Marketing and Messaging Palliative Care
Marketing, supported by sound messaging, helps patients, families, referrers, and service partners understand the work that you do. When done well, program marketing can communicate the benefits of palliative care to patients in need, clarify common misperceptions about palliative care, and increase the number and appropriateness of referrals.
Use this toolkit to refine your program’s marketing strategy.
What’s in the Toolkit
Messaging and Education for Colleagues
Tools for defining palliative care to new audiences.
Definition of palliative care and how it improves quality of life for patients living with a serious illness, and their families.
User-tested language on how to talk about what palliative care is and why it's needed. Includes the definition of palliative care.
A quick and easy reference for what to say - and what not to say - when communicating about palliative care.
Messages and supporting points that palliative care professionals can use with the public and press to explain the role of palliative care in COVID-19.
Messaging is critical to the field of Palliative Care. Clarity and consistency are key. Watch this webinar recording for a deep dive into the most frequently asked questions about how to use palliative care messaging.
Presentation on key messaging considerations for palliative care professionals and advocates.
Videos from CAPC's YouTube channel about messaging palliative care.
This graphic illustrates that palliative care is appropriate at any point in a serious illness and is based on need, not prognosis. The goal is to improve quality of life.
Read these stories of people living with a serious illness, and benefiting from palliative care.
Use this document as a guide for choosing appropriate photos when communicating about palliative care.
Tools to make the case for palliative care resources and financial partnerships, including: the palliative care evidence base, and downloadable tools for presenting the case.
Audience Research
CAPC's extensive national public opinion research on palliative care.
Insights from qualitative and quantitative research that tracked public and physician awareness, perceptions, attitudes, and interest in palliative care and how they have shifted over time. Watch the recording and download the slides.
Slides from August 8, 2019 briefing on insights from qualitative and quantitative research that tracked public and physician awareness, perceptions, attitudes, and interest in palliative care and how they have shifted over time.
In 2011, CAPC engaged the polling firm Public Opinion Strategies (POS), to conduct extensive national audience research on palliative care among U.S. adults. This national survey resulted in the only evidence-based definition of palliative care.
Designing Your Marketing Strategy
A structured framework to strategically market the program to different audiences.
Guidance on increasing palliative care referrals through internal marketing.
In this Virtual Office Hour, ask questions about how to promote your program, including advice for engaging stakeholders, understanding referral criteria, and using appropriate messaging for marketing palliative care services.
Excerpted from the CAPC Guide to Building a Hospital Palliative Care Program, but useful for programs all settings. Revised December 2014.
These eight questions will help palliative care teams across settings get the information they need to form the basis of the marketing plan, including strong communications with stakeholders.
Strengthening Referrer Relationships
Educating referrers about the value of palliative care via effective marketing.
Guidance for palliative care teams to build collaborative relationships with referrers.
A useful aid for clinicians and a great marketing tool for palliative care teams, this quick-reference pain management pocket guide can be handed out to referral sources and all clinicians treating patients with a serious illness.
An effective progress note based on the core domains of palliative care is one of your best marketing tools. There's no better way to effectively show referral sources what palliative care can do. Sample document shared by Carle Foundation Hospital, 2017.
Media
Knowing how to talk to the press is an important part of messaging.
Guide for palliative care professionals working with the media. Center to Advance Palliative Care, revised 2014.
For Patients and Families
Patient information materials to describe the benefits of palliative care.
Available on GetPalliativeCare.org, this handout contains patient and family-focused frequently asked questions about palliative care.
Use this template to craft a program brochure that describes your services to patients and families.
