The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai:
A Revised Digital Strategy
Emily Klein
HCOM512
August 5, 2014
Organization Name: The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Executive Summary: The head of Oncology Services at Mount Sinai recently shared
that she was surprised when new patients asked for tote bags with the Mount Sinai
logo on it. They want to feel represented, taken care of, and a part of a community,
which I argue extends to patients’ expectations online as well. Cancer care is a longterm and multi-faceted process, and where you are treated can become a part of a
person’s identity.
I propose that the Tisch Cancer Institute needs its own digital identity, supported
by, but separate from, the main Mount Sinai Hospital. Promoting cancer clinical
trials is a priority for the Tisch Cancer Institute, and a digital identity will be critical
to this process.
As I worked on the following analysis, I focused on small changes that can be
implemented gradually and can complement the Mount Sinai Hospital System’s
existing web content. In a large organization, it can be difficult to get changes made,
and even constructive criticism can be met with defensiveness, blame or
resignation. I will consider strategies of varying complexity to establish the Tisch
Cancer Institute identity and better reach target populations.
Rationale: According to the latest Pew Internet Project research (January 2014),
72% of Internet users say they have looked online for health information in the last
year. The Internet is filled with unverified health information, and many people look
for the answers they want to hear; there is serious need for accurate, trustworthy
and up to date health information.
Hospitals can strengthen their brands by providing excellent health information,
serving as a resource to the communities they serve while reinforcing their
expertise.
A health organization’s website is often the first opportunity to make an impression
on a potential patient. Just as an understaffed waiting room can make a patient feel
forgotten, a poorly designed website can confuse, distract and make a patient feel
that they are not a priority.
An attentive digital presence gives users the impression that their opinions matter.
Social media can signify that an organization wants to interact with its community
and wants to hear their honest feedback. The approachability and casual “behind
the scenes” tone of social media can also help break down some of the fears about
going to the hospital.
There is often pressure for organizations to join every social network as they
become popular, but selective, strategic use of technology is more appropriate. As
we discussed in class, it is better for a health organization to have a small, focused
social media presence than a neglected Facebook page, a blog last updated in 2012
and a Flickr account with ten scattered photos. Consumers are used to rapid
responses on the Internet, and a lack of attentiveness in social media will undermine
credibility.
Description: The Tisch Cancer Institute was established at Mount Sinai in 2007.
Located at the intersection of the wealthiest and poorest zip codes in New York, the
Tisch Cancer Institute serves a diverse population with disparate needs. In East and
Central Harlem, prostate cancer and triple-negative breast cancer are common,
while melanoma and myeloproliferative disorders are prevalent on the Upper East
Side.
The Tisch Cancer Institute is growing rapidly, recruiting faculty from all over the
country. The Hess Center for Science and Medicine, which opened in October 2012,
features two floors of clinical outpatient cancer treatment facilities (the Derald H.
Ruttenberg Treatment Center) and two floors of cancer lab space, allowing for ready
collaboration.
Cross-disciplinary collaboration is one of the benefits of being treated at an
academic medical center, but that point is not effectively communicated in the Tisch
Cancer Institute’s online presence. The website is structured with a “school side”
(icahn.mssm.edu/cancer), which features content for faculty, and a “hospital side”
(mountsinai.org/cancer) directed at patients. This dichotomy is confusing, and I
will discuss recommendations for improving this layout later in this analysis.
New York City is home to five National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers
(Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at
Columbia University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Laura and Isaac
Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Medical Center), providing ample
competition for Mount Sinai. It is essential that the Tisch Cancer Institute’s online
presence establish it as a trusted leader, not just in research but also in patient care.
Vision: The Tisch Cancer Institute’s vision is to build a world-class, translational
cancer institute by supporting collaborative research efforts.
The Mount Sinai Health System’s vision is to continue to grow and challenge
convention through our pioneering spirit, scientific advancements, forward-thinking
leadership, and collaborative approach to providing exceptional patient care in the
many unique communities we serve.
Mission: The mission of The Tisch Cancer Institute, under the leadership of Dr.
Steven Burakoff, is to build upon Mount Sinai Medical Center’s history of medical
breakthroughs to offer new hope for those living with or at risk for cancer.
The mission of the Mount Sinai Health System is to provide compassionate patient
care with seamless coordination and to advance medicine through unrivaled
education, research, and outreach in the many diverse communities we serve.
Values: The Tisch Cancer Institute emphasizes collaboration, education and
translational research.
Planning Horizon: Excluding the “wild” initiative, the recommendations proposed
below can be achieved within 12-18 months.
