Health Influencer 50

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Health: Employee trust is the bottom line

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By: Susan Isenberg, Global chair, Edelman Health

In all aspects of life, trust is a fundamental ingredient for strong relationships.  When I think of my personal life, the people I trust the most are the ones who have been with me the longest – like my family and friends.  These are the people with whom I’ve had the most extensive relationships; they have seen me over time – at my best and at my worst – and truly know who I am at my core.

I’m fortunate to have another long-term relationship: my employer, Edelman, where I’ve worked for more than 26 years. Like my other long-term relationships, this one too has evolved over the years and grown stronger and more trusted the more time I’ve spent on it. It’s a relationship that I’ve learned from, that has shown me the world and has provided me personal and professional satisfaction. I trust that at Edelman I can continue to reach new career milestones, and I trust that my values will continue to be reflected within the company.

As Edelman Trust Barometer data has shown, the employer-employee relationship is essential to maintaining and building trust. The 2019 edition reported that when employees trust their employers, they are far more likely to advocate on their behalf, stay loyal, be engaged and live the organization’s mission.

The good news is that globally, employees in a specific industry sector have a high level of trust in their sector; the bad news is that this is not true for the healthcare industry. While those who work in industries like energy, financial services and fashion trust their business sectors much more than the general population does, healthcare sees little of this employee trust advantage. Trust levels in healthcare are nearly the same across both employees and the mass population. Clearly, there is work to be done.

When looking at employees’ expectations of healthcare employers compared to perceived performance of healthcare employers in those areas, Trust Barometer data show healthcare lags behind in employee empowerment and CEO leadership. Healthcare companies should look to rebuild trust by doubling down on internal communication efforts and fostering engagements that are driven by employees themselves. Beyond their commitment to patients, health organizations must show how they are purpose-driven. Employees want to know what their employers are doing to make the world a better place – and how their job directly contributes to this societal impact.

In business as in life, trust is essential. For businesses, particularly those within the health sector, employees are ground zero for growing trust. Edelman has been helping clients do this for years, and I’ve been proud to be part of that. I’m honored to be named to the Health Influencer 50 list and look forward to what we will accomplish in trust and in health in 2020.

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It’s time to advocate for caregivers

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By: Wendy Lund, CEO, GCI Health

When someone is diagnosed with a health condition, their entire support system feels the impact. As patients begin navigating their “new normal,” family members and friends may find themselves facing challenges as they take on the role of caregiver. We are continually reminded of how one illness can touch many lives in many ways.

This topic is near and dear to me, having been a caregiver for a very close family member who went through a cancer diagnosis. It’s a grueling and lonely experience, and I’m happy to say we are now cancer-free. In addition, along with most of my friends, my aging parents decided to stay in their home long-term, raising issues of constant concern and stress over their health.

Considering these experiences, I was excited about GCI Health’s new partnership with The Mighty, an innovative health platform with an engaged community of patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals. Together, we analyzed findings from their community survey of over 2,000 users to better understand how the needs of patients and their caregivers seeking health information are changing and, correspondingly, how communications strategies must change to meet these needs.

Of the approximately one million caregivers who use The Mighty, an astounding 85% do double duty as patient and caregiver. As a healthy caregiver, I can’t even imagine how hard this must be. It takes a toll on the well-being of these caregivers – about one in three care for more than one patient concurrently, and the time they spend trying to decompress from their “job” as caregiver doesn’t fall under leisure, but rather recovery and self-preservation. It’s physically demanding and emotionally draining. The survey revealed that while caregivers spend 35% of their waking day giving care, they spend about 67% thinking about it! It’s a huge burden mentally, emotionally, physically and financially.

Beyond acute illness, many chronic conditions also have a genetic component, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. These diseases, and others, can affect the entire family, which can be stressful for the caregiver. In addition, caregivers living with a chronic condition often shoulder a greater load than patients. They usually must “power through” and help family members who may be living with the same condition but with greater disability. While noble, sacrificing self-care for the care of others isn’t sustainable over the long term and is a recipe for disaster.

