The prescription drug label: a collection of words and symbols incredibly important to the health and safety of a patient.
According to a study done by the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, exchanging the abstract technical jargon of prescription drug warning labels for “simple, concise language,” led to a 10 percent increase in patient understanding. When patient compliance may be a matter of life or death, this is a case where clarity matters.
Considering the prescription label as analogous to any form of strategic communication, we can apply the findings of this study to the world of healthcare PR:
Say what you mean
Michael Wolf, associate professor of medicine and of learning sciences at Feinberg and lead author of the study explains, “The study shows the value of a clear message. A lot of the current warnings were phrased very abstractly and were confusing. For example, we changed ‘For external use only’ to ‘Use only on your skin.’ We moved from the intangible to the concise.”
Graphics matter
Whether a brand logo or a presentation pie chart, the visual representation of your message must be obvious. Gone are the days of laundry care symbols that everyone understands. Wolf describes this in terms of prescription warnings, “A current and widely used icon of a pregnant woman resembles an olive. For most people that probably doesn’t convey pregnancy. The new design of a silhouette of a pregnant woman with a bump on her stomach was more easily recognizable to patients.”
Be selective
The modern attention span cannot handle too many words or ideas at once. Pick the right messages for your target audience. Limit yourself to two or three “must air points”. In terms of prescription warning labels, the study suggests a limit of two, “Those should include the most important few, and these should have evidence confirming their necessity.”
We recommend that you consider these lessons as they relate to your messaging goals. And take them once a day with a glass of water.
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So suggests Michael Kinsley in his piece “Cut This Story!” in the January/Febuary 2010 edition of the Atlantic. In an interesting twist of meta-analysis, this (not particularly short) article offers a compelling argument for rethinking the lengthy conventions of traditional newspaper reporting. He provides an alternative theory for why digital media is replacing print among news seekers: the internet gets to the point.
Without the dull, verbose quotes (often those of unfamiliar characters) responsible for turning an editorial into an true piece of reporting, and “context” repeated so often most readers would say, “duh!”, a good newspaper story may actually be straightforward and concise. These remnants of “legacy code” unfortunately continue to push the instant gratification generation closer towards the brevity of 140 character updates.
Poets can say a lot in a few words, but newspaper reporting shouldn’t have to. There is, however, something to be said for the reinvention of the conventions. Keep the research and writing strong, but remember to consider your audience. The most obvious mistake a communicator can make is forgetting who your audience really is. The answer may change, and with it should your writing. We encourage clients to consider their audience, and we as advisers develop our strategy to reach that target.
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Starting as a PR introduction, a story of drug development found its way to the big screen in the movie Extraordinary Measures. Starring Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser, the film is based on a book called The Cure, by The Wall Street Journal reporter Geeta Anand, and chronicles the story of a determined father who seeks the help of a scientist in starting biotech to find a cure for the rare disease afflicting his children.
Tony Russo, chairman and CEO of Russo Partners, shares, “The movie is the result of an introduction Noonan/Russo made to Geeta Anand, a reporter from the The Wall Street Journal.” Novazyme, the real company formed by John Crowley (played by Brendan Fraser), was a client of Noonan/Russo (later Russo Partners). Geeta Anand was a biotech reporter who after a meeting arranged by Noonan/Russo was captivated by Crowley’s personal struggle to save his children. She went on to write two articles that later formed the basis for The Cure, and subsequently the movie’s screenplay.
Making connections is a large part of our business, and these relationships often bear unexpected fruit.
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Tagged: Russo Partners, Wall Street Journal
“Mapping genetic interactions is old hat, but now scientists are mapping science itself, and looked to see how it’s been changing.” This according to Jef Akst with in a Jan. 28 posting on TheScientist.com. In a report published online in PloS ONE, scientists at Umeå University in Sweden and the University of Washington have developed a mathematical model to track more than biodivergence: they have assessed how life science has changed in terms of divisions using citation information. Over ten years, with 35 million citations and 7000 scientific journals, they discovered that neuroscience had emerged from interdisciplinary study to become an autonomous field in itself: a conclusion is based on scientific literature as the guideline for defining trends and fields.