SWOT:
Strengths
 Appealing photos of real clinical
settings- no stock photography
 Social media is a priority for the
organization- robust main hospital
Facebook and Twitter accounts
 Social Media Manager for the
hospital system is also an attorney
 Consistent branding
 Media strategy- experts quoted in
diverse publications, participate in
ABC Health Twitter chats
Weaknesses
 Website does not address target
populations
 Patient stories need updating
 Content is not intuitively organized
for patient
 Minimal patient web interaction
 Different sites for hospital (patient
side), medical school (academic
side) and hospital system
Opportunities
 Cross-promote Tisch Cancer
Institute via the main hospital’s
wide-reaching social media
channels
 Integration with Continuum Health
Partners means larger network of
cancer experts to promote
 Show, don’t tell “Multidisciplinary”
 Demonstrate appealing facilities by
rotating seasonal imagery,
highlighting artwork
 Blog
 Promote community engagement
Threats
 Lack of Spanish language resources
 Health System politics
 Events and promotional
opportunities take precedence over
other content
 Web navigability
 Writing style may alienate audience
 Lack of survivorship
content/programming
Primary Goals
Goal 1: Acquire and retain audience online
Measure of Success 1: Increase followers, web traffic, sharing on social media
Goal 2: Improve awareness of Tisch Cancer Institute as a top cancer care provider
Measure of Success 2: Increase in patients transferring care to Mount Sinai, intake
surveys (“How did you find out about us?”)
Goal 3: Promote growing social work programs (support groups, meditation, pet
therapy and massage)
Measure of Success 3: Increased attendance
Goal 4: Serve as a resource for community, disease-specific information
Measure of Success 4: Web analytics, formative evaluation
Personas:
Personas are used to guide the strategy process by defining and getting to know
your target users. By understanding their behaviors and habits and exploring the
incentives or impediments they might face in interacting with your product, you can
refine your approach. Personas help the designer or strategist step outside her own
mindset and determine how best to reach their target audience. It can be easy to
think that “no one uses Instagram,” just because you don’t, but as a strategist, you
must remember that you are not designing for yourself.
I developed the following personas based on the demographics of the Tisch Cancer
Institute’s catchment area. I thought about how potential patients and caregivers
might connect to Mount Sinai or its competitors. It is imperative to think about how
existing strategies could reach these people, but also how changes might make it
easier for them to find the information that they need. I considered that there might
be a large target audience who may not be online at all; however, this plan focuses
on users who could be reached via digital strategies.
I considered how each of the personas would navigate the current web presence
and the roadblocks they would face. Howard and Melvin might be comforted by the
bold language (“extraordinary,” “world-class”), but could have trouble navigating
the site. Ellen might not be able to find relatable patient stories and Alicia, looking
for Spanish-language support groups for her mother, might get frustrated trying to
find an events calendar.
Howard is a 71-year old retired business professional who lives in a one-bedroom
apartment on the Upper East Side. He is divorced and has a girlfriend, Janet, whom
he does not live with. He spends weekends at his home in Long Island and enjoys
tennis, boating and taking his three grandchildren to the beach. He is an active
member of his synagogue. Howard and Janet enjoy going to the theater, Jazz at
Lincoln Center and lectures at the 92nd street Y. Howard’s daughters have convinced
him to upgrade from a BlackBerry to an iPhone. He loves texting, now that he’s
gotten the hang of it, and plays Words with Friends. He has a Facebook account that
he rarely uses and an AOL email address.
Scenario:
After tennis, Howard’s girlfriend Janet points out a dark, uneven mole on the back of
his neck. He dismisses her concerns, but furtively checks it out in the mirror for a
few days when he gets out of the shower, wondering if it was there before. He
considers himself healthy and active, is not taking any medication and convinces
himself not to worry. After a concert at the 92nd Street Y, Howard is waiting for Janet
to leave the restroom and picks up a pamphlet for a panel discussion featuring
Mount Sinai doctors and USTA pros, talking about tennis and health—sports
injuries, dehydration and skin cancer risk. Howard takes the pamphlet when he
leaves and sees a link to mountsinai.org/skincancer. He visits the site and, after
viewing an alarming infographic on the page, makes an appointment to have his
mole checked out.
Alicia is a 24-year old Puerto Rican woman who works as an office manager at an
architectural firm in lower Manhattan. She spends a lot of time in front of the
computer at work but tries to use her lunch hour to run in Hudson River Park. She
has a Samsung smartphone that she uses frequently, often posting photos of her
workout progress on Instagram. Alicia lives at home with her mother Carmen in a
two-bedroom rental apartment on East 103rd street in Manhattan while she saves
money for nursing school. Born in the Bronx, Alicia speaks English and Spanish
fluently. Carmen came to New York from Puerto Rico before Alicia was born, and is
most comfortable communicating in Spanish. Alicia helps her mother make health
decisions and reminds her to make routine appointments, often accompanying her
to the doctor.
Scenario: Alicia is interested in inexpensive ways to stay fit and eat healthy foods.
She follows the Mount Sinai Hospital on Twitter to find out about free Zumba classes
in Central Park and the schedule for the Greenmarket outside of the hospital.
