam Hospital was at the forefront of the men’s health trend when they opened their center in 2008. Much of their practice is related to men’s sexual health, including erectile dysfunction and low testosterone. The focus in care also extends to the relationship between a man’s sexual health and his overall physical health, such as cardiovascular and bone health. The center also offers psychological support and treatment specifically geared toward men, as well as couples’ therapy.

Curtis D. Robinson Men’s Health Institute

The Curtis D. Robinson Men’s Health Institute at St. Francis Hospital has a special focus on meeting the needs of African-American male patients. Citing the fact that African-American males are more likely than white males to develop prostate cancer and that they are twice as likely to die from the condition, the center specializes on prostate health for African-American men.

Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health

While some men’s health centers have chosen to focus on niche areas, some facilities have formed a one-stop shop for all things men’s health. One such center is the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health at the NYU Langone Medical Center. The center takes a more holistic approach to men’s health and offers everything from essential medical treatment to plastic surgery. In fact, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, from 1997 to 2013, the demand for plastic surgery among men has increased 273%, and continues to increase each year. While the center does provide aesthetic services, the center also provides essential cardiology, dermatology, neurology, orthopedic, psychological services, and many others.

While we may have proven in the past to be reluctant patients, creating environments in which men can address their unique concerns could be the key to tapping formerly unreachable patients.