Patient Leaders: The Modern-Day Barbershop for Healthcare
The ability to reach and meaningfully engage with patients is not a new challenge for public health officials nor brands. This is especially true for at-risk populations where creative methods of engaging community leaders have often been the main point of connection and education.
Understanding the role Patient Leaders (PLs) play and how they best deliver messages to followers can bridge the gap between the healthcare system and those it serves, providing both community and the possibility of improved health outcomes.
Low health literacy, medical mistrust, societal pressures, and access are all barriers healthcare providers and marketers face in effectively connecting with patients. In the past, trusted leaders within common places of kinship, like barbershops and churches, have been successfully utilized to deliver health-related messages and motivation.