Scrolling through Twitter on her lunch break, Alicia notices a Tweet promoting a
free lung cancer screening event at Mount Sinai and thinks of Carmen, who was
diagnosed with pneumonia over the winter but whose persistent cough has gotten
worse since then. Alicia offers to accompany her mother to the event, which
features a Q&A with English and Spanish-speaking physicians.
Ellen is a 36 year-old mother to Caleb, who is three. Ellen lives in Cresskill, New
Jersey, and works at home as a part-time fundraising consultant. Her husband Jeff
commutes into the city every day to work at an executive search firm. Ellen does
most of her family’s shopping online and keeps up with friends on Facebook, posting
photos of Caleb and often posing questions to her fellow moms on everything from
cold and flu symptoms to stroller recommendations. Ellen belongs to a small
boutique gym in town and attends early morning spin or barre classes, occasionally
treating herself with an iced latte from Starbucks on her way home. She loves
reading lifestyle blogs, although she does not have one herself, and has a “secret”
Pinterest board filled with impractical designer heels and purses.
Scenario:
Ellen is concerned about a lump in her breast. She wants to see a specialist in the
city, but is overwhelmed by the choices she finds via Google searches. She reads a
“Day in the Life” feature on the designer Tory Burch’s blog featuring an interview
with Eva Dubin, the founder of the Dubin Breast Center at Mount Sinai. In the article,
Dr. Dubin mentioned massage therapy, yoga and nutritional counseling available for
patients at the Dubin Breast Center. Intrigued, Ellen clicks through to the breast
center’s website. Photos show it as an airy, bright and welcoming place, and Ellen
calls to make an initial consultation.
Melvin is a 46-year old African American man who lives in Hempstead, Long Island
with his wife Angela and two young children. A New York City transit worker,
Melvin worked demolition in the Cortland St. subway station after 9/11. He still
works in the city and commutes in every day via Long Island Railroad. He enjoys
hosting Sunday barbecues in his backyard and coaches his daughter’s soccer team.
He does not watch much TV, but is an avid Jets fan and gets scores and other team
updates on his iPhone. Melvin’s father died young of prostate cancer, and there is a
history of hypertension in his family.
Scenario: On the train headed into the city, Melvin sees an ad for the WTC Health
program. He did not realize that there is a connection between working at the World
Trade Center site and risk of prostate cancer, and is already concerned about the
disease because of his family history. He visits the site on his iPhone and a mobilefriendly page directs him to Mount Sinai’s 9/11 health study, where he can make an
appointment online to receive free screening and counseling.
Competitive Analysis:
A competitive analysis is an opportunity to define your competitors and think
critically about what they do well, what they do poorly and what you can learn from
them. We all have ideas about who is our strongest competition, but rarely do we
stop and think about why that is. Instead, by breaking down competitors’ web
strategies into digestible pieces, we can think more critically about how those
organizations represent themselves and what we can adapt from them.
Competitive analysis helps to give unbiased criteria with which to evaluate your
organization and its peers.
I selected three other cancer centers in the New York metropolitan area- one
independent cancer center, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and two that, like the Tisch
Cancer Institute, are part of a larger medical system (the Perlmutter Cancer Center
at NYU and the Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack UMC). All of the hospitals are
ranked in the top 50 US News & World Report cancer hospitals for 2014-2015, and
someone facing cancer in this area would reasonably consider care at any of the four
facilities. I have included screen shots of the four organizations’ home pages below:
1. Mount Sinai Cancer home page:
2. Memorial Sloan Kettering home page:
3. Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU home page:
4. Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack UMC home page:
Comparative Analysis Grid
Purpose
Tisch Cancer
Institute at
Mount Sinai
Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer
Center
Perlmutter
Cancer Center at
NYU Langone
Medical Center
Logo, branding
and photos all
professional and
clear; audience is
Clear call to action.
“Call Our
Appointment
Specialists” number,
Purpose and goals
immediately clear
Theurer Cancer
Center at
Hackensack
University Medical
Center
Immediately
recognizable as
hospital website
Users
Organizational
branding
External
affiliation
not immediately
clear from the
homepage
Text, images,
stories and other
indicators
(directions &
maps, clinical
trials) indicate
audience is
potential patients
Strong emphasis
on logo, color
scheme and
photo carousel.
“About Us”
section is at the
top of the
navigation.
US News & World
Report logo
featured in
sidebar.
Design
Design is
conservative,
easy to
understand.
Section
organization
This is the most
challenging area.
There are two
mirror sites
(mountsinai.org,
with hours of
operation,
prominently featured
Target audience is
clear- friendly but
professional “you
and us” tone; images
and articles
frequently updated.