Recognizing the need for healthcare organizations to better understand the mindset of the patients they serve and put patient centricity into practice, GCI Health recently launched a new methodology – People Centricity™. This people-centric roadmap, powered by our experience and The Mighty’s insights into patient needs, focuses on caregiver strategies as more people do double duty as patients and caregivers and recognizes the role the entire family plays in health decisions and care, particularly in multicultural communities. Many times, black and Latino families play a more significant role in caring for family members than in Caucasian families. Additionally, as diseases like cancer, mental illness, heart disease and Alzheimer’s continue to require greater support, these family caregivers need more help than ever.

While illness presents untold challenges and hardships, it’s inspiring to see people rise to the occasion. Whether it’s caring for a loved one, living with a health condition (or both!) or working to treat it, their determination and perseverance make a world of difference. We should never forget the caregiver, and I hope healthcare companies will devote more time and attention to this critical “team member” as we move into 2020. My hope for 2020 = Year of the Caregiver!

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Partner Content: Making Self Care a Priority is Not Selfish

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By: Wendy Lund, CEO, GCI Health

One out of two women reading this article is not making the time to focus on her health – which one are you?

Do you write “Get flu shot” at the bottom of your to-do list every year, but never manage to cross it off? Do you postpone scheduling health screenings because you’re too busy balancing work and the needs of others, and there simply aren’t enough hours to get it all done?

If this sounds familiar, you aren’t alone. When GCI Health partnered with Redbook magazine and HealthyWomen, we polled more than 1,000 women between the ages of 30 and 60 about health habits for themselves and their families. We found that nearly half just don’t make their own health a priority.

This is because women feel caught between their health goals and what others expect of them. While we’re often the ones making the healthcare decisions for our families, we’re not quite as proactive when it comes to taking care of ourselves. Thirty percent of the women we surveyed skip regular health screenings, citing their job as the main scheduling conflict. A whopping 80 percent feel like there’s no way to delegate their family’s healthcare, and more than half admit that they feel stressed out even thinking about it.

It can all start to feel like a vicious cycle. When you don’t take care of yourself, it negatively impacts your ability to care for your loved ones. Our survey revealed that women who don’t make time to get their important screenings, like mammograms, pap tests, eye exams and blood pressure, end up having more health issues later in life.

At GCI Health, we’re committed to partnering with HealthyWomen to turn these statistics around. We kicked off the #BeHealthiher movement to encourage women across generations to prioritize their wellness and, for the past year, we’ve been giving them tools to become a “healthier her” for themselves, their families and society. We’ve also been reaching out to employers and encouraging them to make sure their employees, both women and men, are taking time to address their health and schedule doctor appointments.

As cold and flu season ramps up and hectic holiday schedules leave us with even less free time, prioritizing your health is more important than ever. As our survey also revealed that 97% of women say their stress levels are moderate to high, here are a few ways to slow down, check in and take better care of yourself.

Don’t Be Afraid to Delegate. If you have too much on your plate at work or at home, ask for help. Give yourself permission to let go of tasks that are standing in the way of healthier habits.

Schedule that Checkup. Don’t wait for a window of opportunity, make one. Schedule a doctor’s appointment and communicate your availability to your bosses, colleagues and family. Having it on the calendar is a mental commitment that will make you feel more accountable to your health.

Take a Mental Break. Don’t be afraid to slow down when you’re feeling overworked, sick or stressed. Go for a walk, meditate or take a day off work if you need to recharge. You’ll be more focused when you return.

Get Social. Posting a photo of your self-care moment on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter could inspire others to prioritize their health. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #BeHealthiher.

Remember, even small steps like these can help you take a more active role in managing your own well-being. When you put your health first everything else falls into place – so don’t wait!

 

Partner content: How pharma brands can be creative… and compliant

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If we get a strange pain, a skin irritation, or worse, a serious diagnosis, the first thing we do is ignore the doctor’s clear instruction of “Don’t Google it” and we Google it. We search on forums, online, social media and start reading. And we’re not alone. A huge 80% of us have searched online to find information on health diseases and treatments.

Clearly the internet, and social media in particular, is a huge source of useful information. So at first glance it’s surprising that there aren’t as many pharma companies active in this space as you’d expect. After all, the audience is there, the need is there, so where are the drug companies?

