When “general” trust is scarce, familiarity and trust in individuals are the ticket to brand loyalty

Much has been made of Americans’ declining trust in institutions – everything from the military to public schools have suffered a downward slide over the years. Healthcare is no exception; according to Gallup, just 34% of Americans trust “the medical system.”

Yes, but: That’s useful context, but not the most important number for any one organization to track. Anything that feels too large or impersonal – and that’s pretty much any industry – is hard to trust. It’s much more important to analyze how your own key audiences engage with your organization.

And providers have a leg up: People tend to still have high trust for their doctor and healthcare team. In fact, as we’ve written about before, nurses remain the most trusted professionals of any industry.

That means that when it comes to building trust and goodwill – the linchpins of any strong brand – your on-staff care providers are your secret advantage.

Here’s why: People trust who – and what – they know. It’s the reason consumer brands spend millions in advertising, showing you a product until it feels familiar. And it’s why consumers are more apt to trust their favorite celebrity’s endorsements or the opinions of a social media influencer than a recommendation from “the media” or a faceless healthcare system.

And in a post-COVID world, the visibility of health influencers has soared on social media. In fact, 56% of Gen Z users turn to TikTok for health and wellness advice, and 30% rely on the app as their primary source of health information because it’s “fast and free.”

In this challenging environment, it’s more important than ever before to tap into your internal voices and leverage employee ambassadors to foster public trust and positive sentiment.

Practically speaking, here’s what that could look like:

• Equip your providers to address timely topics that relate to your organization. Patients’ healthcare concerns go beyond the reason for the visit. They want to know what you’re doing to make healthcare more affordable, how your organization is actively showing up in the community, and even how you’re using AI.
  
  Those are corporate communications touchpoints that don’t show up in the charting notes, so give your providers quick talking points that enable them to address those questions or proactively share that information in a way that aligns with your organization’s values. Refresh them regularly to include your company’s latest initiatives and priorities.
• Humanize your care team on social media. Next to in-person interactions, current and prospective patients are most likely to “see” providers on your social media posts – which means it’s a great opportunity to build trust. Share quotes from your care team, attribute posts with specific advice and health recommendations to a physician (with their photo), use videos wherever possible and share a “behind-the-scenes" view into their job or career story when appropriate. By building familiarity, you can increase a person’s trust, respect and confidence in the provider – and, by extension, your organization.
• Build recognition through visuals. Outside of social media, include photos of your providers in patient-facing materials wherever possible. Each touchpoint is an opportunity to further your messaging and build patient relationships.
• Empower providers and staff to appropriately connect with patients in a crisis. Healthcare organizations typically have robust crisis response plans, but they don’t always strategize how to communicate with employees and equip them to talk with patients in the event of a crisis. Medical staff and front desk workers will be talking to patients as your ambassadors, and you’ll want a plan that leverages the trusted relationship they’ve already built when a crisis unfolds.
• Prioritize listening. Trusted relationships require two-way conversations. While a provider who truly listens to patient concerns is a hallmark of great care, it’s worth prioritizing active listening as a corporate value that translates to your front desk team and social media managers. Trust is built and solidified when someone feels truly heard and has a voice to express their opinions and experiences, even negative ones.

While “general” trust in healthcare is low, any organization can become the exception – building a loyal following through familiarity, valuable information and reliable perspectives. That’s especially true for provider organizations, which are naturally built on one-to-one patient relationships and already have a staff of trusted professionals. Building a trusted brand is slow, steady and everyday work – and it’s work that is deeply important in recruiting and retaining patients, navigating the highly politicized climate, and weathering a reputational crisis.