touch point podcast

As health systems embrace customer-first strategies and consumerism, one aspect of many of these strategies is notable absent: price transparency. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss how the industry is facing unparalleled pressure to publish their prices online. They discuss the recent executive order on health care price transparency, how payers, employers and hospitals are...

Digital professionals in health systems are aware of the importance of accessibility and usability, but often the two terms are used interchangeably. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss the nuanced differences between the two terms, share recent trends on ADA non-compliance and even discuss how voice-first devices can be used to support accessibility. They are joined by Kris...

For health systems, digital signage can be an important tactic to improve patient, visitor and/or staff’s experiences. However, it is often an overlooked tool in a digital professional’s toolkit. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss the state of digital marketing in health care, how the Internet of Things (IoT) is helping digital signage to break free from the screens, and the...

The term “agile marketing” is gaining momentum in health system marketing suites. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss the agile methodology and share the essential components of the agile process and tips that marketing teams should use when introducing this into their organizations. They are joined by Alyssa Kleinman of CipherHealth, who shares her marketing team’s experienc...

When developing taxonomic approaches to assist with website and digital efforts, we should always strive to put users first to help them find information faster (and limit berrypicking). In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss the different types of website taxonomy and how digital trends such as voice-search and chatbots are impacting how to approach taxonomy. They are joined by...

In the annual Listener Choice Awards show, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer reflect back on 2019, sharing some of their most favorite topics, guests and episodes from the TouchPoint podcast and countdown listener’s top voted categories, including: best cold-open, best guest expert and the coveted Top Fan of 2018. Congratulations to Vanessa Hughes (best guest) and Jim Samuel (2019 Fan of the Year)....

As the role of digital in health systems is evolving, we are becoming less focused on digital tactics and more focused on transformation and innovation. But what does that mean? In this holiday-themed episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss how creativity and open-mindedness thinking are critical elements of innovation, and share ways to train our minds to become more creative. They are...

In the 150th episode of the show, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer offer a “holiday sampler platter” of all the great shows available on the TouchPoint Network and the best-of from 2019, as voted by our hosts Greg Matthews (Datapoint), Zac Jiwa (Health Fail) Bobby Rettew (The Intersection Podcast and Gear In Review), and Lance Lunsford (The Connected Hospital). Tune in to hear the top clips of the...

The use of empathy to understand your customers and users is not foreign to healthcare professionals, but (as is usually the case) often means different things to different people. In this episode hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer explore the definition of empathy design, empathy maps and how to use empathy marketing. They are joined by Justin Wartell, Managing Principal at Monigle, how shares the...

Today’s health system marketing department often work with a number of vendors and partners to support digital efforts. Hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss the nuances of being a vendor versus a partner, and the differences between agencies and consultancies. They are joined by Cynthia Newton and Jessica Walker who share best practices in developing unity among multiple partnerships.  Mention...

As health system social media strategies evolve and change due to internal and external factors, the need to understand the right social media structure and approach becomes important to engage with the empowered digital consumer. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith share their own unique research on the state of social media, and then share a framework to help hospitals assist with...

In many health systems, the role of the digital marketing is sometimes seen as the antithesis of population health initiatives. However, as with many other departments in health systems, these roles are starting to converge. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss population health management in the digital age, and how consumerism is driving a new era of digital health. They are...

Imagine if Facebook was no longer part of your social media strategy...this is the scenario hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss in this week’s episode. Inspired by a recent debate at a social media conference, they discuss the difficulties social media platforms face when they grow too large, and share some of the advances Facebook is making (controversial or otherwise) in the space of health...

Recorded in Orlando, Florida at the 23rd Annual Healthcare Internet Conference, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss themes coming from this year’s event, including digital transformation, the total customer experience and how to address not only consumers but physicians as a key audience. They are joined in the conversation by experts Jane Crosby (VP, Strategy and Business Development at True...

Recorded before a live audience, this week’s episode features hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer moderating a discussion at the Mayo Clinic Social Media Network Annual Conference in Rochester, MN. They are joined by guest panelists from Mayo Clinic’s social media team: Margaret Shepard, Stacy Theobald and Audrey Laine Seymour as they discuss how they approach and manage the social media platforms fo...

Influencer marketing, while not a new strategy, is constantly evolving and changing. But how often do hospitals and health systems utilize this strategy in their digital efforts? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss latest trends and approaches to digital strategies and how it differs from patient testimonials and thought-leadership approaches. They are joined by influencer ma...

A not uncommon topic for the podcast, in this episode hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss digital transformation and why it’s so difficult for hospitals and health systems. They explore whether it’s just because the industry is bad at transformation, or if the focus in on solving the right goals. They are joined by John Benrdt, president of TBG, where he shares his perspective on digital tran...

The digital space in healthcare is under constant change and evolution. Yet professionals in the industry are compelled to stay on top of the most current trends. How do stay relevant? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss the theory of adult learning, share ways in which digital marketers can keep abreast of new trends in our space and also share what they’ve learned in over t...

In hospitals and health systems, it is often a struggle for a digital technologist to remain strategic. Perhaps this is why 70% of all digital transformation efforts don’t reach their goals. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss the challenges of being strategic, common reasons why digital projects fail and steps digital professionals can’t skip when launching digital projects....

The technology stack is the hidden workhorse of a modern marketing team. Yet, to many, the concept of a synchronous martech stack is deemed “too techy” (and often relegated to IT). In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer bust down the myths of the modern technology stack, outline a simple framework for health systems to use when assessing the tools they have available, and even discuss s...

A common mantra organizations hear when transforming themselves to become digital first is to “act more like a start-up.” But what does that actually mean? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss the characteristics that larger organizations should embrace to become more like a start-up, including cultural and workplace design efforts. They also discuss challenges that start-ups...

With the rise of consumerism and the introduction of a whole suite of technology to support marketing efforts, it’s natural that healthcare marketing organizations must evolve. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss the way hospitals and health systems are changing their marketing departments and how important the role of the digital technologist plays in new digital teams. Rach...

In this very special episode of touch point, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer feature a recent panel discussion that discusses best practices for online reputation and listing management. Hosted by Aaron Clifford of Binary Fountain, panel guests include Reed, John Musser of Sport Clips and Krystal Taing of RIO SEO. They cover a variety of topics including how SEO’s impact on listing ranking, how o...

Whether we like it or not, Facebook is still the most dominant social media platform - across all age ranges. Hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss the latest stats of Facebook’s usage in the United States as well as some of the latest changes being made to the platform and how hospitals and health systems can take advantage of this powerful social platform. They are joined by Jenn Thai, Social...

It seems natural that philanthropy is a significant component of non-profit health systems - but how does digital play a part? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss how digital is impacting the way donors interact with hospital foundations, from the psychological shift to crowdfunding to the digital tools used in modern fundraising efforts. They are joined by Jean Hitchcock, pr...