PLoS ONE: Major Shifts in Science
Science is still a field where “the journal publication” is still the basic currency of success. In this study, the flow of information, particularly in written form, between researchers and their readership is quantified by journal clusters (i.e. how a journal defines its primary focus). This serves as a reminder that science and writing are mutually determinative. Not only must one understand the thoughts behind the science, but clear expression is important for announcing discovery, and in this case, defining fields of research. Even basic scientific writing for the mainstream requires the analytic background to explain the most complex of processes with clarity.
Effective healthcare communications essentially blends a deep understanding of science and medicine with the well written word.
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Tagged: healthcare communications
There are 350 million active users of Facebook today. Considering the emergence of e-mail as the primary mode of business communication, it would appear that this generation favors the time and cost savings of e-relationships. Not surprising. We can find old colleagues on Facebook, perhaps to the benefit of our business, or we can carry out negotiations by e-mail with an investor in Hong Kong. With video-conferencing on the rise, there is certainly something to be said for an eleven o’clock team meeting with the London office via Skype, and a client lunch in Chicago at noon. But as we begin to rely on the fast-pace and efficiency of e-mail, Facebook and video-chats, we must remember the limitations: much can be lost in e-translation.
In the Jan. 26 article, “E-Mail Saves Time, but Being There Says More,” in The New York Times, Joe Sharkey speaks with Don G. Lents, the chairman of Bryan Cave, an international law firm. Lents undoubtedly believes in the benefits of electronic interaction. However, he is quick to remind us that difficult conversations are best handled face to face. E-mail is often insufficient to convey the nuances of body language or attitude when dealing with more sensitive discussions, and as a result deals and relationships can be compromised. Conversely, meetings in person serve to strengthen friendships and to establish trust.
Healthcare public and investor relations are predicated on strong relationships. We at Russo Partners believe in relationships cultivated and maintained in person, and encourage our clients to do the same.
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Tagged: Facebook, healthcare communications, Russo Partners, The New York Times
There is no doubt that the healthcare industry is one of today’s most technologically advanced sectors. And yet surprisingly, it is also one of the most inefficient when it comes to information technology (IT), leading to billions of dollars in wasteful spending annually. David Cutler, a professor of applied economics at Harvard University, and an expert in the economics of healthcare, estimates that of the $2.5 trillion spent on healthcare this past year, around $800 billion was wasted spending. Of that $800 billion wasted, between $20 and $100 billion are likely the result of preventable errors, many derived from IT inefficiency.
In a video interview from Dec. 31, 2009 with James Surowiecki of The New Yorker, Cutler discusses the Senate’s health care reform bill and the $30 billion stimulus designating for improving healthcare IT. He argues that the healthcare industry must not only invest in new IT, but more significantly, it must commit to using it. Value will not only be derived from the elimination of errors, but from the integration of high priority information into the daily work flow. Business will run more smoothly, money will be saved, and patients will get better care.
Information can only work for you when it gets to the right people at the right time, in medicine and in communications. At Russo Partners, we are at the forefront of communication technology, assuring our clients prompt delivery and specific targeting of high priority information. Healthcare PR must grow with the healthcare industry, and we at Russo Partners strive to keep our clients in sync with everything communication innovation has to offer.
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Tagged: healthcare communications, information technology, Russo Partners, The New Yorker
Spearheading communications for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the first few weeks of the swine flu pandemic was Richard Besser, the acting director of the CDC and now an ABC News health reporter. Besser is considered by experts to have handled the swine flu crisis communication skillfully and effectively, and in a recent article in the Jan. 14 issue of Nature, Brendan Maher’s, “Swine flu: Crisis communicator,” details Besser’s communication strategy and how it played out in the early days of our most recent global pandemic.
