How to Source, Write, and Use Patient Stories in Healthcare Marketing

Read this to master the art of patient stories

Some content in healthcare marketing never goes out of style. Case in point: patient stories.

There’s a reason patient stories play a recurring role on healthcare content calendars — they’re powerful bottom-funnel assets. If you’re working on mastering the skill of patient story writing, this guide’s for you.

Why are patient stories important?

Facing a health scare can feel isolating, like no one in the world knows what you’re going through. Family and friends want to understand, but it’s hard for them to truly get it.

Who does get it? People who have already walked the path — former patients who beat the disease or went through a similar treatment.

 Reading success stories about patients like them can:

• Help them feel less alone
• Calm their fears and anxiety
• Give them confidence in the healthcare system (and specific hospitals or providers)
• Encourage them to take the next step in their care and schedule an appointment

From our survey of over 500 participants, 77% said they considered patient reviews when looking for a doctor. People seek out success stories before they book.

Patient testimonials engage your audience

Beyond supporting prospective patients and driving conversion, patient testimonials also drive engagement for your health system.

With most social media platforms throttling engagement, marketers need to do everything they can to draw attention and build an authentic community.

We’re wired to love a good story. People find patient story videos inspiring. They engage with and share this type of content more often than brand-centric posts — lean into that.

How do you pick the right patient stories to tell?

Your job isn’t just writing patient stories. It’s sourcing them, getting patient approval, and publishing them at the right time.

Every story is worth telling, but some will be more successful for your health system than others. So, how do you choose which ones to share?

1. Talk to staff

Ask physicians, nurses, and other providers to recall their most complex case, memorable patient, or emotional interaction.

Dayton Children’s “Connected” documentary is a great example of a patient story about a complex case: a separation of twins conjoined at the head. Watch the trailer below.

2. Monitor social media

Ask your social media team if any stories or shout-outs have been posted to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn. Patients who shared their stories on their own accounts might be open to sharing their experiences with a wider audience — reach out to them.

Also, set up Google Alerts for your health system or hospital’s name to automate social monitoring.

3. Get stories straight from the source

Many people would be happy to share their story if it can help someone. But patients don’t know they can reach out to their hospital’s marketing team — and after treatment is over, that’s probably the last thing on their mind.

Give people a simple and secure method to submit patient testimonials. Include a way for them to provide their contact information so you can reach out to create a formal patient story.

Our client, UCLA Health, built an online forum for this purpose and saw patient story submissions increase by 93%. Read the results in our case study.

4. Prioritize which stories to tell

Think about your marketing strategy objectives. Are you trying to:

• Increase volume in a particular service line?
• Secure new donors?
• Attract more diverse patients or staff?
• Bring awareness to an institutional differentiator, like an innovative treatment option?

Use these objectives to inform which patient stories you tell next.

For example, this patient story highlights St. Luke’s support service for cancer patients, Nurse Navigators.

5. Encourage staff to capture big moments

Your staff are your eyes and ears in the “field.” Empower them to record moving moments while they happen and consider posting the raw cell phone footage. (Secure patient permission first, of course.)

Kelly Savage, Director of Social Media and Engagement at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, did just that — and received over 1 million views on the impromptu patient story. Hear from Kelly:

How to interview patients when writing a patient story

It’s the patient’s perspective that makes their story worth watching or reading. Interview them to capture the little details.

During these interviews, lead with empathy and gratitude. Thank them for sharing their story. Tell them you understand it may be difficult to talk about or relive the experience. Express that you’re honored to hear their story and share it to help others.

Here are some topics to ask about in a patient interview:

• What was life like before and after diagnosis?
• How did the condition affect your life, and your family?
• What was the treatment process like?
• What were you worried about, and how did your medical team ease those fears?
• Do you have any standout moments to share about treatment, or how your team supported you?
• What’s life like now? How has it improved?

Finally, before publishing the story, make sure the patient is comfortable with the content and images. Ask them to fact-check and proof the piece to ensure it captures their truth. This is their story — involve them in every part of the process.

How to interview providers for patient stories

Why include the provider perspective? It sheds light on a different side of patient testimonials and shows your health system’s expertise with certain conditions or treatments.

Try to interview different members of the care team. Physician insights are great, but nurses, physical therapists, and other staff also have important details to share.

Ask them to speak to the camera (or to you) like they would to a patient. Prompt them to explain the medical terms that are bound to come up.

Consider asking providers:

• What made the case unique or complex?
• Can you describe the advanced tools or skills used during treatment?
• How did the care team work together to achieve a successful outcome?
• What would you say to give hope to patients facing this right now?

Patient story writing tips

Now that you’ve chosen the best patient stories to tell and have interviewed both the patient and providers, how should you tell the story?

Read tips from our patient story writers.

1. Use an engaging intro

Don’t stifle the reach of a great patient story by starting with, “On January 5^th, Jimmy was diagnosed with ALS.” Use those first few lines or seconds of the video to draw people in. Set the scene, jump right into the action, or build curiosity.

For example, Hospital for Special Surgery’s orthopedic patient story starts with an anecdote that raises curiosity.

2. Write an interesting title

Your title matters. “Patient Story: Tyler” will not make people want to read the story.

Read a better example of a patient testimonial title from Mayo Clinic.

3. Highlight your program and providers

Focus on the patient’s story first, but don’t forget the dedicated providers and specialized programs that made their success story possible.

Craig Hospital’s patient story format is a stellar example that covers all the bases. Sherown’s patient testimonial starts with his story, then introduces his care team (with photos and bios) and the programs that helped him.

4. Start with this patient story template

Stuck on the first few lines? Here’s a tried-and-true patient story template you can use as a baseline:

1. Start with action: Don’t tiptoe around the story — jump right in. For example, start with the moment the patient knew they were having a cardiac event.
2. Give the context: Explain what happened leading up to the big health event, diagnosis, or realization.
3. Describe the challenge: What made this case complex? What were the patient’s greatest concerns or worries? Readers can often see themselves in this part of the story.
4. Explain the treatment process: What treatments or surgeries did the patient receive, and what was that experience like? Use your insights from provider interviews to shed light on the medical side of the story.
5. End with the transformation: What is the patient’s life like now, and what can they do now that they couldn’t before? Maybe they just ran their first marathon after ACL surgery, or they reached their 3-year mark of remission. End the story by celebrating their milestones.

5. Consider sharing the mic

Instead of always writing the patient story yourself, let patients tell their own stories.

A first-person patient testimonial is captivating because readers can put themselves in the writer’s shoes. (“Yes! I felt the same way!”) Plus, any promotion of the program or your physicians is genuine since it’s coming straight from the patient.

Read the beginning of Aurora’s self-written patient story about lung cancer treatment at RUSH.

How to use patient stories in your content strategy

Patient stories have endless uses — there’s so much you can do to help people find them.

Create a strong pillar piece (either written or video) using the tips in this patient story guide. Then ride it till the wheels fall off.

First, distribute. Get more eyes on your patient success stories by posting them on social media, sharing them in your newsletter, and linking them across your website (from your homepage, program pages, clinics, you name it).

Then, repurpose. Marketers have a habit of moving on to the next piece and forgetting about the great content they already have. (We’re guilty of it, too.) Don’t abandon your patient story — revisit it after a few months, or even a year. Snip it, clip it, and reuse it for:

• Social media
• Annual reports
• Blog posts
• Donor email campaigns
• Newsletters