You might have noticed more healthcare advertisements this year than you normally do. They seem to be everywhere, reminding us about “these unprecedented times.”
Many health videos use emotional appeal to grab attention and keep us engaged in the message. But another effective tactic is humor.
Funny healthcare videos appeal to both patients and physicians. They use comedy to show situations we’ve all experienced to send a message about different, common issues within the medical space.
Even if they aren’t released by an actual practice, there are funny healthcare videos that send messages which people can relate to.
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Frustrations with Healthcare
Let’s face it, the healthcare industry isn’t straightforward. From scheduling an appointment to making the final payment, receiving care is a process for both the patient and the entire medical staff.
There’s not a lack of videos that show the struggle on both sides of the exam room. For patients, it can often seem like there are hurdles to jump just to get the care they need. Then, staff and doctors have to feel the patients’ frustrations over things that are out of their control.
This video shows the complexities by using symbolic metaphors that compare the healthcare and travel industries. While we feel the frustrations of the customer, it’s also humorous hearing comparisons related to another industry. Even medical staff can relate to the questions that the customer asks the travel agent.
Another video compares a doctor’s appointment to dining in a restaurant. This video, released by Intermountain Healthcare, shows customers’ irritations. While it’s satirical, we can all relate. It’s laughable to think of these encounters happening in any other industry. Videos like these make the viewer consider what aspects of healthcare can improve.
There’s one funny video concept which celebrity Jimmy Kimmel uses on his show. This is where celebrities read mean Tweets that users have posted about them. Well, healthcare workers decided to do this themselves.
These Tweets weren’t directed toward anyone specifically. But they highlighted patients’ frustrations with physical therapist’s processes and terms.
Commonality Through Pain Points
We all know that there are discomforts whether it’s from treatment, procedure, or medication. And some funny healthcare videos portray these physical pains.
This fake advertisement shows what a dental ad would look like if they were honest.
It includes each part of an appointment that is most uncomfortable, including the waiting room.
The video dramatizes the experience to mock dental visits which we might hope will be better than the last, but are never any different. That’s why we keep going to them despite how uncomfortable they are: we always know what to expect, like this video shows.
From a doctor’s perspective, it’s funny to see patients’ reactions to treatment. Doctors do their jobs to help patients heal. But sometimes this comes at the cost of temporary discomfort.
To a medical professional, it’s obvious when this temporary pain outweighs problems in the long run. But some people write off this discomfort and pain as the treatment that just isn’t working.
This Mean Tweets segment about physical therapy shows how patients discredit their treatment. Tweets might not be formal reviews, but they can still make others hesitant to receive care especially from a particular practice.
But the physical therapists in this video use a lighthearted way to respond to these negative comments from patients.
Another pain that people deal with is medication side effects. If you think about any health product commercial, you know that they end with a rattled-off list of potential adverse effects as fast as possible. The video below mocks the long list of side effects, some of which might sound ridiculous.
Certain medications cause people to sacrifice comfort in one area to help their health in another.
Anyone who takes medicines with side effects understands this, so they can appreciate the humor in this next video.
Unfortunately, hearing these side effects can cause medication noncompliance. People get scared thinking of all the bad things that could happen to them.
Drugs list 70 potential reactions on average per commercial. Of course, this would be overwhelming to a patient and even doctors as they try to prescribe medicines.
But the first “medication” video mocks how ridiculous some side effects are because they aren’t likely to happen. The second video shows patients sacrificing their comfort for a condition more serious.
Regardless of what the concern is, patients should consult a doctor if they’re worried. I’m not saying they shouldn’t pay attention to side effects because they likely won’t happen. But it isn’t worth ignoring medication directions over a fear of these mile-long lists of side effects.
Overexaggerated Diagnosis
False diagnoses aren’t uncommon. Health professionals misdiagnose patients at a rate of 10% to 15%. Meanwhile, 65% of patients try to self-diagnose their own symptoms using the internet.
Funny videos point out these common healthcare problems. This musical skit comes from Harvard Medical School and it shows students so eager to diagnose that they overlook common issues.
What makes this video so funny is that everyone can relate to it. They often find rare or fatal conditions that match their symptoms when they try to self-diagnose, causing many to assume the worst. But people are quick to overthink, which is why self-diagnosing is never helpful.
Mistakes in Compliance
Cybersecurity and compliance are an important part of healthcare. If you work in the medical industry, then you understand the feeling that someone is constantly talking about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Most health organizations do annual HIPAA training, though it comes up more often than once every year.
Despite always having reminders about HIPAA, breaches still happen, and they’re often the result of human error. This skit might seem cheesy, but it shows the importance of HIPAA training. And that no matter how much training there is, there will always be people who just don’t take it seriously.
Fear of Going to The Doctor
It isn’t uncommon for people to fear trained medical professionals. While it might sound ridiculous, it’s understandable since no one likes the unknown. People are afraid that they’ll end up with bad doctors or experience a medical error.
AT&T doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to the fear of doctors and hospitals.
This ad isn’t for healthcare, but the message still relates. Just OK is not OK when it comes to healthcare; we want the best.
But the reality is that most people are too afraid of the unknown to pick any doctor. They rely on others’ testimonials and reviews before making a decision.
This next video gives the message not to make quick assumptions because doing so could cause unnecessary panic. Instead, wait for credible information from the doctor or health staff.
The Professional's Perspective
The medical journey might be frustrating for patients, but it also is for doctors. As you saw through some of these videos, patients say and ask things that seem silly to a care provider.
Doctors might want to be completely honest with their patients, but that isn’t necessarily professional.
Especially when people search for answers online, doctors everywhere are shaking their heads. First of all, it’s unhelpful to look for health information from non-credible sources online. But even doctors wouldn’t be able to give straightforward answers when they know nothing about you and your health.
Doctors can relate to this video from some of the absurd questions that people ask. It also shows how looking to the Internet for health answers doesn’t help; it’s still necessary to visit an actual doctor.
Conclusion
There are many different ways that health advertisements and videos can grab attention, but humor is one of the easiest.
People can easily relate to the struggles of health through lighthearted videos. These take what is usually a negative or unpleasant experience and turn it into positive emotion through humor.
They emphasize problems that a lot of patients and even medical professionals face. This helps get attention to send and remind people about important health topics. It encourages conversation about situations that might cause discomfort with receiving care.
After all, there is some truth to every joke.