Clear gateways
(For Patients,
Research,
Education &
Training) at the top
of the home page
Site divided into “I am
a Patient” and “I am a
Doctor”
Logo and imagery
(NYU purple)
clearly
represented;
welcome message
provides
organizational
overview
No external logo, but US News & World
carousel has been
Report Best
updated to include
National Cancer
“We’re #1” photo (US Hospital, American
News & World
Nurses
Report #1 in Cancer
Credentialing
in 2014-15).
Center Magnet
recognition and
NCI Cancer Center
logos featured
Simple, easy to read. Classic- organized
Use of the color
and effective at
orange as a
directing audience.
highlighter stands
Some sections too
out. Information by
text-heavy, font can
disease area dropbe difficult to read
down menu takes
(though they have
you to a hub with up an option to
to date, specialized
enlarge text)
information. Design
reinforces expertise.
There is a ton of
Information clearly
information and they segmented by role
do a wonderful job in (For Patients,
effectively organizing Research,
it, starting with
Education &
Logo is generic but
clear; “About Us”
section is accessible at
top navigation bar.
“About Us” section is
concise but robust.
Logo and top
navigation stays
consistent as you
move from page to
page
US News & World
Report logo featured,
along with the cancer
center’s logo and that
of the parent hospital,
Hackensack
University Medical
Center
Dated and confusing.
Carousel on home
screen features
Powerpoint-like
transitions.
Side bar navigation is
uneven and not well
organized- some
sections feature too
much text, while
Layout and
navigation
Expert content
which is patientfacing, and
mssm.edu, geared
to researchers).
Not easy to
navigate to
Cancer from the
moutsinai.org
home page
(featured only in
a carousel).
Once you are in
the patient-facing
side, it is difficult
to tell what you
will find in each
section (Are
support groups
listed under
“Cancer
Treatment,”
“Cancer Services,”
or “Cancer
Outreach”?)
Subsections are
not listed, so user
must click
through each
page and may end
up going back
several times to
find what they
are looking for.
Blog posts
written by
doctors and
nurses on variety
of topics. Doctors
participate in
Tweet chats and
are often quoted
in mass media,
which is shared
on the hospital
Twitter.
“Cancer Care,”
“Research” and
“Education and
Training.” The subnavigations are easy
to find; however, I
might not use the
phrase “Cancer Care”
to encompass the
patient section.
Training, How You
Can Help, About
Us)
others are practically
empty.
Universal /static top
navigation ensures
user does not get
“lost.” Diseasespecific drop-down
menus are clearly
labeled and content
is easy to find. Once
again, “Make an
Appointment” is
never far away.
Within each disease
area, there is a list of
the next support
group dates for that
area- anticipating
that this may be an
area of interest and
saving the user from
having to navigate
away from the
disease page hub.
Blog posts written by
staff science/medical
writers, who are
given bylines.
Can search about
different cancers
from A-Z, or by
“body system”
(strange phrasing).
Some dead ends
(“Bladder Cancer”
says “see
‘genitourinary
cancer’ but does
not hyperlink to
that section). Each
disease area has its
own page, but the
images do not
change, making it
difficult to navigate
Content is buried.
Center features many
excellent patientcentric features
(living wall, diverse
food options, physical
design that maximizes
proximity to labs), but
this information is
buried under About
Us> Facility> A New
Building to Deliver
Extraordinary Care.
No blogs,
interactive features
or any other
interaction with
faculty. “Ask a
Librarian” feature
available, but no
“Ask a Doctor.”
Blog not updated
since October 2013.
No opportunities to
get to know doctors,
nurses or staff.
Difficult to find
information about a
specific condition.
Authorship
and oversight
Currency
Health literacy
and
readability
Uses Ebsco, an
external content
provider, for
Symptoms/Info
about specific
disease
Patient stories are
posted with dates,
so when a new
patient story has
not been posted in
a few months, it
makes the section
seem dated or
forgotten. Blog
updated
frequently (every
few days).
Language seems to
be more about
own excellence
than about
developing a
relationship with
the reader
(“Comprehensive
services provide
outstanding care
and peace of
mind” – how?).
Despite
institutional
guidelines about
reading level,
sentences like this
are common:
“Since its
inception, the
Program has been
vanguard in the
treatment of
hematological
malignancies and
cancers, and
Not attributed, but
symptom
information seems
written in-house.
Links to cancer.gov
for further reading
Lots of interactive
content updated
regularly. Seasonal
posts (Pride Month
in June; US News &
World Report
rankings in July)
rotate frequently.
“Learn About” a
specific disease
leads to the NCI’s
website.
No authors listed.
Events calendar up
to date, but very
little other dated
content
Dangerously out of
date. Carousel on
home page in July
2014 promoting an
event from May 2014.
Press releases and
articles are over a
year old.
Excellent. Writing is
clear and concise,
often accompanied
by simple
infographics.
