For many people, the term “engagement” summons images of diamond rings. In marketing terms, however, engagement is about something else: creating a relationship between people and a brand through meaningful interactions.

New software being used by Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Marketing and Communications Department aims to improve that engagement by better understanding the wants and needs of health care consumers.

The application, called customer relationship management (CRM) software, makes it easier to give people the health and medical information that is most relevant to them. When a visitor interacts with Johns Hopkins Medicine online — for instance, by signing up for a newsletter — a corresponding CRM profile is created. That profile connects all of the user’s interactions and helps Johns Hopkins Medicine best determine his or her needs.

“We can share health condition-focused content, news on specific medical breakthroughs, relevant patient stories, videos and more targeted information — all based off of someone’s profile,” says Therese Lockemy, director of Internet marketing and social engagement.

Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI) recently launched CRM software to better manage its international patients from the initial point of their inquiries to the time of their discharge.

“We want to build long-term relationships between our brand and our patients in a way that is meaningful to their health and wellness,” says Lindsay Roylance Rothstein, director of marketing and communications for JHI. “To accomplish that, we need to know what we’re doing right and what we can do to improve the experience.”

As the number of CRM profiles increases, Johns Hopkins Medicine can analyze the information to more efficiently and effectively engage health care consumers. In the future, JHI’s CRM will join the Marketing and Communications Department’s CRM to create a powerful tool to measure success and identify areas to expand consumer engagement with the institution.