Medical device and surgical manufacturer Covidien has launched a website to educate patients and physicians on the benefits of bariatric surgery as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes.
The site, www.bariatrics4diabetes.com, includes testimonials from patients, procedural details and the pros and cons of gastric band versus gastric bypass, data points on the surgery’s efficacy in curing diabetes, and a surgeon locator. Partnering surgeons for the site’s locator are recruited at trade shows, and through Covidien’s sales organization, explained Jason Whitney, partner at Rosetta, an interactive agency that built the website with Covidien. “Surgical devices are not top-of-mind when you think about patient marketing,” said Whitney. “Bariatrics4diabetes is [Covidien’s] first significant foray into patient marketing.”
In addition to connecting patients with surgeons, the site asks visitors to sign up for an email newsletter. From there, potential patients are asked a series of questions to identify key motives and barriers for more efficient communication. “We’re constantly testing which aspects of our content, messaging and offerings are most relevant to specific patient segments,” said Rob Claypoole, director of marketing, at Covidien.
From the December 01, 2008 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
