Research featured in Nature Aging recently noted how Artificial Intelligence was used to sift through a clinical database of more than five million patients to predict their risk of developing Alzheimer’s based on “co-occurring conditions.” It was found that they were able to predict the disease with 72% accuracy and up to seven years prior to their diagnoses. They did so by pinpointing several early risk factors, which are undoubtedly interesting to our practices and profession. These included the use of tobacco products, osteoporosis, and Vitamin D deficiency.
Leveraging timely research to promote and grow your practice
A good habit to get into is being on the lookout for potential “pegs” with which to “hang” new content. In this respect, thinking like a reporter with a keen nose for news is helpful. Since fresh and meaningfully updated content on your website and elsewhere in the digital space is rewarded with favourable search results, this best practice aligns well and supports the continual addition of substantive new information as well as smart changes to existing posts, articles, and other items (do not feel like you have to reinvent the wheel each time, especially if you have content that already resonates and is both distinctive and of high quality).
Let’s go back to the AI-Alzheimer’s research findings to better demonstrate this process in action. Here, we see several potential opportunities to market your services and provide helpful and educational information relevant to your patients, partners, and the broader community. These include:
- Taking a deeper dive into the co-occurring conditions and risk factors analyzed and noted by the researchers and delving into their connection to oral health. Notably, you could revisit the connections between smoking and tobacco use and oral cancers, as well as the connection between nicotine and wound healing and infections. Or, inspired by the reference to Vitamin D, you could run an entire series on nutrition. Posts might look at oral signs and symptoms of specific nutritional deficiencies and “tooth-friendly” nutrients, foods, and beverages to get your patients to add to their shopping carts. Lastly, one might delve into the intersection of osteoporosis and oral health, be it gum disease or bone resorption in the jaw.
- Communicating the oral-overall health connection in a dynamic, memorable, enlightening, and insightful way — Use this research to reinforce or revisit how a healthy mouth supports a healthy brain (as well as the health of other parts of the body). In this case, spotlight the notion of “Keeping your brain healthy through your teeth.” It may be helpful to reference other large-scale studies that specifically linked tooth loss to Alzheimer’s. This particular study actually involved reviewing 14 different studies that looked at the potential links between missing teeth and cognitive impairment. In this meta-analysis, researchers concluded that there was a 28% greater risk of developing dementia among those individuals with more tooth loss versus their counterparts with more teeth.
- Sharing ways your patients can help care for their loved ones with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Both the Canadian Dental Association and Alzheimer Society of Canada provide many suggestions on this front, which can help when crafting solid, trusted, and credible information. Let this serve as inspiration for value-added, tips-oriented content. Add a personal touch by generally referencing experiences at your office and how your team supports a comfortable and safe space for patients with cognitive and other health challenges. Of course, be sure to promote any special training, knowledge, and services your practice offers to assist those patients with special needs.
- Accounting for the other ways to market based on particularly timely yet adjacent trends — In this case, AI is playing a central role in supporting early detection of dementia-related disease. You may already be leveraging AI in your practice. If so, here is another way to further promote how your office has invested in AI and what it means to the average patient. Think beyond the features and minutiae of the technology; focus on the value it provides to patients in terms of elements like expedited treatments, convenience, more proactive and safer care, and so on.
Caveats
We all know that not all online healthcare information as a whole is created equal. There are often vast gulfs between quality content and content that can be misleading or even downright dangerous. This same thinking applies to medical research and study findings. It is important to ensure that all members of your team who may be involved with communications and messaging are on the same page.
They should be aware of how to distinguish and scrutinize the never-ending series of research that floods our frenetic news cycles; especially those study findings publicized in more “mainstream” media outlets. After all, these articles may be playing up the “hot” part of the research and giving more weight to an area that may be only a very small part of the study.
It is very easy to fall into the trap of seeing even the most subtle or mundane of research as a potential “breakthrough,” depending on how the study may be framed within the article. Your staff members may come from diverse backgrounds regarding objectively reviewing research. It is most helpful for everyone in your office to take a step back before dedicating time to craft content around a research-driven peg. Consider the actual size and scope of the study, and separate the empty “hype” from the heart of the research and what those behind it actually found and accomplished.
See the opportunities to play a positive role in combating misinformation.
Perhaps include CTAs (Calls to Action) at the end of each article or post that encourage readers to reach out to your team with lingering questions. Position yourself as a thought leader and source of sound, trusted information and suggestions for external resources on the subject matter. Medical research is rife with potentially hard-to-interpret areas for the layperson. Be aware of how “translatable” the information is, as you want to strike a balance between providing quality and credible content without further confusing the reader with excessive jargon or unnecessary detail.
With the right approach to the latest so-called breakthrough, you have a world of potentially fresh, dynamic, relevant, and valuable information at your digital doorstep.
About the Author:
Naren Arulrajah, President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, has been a leader in medical marketing for over a decade. Ekwa provides comprehensive marketing solutions for busy dentists, with a team of more than 180 full time professionals, providing web design, hosting, content creation, social media, reputation management, SEO, and more. If you’re looking for ways to boost your marketing results, call 855-598-3320 for a free strategy session with Naren. You may also schedule a session at your convenience with the Senior Director of Marketing – Lila, by clicking https://www.ekwa.com/msm/ or simply send a text to 313-777-8494.