In the early days of the swine flu little was known about the virus, but the data that was available to the CDC indicated that a serious pandemic outbreak was a fearful possibility. Without much solid information to offer the public, Besser knew that this emerging crisis would require rapid and “candid communication to engender trust, not panic.” To this end he took advantage of three principles from a CDC pamphlet on crisis and emergency risk communication, ‘Be First, Be Right, and Be Credible”:
Be first. Though being first is a challenge when facing a global audience with limited information, Besser believed that early communication was necessary to confront the imminent threat of a widespread outbreak. To gain the public’s trust, as the chief communicator for the CDC, he adhered to the following principles: “tell everything we knew, everything we didn’t know and what we were doing to get the answers.”
Be right. At the time, Besser admitted that the CDC’s handling of the swine flu outbreak would be more like a marathon than a sprint. Only correct and supported information would be communicated as it was available to avoid any rash decision making based on faulty assumptions.
Be credible. Experts credit Besser’s calm, consistent, and up-front messages with enhancing his credibility. A conservative and honest approach to communication strategy helped to eliminate the chances of missteps that would compromise the public’s confidence.
Crisis communication is a part of any media relations plan at Russo Partners, and we are committed to straightforward and clear messaging, even in moments of unforeseen circumstances. We build messages that are consistent, and consistency builds trust. Trust is important to any company’s strong public profile.
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Tagged: healthcare communications, Nature, Russo Partners
An article in the January issue of PRWeek discusses the type of multimedia content that will broaden the appeal of press releases. A team of experts expressed their views on the importance and effects on adding multimedia to effectively communicate a story.
Multimedia content such as photographs, graphics, video or audio clips, and links may draw greater attention to a story and facilitate in amplifying its appeal. Journalists, as well as the general investment community are increasingly becoming more interested and in actuality expect more personable and visual content in a news release. Multimedia tools facilitate this need and expand a story’s online presence while creating a deeper impression of the news. There may also be an economic benefit in using multimedia tools as less words may be necessary in telling a story and therefore cutting down costs when distributing the news release.
At Russo Partners we understand this need and recommend the use of multimedia tools in several cases to expand the outreach of our clients’ news and meet expectations.
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A perspectives column in the Jan. 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine by Shaili Jain, M.D., described her experience when she ventured onto Web sites that rated physicians. She was curious how patients reviewed her on a number of physician rating Web sites.
One sensed some frustration when she first described sites that posted only scores (1=bad and 5=good). She did not know the basis of her 2.5 score nor could she offer any rebuttal. On the other hand, she discovered stories by patients describing the care provided by their physicians. She read stories by patients treated by a number of physicians, many that she knew, and found a general pattern of what constituted a good doctor from a patient perspective. Rather than ignore the sites because of the simplicity and misleading conclusions from some sites she took to heart the core messages of what patients looked for in a physician.
The internet is here to stay and whether through chat rooms, message boards or bloggers, there will be comments, both good and bad, correct or misleading, about your company. Many messages, even critical ones, could be of value as you improve communications programs. Like Dr. Jain, one can use internet communications as a weather vane to gauge the sentiment of your audiences and improve your communications with them.
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A recent article in PRWeb discusses the survey results fielded from approximately 600 PR professionals regarding the use of news releases.
According to the results, a news release’s primary audience still remains the media at 64% while prospects and customers are at 24%. However, the news release’s delivery method has shifted from just the traditional newswire (11%) to the use of online distribution (15%) and the use of both methods (46.2%). There is increasing interest in driving media and investors to company Web sites where they can have access to more information and develop a better understanding about a company’s technology and prospects. Since the universe of media is also shrinking, PR professionals are utilizing a more targeted approach when pitching a story to journalists.
At Russo Partners we strongly believe in distributing major company news through the traditional newswires and targeted e-mailing. With second tier news we may recommend the use of an online distribution which is more cost effective while reaching the desired audience. We always recommend targeting a selected group of journalists with interest in specific company news.
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