For anyone working in this space the answer has been quite a simple one. Pharma marketers have avoided social media marketing because of the potential for massive fines and all the bad press that follows a non-compliance notice from the FDA. Doing social was risky.

But today that’s outdated thinking. And we’re seeing major pharma brands who are thinking digital first, creating some excellent campaigns on social media as a result.

These brands are finding that by creating unbranded patient communities, taking out paid social ads, or even live-streaming videos, they are making important connections with their target audience.

But how are they staying creative and compliant?

So what are the more pioneering pharma brands doing? And, seriously, how do they stay compliant all the time? To find out, we spoke to a number of pharma marketing agencies drawn from across the US who work with some of the biggest pharma brands in the world. They shared their views on social media best practice for pharma brands. Here are some of the highlights:

Start somewhere, just make sure you start

For brands just embarking on their social journey, our experts were of the consensus that if you don’t know where to start, focus on just one platform first rather than try to do everything at once. Which one depends on your audience. Eileen O’Brien, Managing Director, Social Media at W2O assured marketers that there is no ‘best’ platform to start with; just like other industries, brands should be active where their target audience are. “We let the analytics lead us to the platforms that our client’s target audiences already use”.

It’s not just possible to be creative with your content, it’s essential

Video was one of a number of techniques highlighted by pharma marketing experts as a good approach for pharma brands – if done right. It doesn’t matter if it’s live-streamed videos on IGTV, embedded video on Facebook pages or interviews hosted on YouTube, people are turning to video to find out more. In fact, latest figures suggest that over 200 million health videos are being watched every month, and it’s not just patients who watch health videos. According to Ara Hagan, President & Creative Strategist at Hagan Associates, “37% of doctors use YouTube when they need information about a brand-name drug.”

Live streaming in particular is quite a new tactic for pharma brands due to concerns over compliance issues, but with the right format and plenty of planning it can be done well.

Compliance isn’t the responsibility of just one department

It is essential that before a pharma brand executes a social media strategy, the marketing team and agencies work hand-in-hand with the legal and regulatory departments to ensure all parties both understand FDA guidelines and what the campaign is trying to achieve. Compliance is pretty much pointless if no-one is engaging with your content. But on the flipside, an engaging, creative campaign could go horribly wrong if the right regulatory and reporting processes aren’t in place from the outset.

Kristin Mengel, Digital Health Strategist at Hill Holliday, feels that working closely is a good thing. “By involving the med legal team throughout the development process brands can ensure they’re adhering to regulations while fostering strong relationships with their legal teams to come up with solutions.”

A key part of regulatory and reporting processes is having online monitoring and moderation in place. These rigorous processes look at every comment left by patients, customers and other online users and pinpoint those posts which flout FDA regulations, such as reporting Adverse Events or breaking HIPAA guidelines around data privacy.

The time is now

The mindset of all the marketing specialists interviewed was clear: now is a hugely exciting time in pharma marketing, with audiences welcoming online information in new and engaging forms. With experts in regulatory issues, such as Adverse Event reporting, involved in the campaign strategy from the start, every pharma brand can adopt their own pioneering social media marketing strategy and seize the opportunities that social offers.

Download the full Best Practice Guide to Social Media for Pharma Brands and other useful pharma marketing guides here.

Emma Durant is a Senior Client Partner at Crisp, a leading social media risk protection company that keeps many of the world’s biggest pharma brands, consumer brands, social platforms and kids’ spaces safe online.

 

 

Partner Content: What’s your story?

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No matter the myriad challenges we face, we are paid to deliver for our clients and drive stories that deliver their messages, increase visibility and enhance their reputations
Wendy Lund, GCI Health

 

The past couple of years have been a time of significant transformation in healthcare media. Beyond the shrinking and, in some cases, elimination of newsrooms and the impact of digital on how we get our news, whether it’s through traditional or social channels, one thing remains constant: we need to deliver solid and strategic media results to help our clients get the job done for our clients.

No matter the myriad challenges we face, we are paid to deliver for our clients and drive stories that deliver their messages, increase visibility, and enhance their reputations. It’s our ability to stay on top of – and ahead of – trends in news media that help drive business success. In looking at these changes, it’s clear that we need to really think about “what’s our story?”