Mixed. Headlines in
news section are
easy to understand
(“Rare Skin Cancer
on Palms and Soles
More Likely to
Come Back
Compared to Other
Melanomas”), but
some sections full
of text and
percentages, which
can be meaningless
or difficult to
understand.
Would recommend
replacing the use of
“psychosocial,” a
word lay people may
misunderstand.
Can download
sections as PDF and
print for later
reading
Language
Usergenerated
content
Policies
Registration
performs
allogeneic,
autologous, and
cord transplants.”
Can translate the
“International
Services” page into
four languages;
however,
embedded videos
do not translate
and do not have
subtitles.
Minimal
interaction- no
comments on
blogs or articles.
Patient stories are
written by staff
and posted by web
team—no option
for a patient to
submit a story.
Social media
guidelines for
students and staff,
but not other
users. No
information about
privacy or sharing.
Uses MyChart for
patient
information. No
other
registration/login.
Can translate the
“International
Patients” page into
ten languages
English only
English only
Survivorship center
features Visible Ink,
a writing program
for survivors.
Survivor newsletter
features unique
stories written by
patients. Patient
video stories are
beautifully edited.
HIPAA and web
visitor policies are
easily accessible.
Social media policy
is actually
intelligible (“Thanks
for reviewing this
policy, and we look
forward to
interacting with
you.”)
Patient login
requires
authentication;
MSKCC Connections
(social network)
registration is free
and offers way for
patients to interact
more openly than
they might on
None
Blog features posts
written by patients,
but has not been
updated since October
2013. “Patient stories”
section is actually a
set of quotations, not
stories.
None
None
No option to log in;
can register to
receive seasonal
newsletter
Uses MyChart for
patient information;
cannot readily log in
from website.
Notifications
Can sign up for
quarterly patient
emails and can
view past issues.
Transactions
Yes- can make
donations online
Mobile
No mobile site.
“Find a Doctor”
app for health
system, although
this seems
unnecessary.
Social media
traditional social
media
Can sign up to
receive monthly enewsletter on
cancer care and
research. Option to
read previous issues
before signing up.
Yes- can make
donations as
individual,
corporation or
foundation
No mobile site. Only
App is “About
Herbs,” a library
about supplements,
plants and
complementary
medicine.
Icons at the top of Popular FB, Twitter
the page lead to
and YouTube pages.
main hospital FB,
“Stay Connected”
Twitter, blog and
tab lists all social
YouTube pages.
options with icons.
Has Instagram,
Video and podcast
although utility
content includes
and brand
lectures, but also
strengthening is
things like guided
unclear (mostly
meditation that
post pictures of
could be appealing
smoothies). Tisch to patients. Has own
Cancer Institute
social network for
has Twitter
cancer survivors,
account,
MSKCC Connections,
established in June which seems
2014, but no
popular but underFacebook and no
resourced.
Can indicate
whether subscriber
would like to
receive newsletter
by email, print or
both
Yes- can make
donations online
No mobile site, no
app
No links to social
media from
website. Main
hospital does not
have FB page and
has relatively small
Twitter following;
Cancer Center has
extremely small
Facebook page and
no Twitter.
Can sign up to receive
newsletter (asks for
Email, First and Last
Name and zip code)
but not clear what you
are signing up for or
how often you will
receive it
Yes- can make
donations online.
Home screen features
thin white vertical
text redirecting to
giving page- barely
legible and seems like
you would only click
by accident
No mobile site, no app
Facebook and Twitter,
sporadically updated
with no apparent
content strategy. Most
recent Facebook
pictures are all of
food, some lowquality and
unappealing, and with
no captions.
Overall
assessment:
link to Twitter on
the website.
The site features
beautiful
photography- no
stock images- and
conveys
professionalism.
The weaknesses
include
navigability
(tischcancerinstitu
te.org is geared
towards
researchers, not
patients) and
layout. Content is
buried; site was
built around
organizational
structure and not
for how patients
are likely to use
the site.
This is the strongest
of the four. The site
is well designed,
organized and easy
to navigate. The
professional but
accessible language
is the strongest
feature of the site.
Lack of mobile
website is missed
opportunity. A
weakness is the
MSKCC Connections
site, which seems
popular but underresourced.
This is a site that
looks neat and
organized, but
upon further
inspection, there is
very little
substance. The
clear organization
is the site’s best
feature; the worst
is the lack of
content.
This site has no
apparent strategy and
seems to have
minimal oversight.
The cancer center has
its own URL,
Facebook and Twitter
presence, which are
strengths; the lack of
updates and difficulty
in navigation are the
worst features. This is
an excellent hospital,
but that is not clear
from looking at the
website.
Borrow: What does the competition do well?
