Scaling video isn’t just about producing more content. For health systems, success hinges on solving four critical challenges: Cost, Control, Consistency, and Compliance. Ignore any one of them, and your video strategy falls apart. Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) and other leading organizations have discovered that mastering the Four Cs isn’t optional – it’s the foundation for a scalable, sustainable video program.
Cost: Why Overspending Doesn’t Scale
The Challenge: Traditional video shoots are expensive – equipment, travel, crews, and edits quickly push costs into five figures per video. That’s fine for one flagship piece, but impossible to sustain at scale.Common Pitfall: Relying on high-production shoots for every need. This leads to fewer videos overall, leaving big gaps in patient engagement.What’s at Stake: Without a sustainable model, health systems fall behind in digital presence, and competitors fill the void with more frequent, cost-effective content.ROI to Aim For: Systems that transition to a repeatable, template-driven approach typically reduce cost per video by 50–70%, while producing 5 –10x more content annually.Quick Check:- Are your video costs predictable and repeatable?
- Do you have a system for creating affordable evergreen assets (like provider bios)?
Control: How Governance Prevents Waste
The Challenge: Multiple facilities and departments often launch video projects independently, leading to duplication, conflicting priorities, and compliance headaches.Common Pitfall: Leaving control entirely to individual teams, which creates siloed, one-off projects that don’t serve system-wide goals.What’s at Stake: Without governance, health systems overspend, lose oversight, and miss opportunities to scale content across the network.ROI to Aim For: Systems with centralized governance and approval workflows eliminate 30 – 40% of redundant costs while speeding up turnaround time.Quick Check:- Is there a clear process for video approvals?
- Do facilities share resources, templates, and strategy?
Consistency: Templates Unify Your Brand
The Challenge: Every hospital or clinic has unique needs, but the patient experience should feel unified across the system. Video branding must reflect that.Common Pitfall: Allowing every facility to design their own look and feel. The result: mismatched logos, color schemes, and tone.What’s at Stake: Inconsistent branding erodes trust and makes patients feel like they’re interacting with disconnected organizations.ROI to Aim For: Consistent branding in video improves brand recall by up to 3x, which directly influences patient trust and loyalty.Quick Check:- Do all your videos share the same intro, outro, and brand identity?
- Can your patients instantly recognize a video as “yours”?
Compliance: Protecting Patients and the System
The Challenge: Healthcare video isn’t just marketing – it carries HIPAA and legal risks. Every video must protect patient privacy and meet rights management standards.Common Pitfall: Treating compliance as an afterthought – reviewing only after a video is complete, which causes costly delays and rework.What’s at Stake: Compliance failures can result in reputational damage, financial penalties, and loss of patient trust.ROI to Aim For: Building compliance into the video process upfront saves countless hours of review and ensures 100% audit readiness.Quick Check:- Do you have standard release forms and rights management built into your video process?
- Is compliance reviewed before, during, and after production?