Breaking through with your story

Today, your story needs to provide value to your audiences. What can you offer the reporter? Even more important, perhaps, who can you offer? And how can reporters leverage your story through their social channels? It used to be that a healthcare thought leader was enough to break through. Now, reporters are looking for people who can add “color” to their stories – patients, caregivers, advocates – and make an emotional connection with their audience. They’re also looking for these stories to make them look good.

Also, timing is a major factor. Reporters are competing with bloggers, social influencers, and others who are pushing out information on Twitter quicker than the media, so the speed at which you can get the reporters the assets they need may decide whether or not your story runs – reporters have less time to get the news right, so providing them with immediate access to what they need is critical.

Channeling the patient voice

Now, more than ever, the patient voice is being heard and it’s making a difference. It seems that everyone wants to hear from real people, and patients help humanize your story, layering in independent credibility that comes from someone without a potential financial stake in the news you’re trying to get out. But credibility is the key. Patients are only effective for your story if they are seen as genuine and not too polished (i.e., rehearsed), so maintaining the trust of their communities is critical.

Telling the customer story

With patients regularly bypassing the physician and going straight to the internet, and in many cases reaching out to others like them, healthcare has become very personal, and for them it’s more about the experience – the brand is not the center of their universe. What this means is new approaches in PR are needed to reach your audiences.

One approach that works is brand storytelling, and the key is finding ways to inspire through stories. But this isn’t your story. It’s not about your brand. Rather, the story you’re offering to reporters needs to be about the customer, and your brand is just a plot point in their story. Therefore, it’s not about what you’re selling, but how what you’re selling ties into your customer’s story.

Changes within the newsroom show no signs of slowing down and, as communicators, we will continue to adapt to these changes and find new ways to breakthrough with our messages to benefit the patients we serve. It will certainly be interesting to see where things head in the years to come.

By Wendy Lund, CEO, GCI Health

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Partner Content: Healthcare leaders’ cure for confusion

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What makes a health influencer? Find out by clicking here for a special podcast featuring Ray Kerins, SVP, communications, government relations, and policy, Bayer, and Eileen Sheil, executive director, corporate communications, Cleveland Clinic, who discuss authenticity, data and analytics, and much more as they share the tactics and philosophies that helped earn them places on the 2017 PRWeek and MM&M Health Influencer 50 list.

Participants
-Jenifer Antonacci, director, US public affairs, Incyte
-Karen Boykin-Towns, VP, corporate affairs, Pfizer Innovative Health
-Liliana Gil Valletta, cofounder and CEO, Cien+
-Lynn Hanessian, chief science strategist, health, Edelman
-Ray Kerins, SVP, communications, government relations, and policy, Bayer
-Larry Mickelberg, MD, life sciences agency lead, Deloitte Digital
-Laura Schoen, president, global healthcare practice and chair, Latin America, Weber Shandwick
-Eileen Sheil, executive director, corporate communications, Cleveland Clinic

Despite threats by the current administration to abolish – or at least significantly cut – it, the Affordable Care Act remains in place. Still, in addition to being a political football and a source of polarization, the legislation’s particulars remain one of the biggest sources of confusion. And in a marketplace where misinformation abounds and emotions run high, communicators in the space have their work cut out to break through the clutter to get the right information to the intended audience.

It’s a challenge indeed, but also a great opportunity, agree the eight industry leaders, including several from the 2017 PRWeek and MM&M Health Influencer 50 list, who gathered at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. for this Bayer-hosted roundtable.

“There’s so much still unknown about so many segments of the Affordable Care Act,” says Ray Kerins, SVP of communications, government relations, and policy, Bayer. “We’re trying to be that voice of reason, that voice of trust to so many around the country.”

Crafting meaningful messaging to help consumers make smart healthcare-coverage decisions can be difficult when information is continually shifting. “We look to be that trusted partner that will be agile so when there are changes, we can help ensure that information gets out,” notes Karen Boykin-Towns, VP of corporate affairs, Pfizer Innovative Health.