Theurer Cancer Center has its own digital identity separate from the main hospital
(from URL to Facebook and Twitter pages)
MSKCC’s confident, intimate and professional writing style
MSKCC’s emphasis on survivorship, support groups and patient stories
MSKCC’s patient interaction(social media, comments on blog posts)
NYU’s well-written news stories (including accessible headlines)
Disease-specific portal pages (NYU, MSKCC)
Avoid: What does the competition do poorly?
Lack of social media strategy (Theurer)
Poor promotion of own expertise (Theurer, NYU)
Complicated web structure with little content (Theurer, NYU)
Underrepresentation of target populations (MSKCC)
Lack of mobile/responsive site (all)
How to distinguish the Tisch Cancer Institute from the competition?
Access to interdisciplinary teams—use patient stories, blog posts and photographs
to illustrate how oncology team works with surgeons, nurses and other experts to
achieve the best outcome

Highlight beautiful new Ruttenberg Treatment Center facility in the Hess Center for
Science and Medicine and how proximity to labs is beneficial for patients. Use social
media to show the building in different seasons (the building overlooks Central Park
and has huge windows that let in natural light) and to share photos of rotating art
exhibits (often featuring patient work).

Demonstrate emphasis on patient care. Feature interviews with the hospital’s
nutritional staff, who design meals for individuals going through treatment, or share
photos from a recent therapy dog visit.
Continue to promote clinical trials, research findings and doctors’ quotes in
popular publications and on social media. Participate in ABC Health Twitter chats
(or try a Google Hangout?) The press office does a good job of highlighting Mount
Sinai experts’ in the field, and this must continue.
Decisions:
Decisions about Design:
1. In the sidebar navigation, add a small gray plus sign near each heading, giving the
option to expand each section—for example, if you click “Locations,” a list of the
centers (Ruttenberg Treatment Center, Dubin Breast Center) and a link to their
pages will come down. This will increase efficiency and save users from navigating
back and forth. I strongly recommend renaming each heading something more
intuitive (no more misleading “Cancer Treatment” and “Cancer Services”). (Goals 3,
4)
2. Within the Cancer Institute page, replace carousels with a gateway to disease
areas. On the main page, there is competition for space, and while carousels are
more of a compromise than a design strategy, I understand their use on the home
page. Within the Cancer page, the user is presumably visiting with a specific goal in
mind- he or she is not just going to click on Sarcoma or Lung Cancer out of curiosity.
For example, when Ellen visits the Tisch Cancer Institute page, she wants to connect
immediately with the Breast Cancer resources. At this stage it makes more sense to
connect the user quickly and efficiently to the content they need. (Goals 2, 4)
3. Redesign “Find a Doctor” section, or remove it entirely. The “Doctors” tab takes
you to a list of 184 doctors who specialize in cancer, with no option to refine search.
If content were better organized by disease area, it would be easier to group doctors
into manageable lists by specialty. (Goals 2, 4)
Decisions about Content:
1. Patient stories: remove dates from patient stories, or at least put the date within
the story and not the header. Make it easier for patients to submit stories (to an
inbox, not to automatically publish) and promote this option on the website and on
social media. The personas I created are all from diverse racial and socioeconomic
backgrounds, and it is crucial that they are all represented. Continue to repurpose
content across channels. (Goals 1, 2)
2. Tag posts on the main Mount Sinai blog so that cancer-related posts show up in a
feed on the Cancer page. Additionally, embed the Tisch Cancer Institute Twitter feed
so all cancer-related content is accessible in one place. (Goals 1, 4)
3. Programming content is buried. The outpatient facility, the Ruttenberg Treatment
Center, has its own URL (mountsinai.org/ruttenberg), which is not readily
promoted. How would anyone find it? As a patient, do you identify with the
outpatient facility where you are treated (“I’m a Ruttenberg Patient”), or do you
think of yourself as a Mount Sinai or Tisch patient? This could be worth exploring in
a survey.
In the past year, there have been substantial changes to the support services
offered: new pet therapy, massage and bilingual support groups are wonderful but
not promoted on the main mountsinai.org/cancer page—it’s so difficult to find this
information that it almost seems like it doesn’t exist. Alicia, the young adult
daughter of a potential Tisch Cancer Institute patient, is savvy and web-literate;
however, she may not have the patience or the time to dig around for a current list
of support groups. (Goal 3)
Decisions about Technology:
1. Develop mobile site. An app is not necessary, although since Mount Sinai uses
MyChart for patient medical information, it may be helpful for them to promote the
MyChart app. It would be nice to have a responsive site with useful phone numbers,
maps and food locations for use on-campus, but also access to more general health
information. Melvin, who takes public transportation and does not have a desk job,
may have limited time to search the web for information. A mobile site is a great
strategy to reach him and other users. As more people are using mobile devices to
access sensitive health information, this is an increasingly valuable service. (Goal 1)
2. Establish Tisch Cancer Institute Facebook page. While undergoing cancer
treatment is sensitive, people connect deeply with the institution where they are
receiving treatment and may want to “check in” there. Others may not interact, but
wish to follow along. Facebook is a channel to share informal, appealing updates
(Free ice cream in the waiting room, a new patient art exhibit). Additionally,
portraying the center as a friendly, bustling, efficient place will be a strong
marketing tool for potential patients. It provides another opportunity to brand the
Tisch Cancer Institute as a distinct entity. (Goal 1, 2)
3. Define audience for the Tisch Cancer Institute Twitter page. Established in June
2014, the followers are growing slowly, but the content is inconsistent. If the target
audience is patients, promote more patient-centric content and interact. Set metrics
for the number of of followers you expect in a year. Work with the Social Media
Manager to promote the new account on the main hospital page, which has over
20,000 followers. Alicia already follows the Mount Sinai Hospital for community
events updates; there is a definite audience for cancer-specific content on Twitter.
