Customer Journey: From First Awareness to Advocate

Two tracks run side by side: the family choosing care and the hospital team referring the patient. They meet at admission. Stages 1–4 often happen within 48 hours. That window is when content, reviews and speed to lead decide who gets the admission.

The table below illustrates what the family and the referral team are doing, how the family feels, what they’re thinking, where they encounter the facility, and what the content engine should do and measure.

Family Referral partners After admission 48-hour window

The slower path: long-term and memory care

Families planning long-term care research for weeks or months, tour several buildings and weigh cost heavily, often starting on private pay and later moving to Medicaid. Tag these leads separately so their longer cycle doesn’t drag down short-term rehab conversion rates.

Short-term rehabLong-term care Starts withHospital dischargeDecline at home Decision timeHours to 2 daysWeeks to months Main payerMedicare Part A, Medicare AdvantagePrivate pay, then Medicaid Content that worksCoverage, therapy outcomes, fast callbacksTours, cost and Medicaid planning, nurture emails

What the journey means for reporting

  • Measure speed: Speed to lead and referral response time matter as much as traffic volume
  • Credit fairly: Many content-influenced families still arrive as hospital referrals, so use the influenced attribution model
  • Tag by audience: Family content and referral-partner content should be measured as separate tracks
  • Close the loop: Outcomes in stages 7 and 8 drive CMS stars, reviews and the next referral