With healthcare at 18% of the GDP, the stakes are high. “We try to stay on a really tight message about quality, access, and how we make care affordable to patients – and coverage is a big key,” explains Eileen Sheil, executive director of corporate communications at the Cleveland Clinic, who expressed concern that smaller hospitals in rural areas could be forced to close if they can’t join an integrated health system.

And it’s not just consumers who seek clarity on the subject. Employers do, as well.

Like many other business owners, Liliana Gil Valletta, cofounder and CEO of data-driven marketing agency Cien+, has moved from a traditional small-group offering to a healthcare stipend – a move that gives employees more freedom of choice, but also more responsibility to keep on top of changes in their coverage.

“It’s no surprise why 60% of business owners are against the Affordable Care Act,” she affirms. “It’s not because we don’t want to provide benefits.” However, an uncertain pricing model and unexpected premium hikes can force employers to shift responsibility to the employee.

More informed consumers
Some specialized patient populations have become so shrewd about healthcare options that communications pros have to work even harder to stay one step ahead of developments.

Laura Schoen, president of the global healthcare practice and Latin America chair at Weber Shandwick, cites HIV patients as an example of a group that has developed quite an understanding about which insurance programs offer the best coverage.

Jenifer Antonacci, director of US public affairs at Incyte, says her company is enriching its patient-assistance programs and is communicating with oncology patients about issues such as financial planning for long-term care.

“Within the cancer space, we have very savvy consumers,” she explains. “They sometimes know before we do what’s happening and can help us and make sure we’re staying one step ahead of it with them.”

All panelists effusively agreed that data is a game-changing tool when communicating on this issue.

“We have data that shows that when women have access to contraception, there’s less of a burden and impact on the overall society,” notes Kerins. “Bayer is working with a number of women’s organizations to expand access to contraceptives. We are trying to engage as many people on the Hill as possible to use real data to show how access to contraception can help individuals, as well as save taxpayer dollars.”

Panelists felt that in the face of new tax legislation, healthcare issues would continue to be in the spotlight – particularly as wealth remains unevenly distributed.

“If we don’t do a better job of creating and maintaining access, we will face quite a bit of a roller coaster as different constituents get out and express their disgust, anger, or fear,” warns Lynn Hanessian, Edelman’s chief science strategist, health.

And then there are developments that directly impact the marcomms sector. The White House is moving ahead with eliminating the DTC marketing tax deduction – a move the roundtable panelists find surprising considering that the current administration is positioned as being pro-business.

“There is a real risk that clients will not be able to deduct the cost of their marketing programs,” says Larry Mickelberg, MD, life sciences agency lead, Deloitte Digital. “What does that do to the communications platforms of these companies?”

“America, in medical advertising and communications, leads the world in terms of innovation, communication to patients, and digital communication,” adds Schoen. “Let’s not cut its legs.”

A cut to the Orphan Drug tax credit was another concern raised by the panel. Current law allows companies to write off 50% of the research costs of developing drugs for diseases that strike fewer than 200,000 people. Now, the credit will drop to 25%.

“The Orphan Drug Act is one of the most successful pieces of legislation in terms of starting innovation and really protecting people who might not ordinarily have access to medicines,” asserts Antonacci. “It’s troubling that something like that could be up for consideration.”

Meanwhile, Hanessian brought up initiatives in Oregon specifically designed to attack vaccines access. “Problems we thought were solved, ” she says, “might not be now.”

All of these issues combine to create understandable concern about the pharmaceutical industry’s overall image – a challenge all communicators in the space must – and can – overcome.

“We must put ourselves at the highest level point we can to support the communities we serve, whether that’s our CSR program, patient-assistance programs, however we do it.” explains Kerins. “We work with both sides of the aisle because, at the end of the day, we’re trying to find that compromise.”

The opioid epidemic has reached crisis stage. Healthcare brands that don’t re-craft their messaging in response to shifting U.S. demographics will be left behind. In the March issue of PRWeek, find out our esteemed roundtable’s thoughts on these and other major issues impacting the healthcare sector.

Click here for “Insights from a Health Influencer,” a video featuring Bayer’s Ray Kerins in which he discusses his brand’s policy priorities, community partnerships, and staunch belief in the importance of authenticity.