Research-related Tweets, including updates from ASCO and other important cancer
meetings, should be shared in as simple language as possible. Additionally, cancerrelated activity, such as guest Q&A and Twitter chats, should be conducted from the
Tisch Cancer Institute Twitter handle to further establish the brand. (Goal 1,2)
Revised Digital Strategy:
Recommended Initiatives (with justification):
1. Improve navigability. As demonstrated with personas above, some people may
have existing connections with Mount Sinai, but may not be familiar with the Tisch
Cancer Institute. Trying to find patient content can be frustrating. I recommend
beginning with a formative evaluation and, starting at mountsinai.org, have people
from target demographic areas try to complete simple tasks (navigate to the Tisch
Cancer Institute page, find a support group, make an appointment). This will
provide valuable insight at minimal cost. The personas above should all be
represented in usability testing, to fully represent the range of tech and health
literacy.
2. Reach a wider, more diverse audience by developing and sharing well-integrated
patient stories. Currently, patient stories are developed on a one-off basis (usually a
social worker recommends a patient), and as a result, they are not updated often.
Solicit stories, giving patients clear criteria and the option to submit to an email
inbox or, if they are not comfortable writing, to send a note with their information
and a staff member will contact them for more details. This is a low-resource
strategy and it will be immediately clear whether there is interest from patients.
3. Research search engine optimization and consider location-based searches. The
Tisch Cancer Institute already utilizes SEO for specific campaigns; however,
searches based on neighborhoods (“harlem cancer,” “east harlem cancer,” “ues
cancer”, “nyc cancer”) do not yield results for the Tisch Cancer Institute. Most
searches for health information begin with a search engine, and many people might
not seek out the Tisch Cancer Institute by name. This is a potentially expensive
project, and SEO is not easy to pin down; however, in conducting simple Google
searches that my personas might do, I learned that Mount Sinai does not show up on
the first page of many search results, which is alarming.
4. Draw on existing, successful main hospital Twitter and Facebook pages to
promote the Tisch Cancer Institute’s social media presence. As noted above, the
Tisch Cancer Institute’s Twitter account was founded in June 2014. In order to
establish an independent digital identity for the cancer institute, I recommend
creating a patient-centric Facebook page as well. This is a low-cost strategy that will
require collaboration between the Social Media Manager for the Hospital System
and the Tisch Cancer Institute’s communications team.
One Wild Initiative (with justification):
I recommend re-designing the Tisch Cancer Institute website so there is one main
page (tischcancerinstitute.org) with gateways for Patient Information, Research and
Education and Training. A project of this magnitude will require input from many
stakeholders, but I assert that it will streamline content and address the four goals
outlined above (Acquiring and retaining online audience, increasing awareness,
promoting social work programs and serving as a resource for community health
inquiries).
In the current patient-facing Cancer home page, there is no clear place to start
looking for information on a specific disease or condition. The re-imagined Patient
Information page would feature a drop-down menu with an alphabetical list of
disease areas, and each page would have an identical layout with custom
photography. Within the disease-specific pages, there would be information about
symptoms, diagnosis, things to ask your doctor, clinical trials and support services,
as well as a clear “Make an Appointment” option. This provides an opportunity to
reinforce expertise in each disease area, direct people to information about specific
clinical trials and highlight cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Research and Education and Training pages would also be easily accessible from the
Patient page; even though they are not the primary audience for these pages, it is a
mistake to keep them separate from the patient. I recommend sharing lay research
abstracts in order to foster curiosity and encourage patients to take an active
interest in research developments.
In large organizations, websites are often built based on departmental structure,
rather than what consumers would actually search for. While it can be difficult to
modify these silos, especially after years of reinforcing them, it is important to think
of how content silos are alienating your audience and making it difficult for them to
navigate. Mountsinai.org/cancer takes you to the main patient-focused cancer site,
but the Ruttenberg Treatment Center has its own sub-site,
mountsinai.org/ruttenberg, which is where most of the social work content lives.
