Case Study: 5 Things You Can Learn from NYU Langone Health’s Physician Focus Website Design
This physician-facing content hub shines a light on the innovative work being done at one of the nation’s top hospital systems and academic medical centers.
By Rebecca Au-Mullaney
Physicians are a challenging audience to reach. They’re busier than ever, inundated with information and often focused on specific specialties. With this in mind, NYU Langone Health partnered with Casual Astronaut on the creation of a content program that would break through to them: Physician Focus, a physician-facing content hub that spotlights NYU Langone’s treatment innovations, research advances and complex cases in more than a dozen specialties while highlighting the hospital’s quality of care.
But the site aims to do more than that. It works to elevate awareness of NYU Langone, one of the largest and most lauded hospital systems in the country, among referring physicians and prospective residents and fellows. Here are five things you can learn from the success of Physician Focus.
1. You Can Raise Reputational Awareness through Owned Content
NYU Langone has long been one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, and consistently places in the top U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) rankings in numerous categories and specialties. But the organization seeks to do even better, and Physician Focus was conceived as a website for doctors to stay informed of NYU Langone’s innovations and advancements in patient care, education and research. By publishing a consistent stream of content, NYU Langone specifically positions itself as a national leader in multiple specialties.
2. To Keep Readers Engaged, You Should Deliver Information in a Variety of Formats
Doctors may be a unique audience, but, just like other groups, they appreciate variety when it comes to their content. Physician Focus enables NYU Langone to present its research and accomplishments in multiple formats, from infographics and complex case slideshows to videos, Q&As and more, making it much more than your run-of-the-mill medical website. It also offers a means by which to shares stories alongside striking photography — often behind-the-scenes images provided by physicians themselves. The result is rich, compelling storytelling that speaks directly to doctors.
3. Specialized Audiences Need an Easy Way to Access the Content They Care About
Physician Focus highlights the work being done — by physicians, for physicians — in 16 specialties, from geriatrics to neurology to orthopedics, pediatrics and more. Near the top of the homepage, users are encouraged to “Explore by Specialty,” allowing them to quickly navigate to the information that applies to them. Plus, each specialty page includes accolades that underscore NYU Langone’s expertise in that particular field.
4. Your Distribution Strategy Should be Incorporated into Your Website Design
Email signups are the dominating call-to-action throughout the site for good reason. Physicians are a busy and specialized bunch. Encouraging them to sign up for specialty-focused emails allows NYU Langone to distribute curated content directly to their inboxes. Plus, it further positions the site as a valuable resource that provides subscribers with the information they want.
5. Your Content Hub Can Be Leveraged as a Recruiting and Referral Tool
NYU Langone aims to attract and retain the best minds in medicine, and Physician Focus serves as another means by which the organization can appeal to physicians looking to work at one of the top medical centers in the country.
Referrals are also a key component of the site. “Refer a Patient” CTAs appear on every specialty page and article, inviting users to learn more about NYU Langone’s specialists and the work they do in the hope that their eventual partnership will lead to better patient outcomes and physician collaboration. Plus, the Physician Resources page gives both audiences — referring physicians and prospective employees — a central place to find pertinent information quickly.
What Audience Are You Trying to Reach?
We can help build a strategy that meets your audience where they are and encourages them to take action.
Rebecca has more than a decade of experience in nonprofit, healthcare and higher education marketing, with roles ranging from alumni magazine editor-in-chief to director of strategic communications. At C/A, she spearheads content programs for clients such as the Osteosarcoma Institute and Rutgers University.
When she’s not working, Rebecca can be found exploring every park in a 30-minute radius with her two young daughters. She enjoys journaling, painting and talking big ideas with her husband and friends.