Ideally, all patient content would be easily accessible, and pre-appointment
information would be all in one place. Questions to ask your doctor, such as the
Choosing Wisely material demonstrated by Tara Montgomery of Consumer Reports,
should be easy to find. These questions should be available in English and Spanish
and should include both general and condition or procedure-related topics to
encourage open communication and establish a relationship between the patient
and provider. A cancer diagnosis can be so overwhelming, and the medical provider
should encourage patients to take an active role in their own care from the
beginning.
Photography and stories go a long way towards making a good impression. Pictures
of a well-designed, brightly lit waiting room or infusion suite make the hospital
experience a little easier to face: it makes the hospital no longer a hulking monolith
but a real, well-appointed room, with iPads, comfortable recliners and bright
windows. Mount Sinai does not use stock photography on their website, which is
promising, and I recommend continually assessing and refreshing the photos on the
website and in social media. The Mount Sinai Hospital’s location overlooking Central
Park provides enormous opportunity to show off beautiful views in all seasons, and
the outpatient clinic at the Ruttenberg Treatment Center was designed to emphasize
efficiency and patient satisfaction. As I learned from looking at the Theurer Cancer
Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, it is not enough to have a current,
patient-centric facility; the commitment to patient experience should come across
on the web.
Patient stories do not have to follow the same predictable narrative (“I was sick,
then I got better”), but instead they can offer a realistic portrayal of each unique
patient experience and can highlight why they chose the Tisch Cancer Institute for
their treatment. Patient stories could be posted as a series, building interest in
different patients’ narratives and checking in with them over time. Additionally,
many patients also keep blogs and, if they are willing, can link to their personal blog
or Twitter account. Ellen, the young mother, who is an avid reader of lifestyle blogs,
may be interested in reading about what it’s really like to raise a young child while
being treated for cancer.
Conclusions:
Assessing an organization’s digital strategy can seem intimidating, time consuming
and expensive. A large website can be difficult to address, especially when it has
been organized by departmental structure and not by how people search for
information. By breaking down the current strategy, looking at how competitors are
addressing the same challenges and establishing metrics, it is possible to propose
meaningful, measurable changes.
A well-organized, intuitive and patient-centric web presence is vital to defining the
Tisch Cancer Institute as a leader. While some of the personas I described may have
prior knowledge of Mount Sinai, an outstanding web presence with lively, inviting
content will help the Tisch Cancer Institute stand out in the dense New York
healthcare market.
A web presence is no longer a supplemental, “nice to have” marketing tool, it is an
organization’s front door. Many of the organizations I looked at in my competitive
analysis undermine their own strengths by neglecting the web. Investing in the web
is relatively inexpensive compared to other capital expenses, and can establish the
professionalism and accessibility of the services offered.
References:
Cancer Centers Program - Cancer Centers List. Cancer Centers Program - Cancer
Centers List. Retrieved July 28, 2014, from
http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/cancer_centers/cancer-centers-list2.html#NY
Health Fact Sheet. Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS.
Retrieved July 28, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/health-factsheet/
John Theurer Cancer Center. John Theurer Cancer Center. Retrieved July 30, 2014,
from http://www.jtcancercenter.org/
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Retrieved July 28, 2014, from http://www.mskcc.org/
Mount Sinai Hospital - New York City - The Mount Sinai Hospital. The Mount Sinai
Hospital. Retrieved July 30, 2014, from http://www.mountsinai.org/
Perlmutter Cancer Center. NYU Cancer Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2014, from
http://cancer.med.nyu.edu/
Top-Ranked Hospitals for Cancer. US News. Retrieved July 30, 2014, from
http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/cancer
Appendix A: What did you learn in the process of doing this research?
By developing personas and thinking about their scenarios, I learned about the
complex factors that go into trust, credibility and decision-making.
As indicated above, there may be other New York City cancer centers that come to
mind before the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai. I learned how important it is
to refine and express the message that “this is the place for you.” While Memorial
Sloan Kettering may be a strong competitor, there are advantages to being a part of
an academic medical center within a large hospital system that we can emphasize.
While I recommend a revitalized online presence for the Tisch Cancer Institute,
building long-term relationships with the Mount Sinai Health System are also vital.
Many of the personas I developed live in the area and may have an existing
relationship with the hospital as a trusted source for health information. Offline,
engagement with community and faith-based organizations can be critical to
building interaction.
I learned that even strategists and marketers are subject to bias, and that it is
essential to break down your perceptions and view your competitors through the
eyes of your constituents.
Appendix B: About the Author
Emily Klein is pursuing a Certificate in Digital Health Communication at Tufts
University. She currently works at the Tisch Cancer Institute, where she plans
seminars and events for faculty and patients. Emily’s interest in health
communication began at the American Cancer Society, where she worked as a
fundraiser after college. She has a background in grant administration and is
interested in enabling a lay audience to make complex health decisions.