Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the poor state of health of the Russian population has been a topic for national and international discussion. Life expectancy is around 15 years less than in most European countries, and HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular diseases and alcohol-related problems are all major concerns. The Russian population is declining, and inequalities begin right at the start of life – a baby born in Russia is more than twice as likely to die by age 5 than a baby born in Britain.

As grim as this picture may seem, much of the disease burden is preventable. The real problem lies in delivering public health initiatives in a country where many of the aspects of unhealthy living, such as excessive alcohol consumption, smoking and risk-taking behaviour are commonplace. Additionally, ensuring consistency of healthcare services and messages in a territory that spans 9 time zones and encompasses a variety of ethnic groups, standards of living and religions, requires an innovative approach.

A number of governmental and government-associated initiatives have been set up in Russia, aimed at preventing disease through encouraging a healthier way of life, and requiring effective engagement with the population.

So healthy, how great!

The Ministry of Health’s “Healthy Russia”  project has a number of components, including the website www.takzdorovo.ru, the name of which has a double meaning -  “so healthy”, and “how great!”. It is a portal for prevention-related activities and represents a communication channel between the Ministry of Health and the population.

www.takzdorovo.ru

Users can gain a greater understanding of disease risks through questionnaires, create profiles with health goals and progress charts, and connect with others as “friends”. The site offers information on healthy living, covering topics such as choosing foods correctly, giving up smoking and examining alcohol intake, as well as specific diseases.

Examples of information, tips and tests featured on www.takzdorovo.ru

The site is linked to Twitter, Facebook and the Russian networking site Vkontakte, and features running totals of users who have committed to give up smoking or eat more healthily for example, harnessing the power of popularity, which may help to normalise the concepts of disease prevention; additionally, there are a range of options for “liking” or commenting on articles.

Welcome bar showing running total and network activity

Users are encouraged to engage, with “likes”, comments, Tweets and shares

Interactive and informative sites such as www.takzdorovo.ru thus educate users about improving health and preventing and managing diseases, as well as provoking discussion and providing calls to action. They have the potential to develop further still, with “friends” networks becoming powerful resources where patients, the health-conscious and healthcare providers can interact.

Health centres

Information on the network of health centres, including location details and a range of  educational brochures is available on www.takzdorovo.ru. Health centres were introduced in 2009, and this winter, child-specific centres are planned.

The centres provide free health checks and advice to all health-insured Russian citizens. Attendees can choose to undergo tests such as assessments of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and disease risk; where the investigations suggest a health problem, referrals can be made to local specialists. Advice is provided on healthy eating, exercise, safe use of alcohol and smoking cessation, and each person receives a Health Card after their first visit.

Health centres are centrally planned, and across Russia have the same equipment and multidisciplinary teams. Some centres offer additional services, though, such as exercise rehabilitation and a “Health School” for children.

Health centres are a tangible aspect of the drive to improve health – in contrast to hospitals, with associations of sickness, health centres are proactive and convenient. Anyone can drop in, have their questions answered and be directed towards a healthy way of life. Whilst online engagement is important for raising awareness and enabling the Russian population to re-brand itself as health conscious, health centres can reach non-internet users, and facilitate further change in those inspired via the internet.

Other initiatives

There are a number of other organisations that hold conferences and run projects for improving health across Russia, such as the League of the Health of the Nation, and the Healthy Russia Foundation.

The Healthy Russia Foundation currently has a range of engagement programmes, including a healthy lifestyle education programme for young people, Text4Baby, HIV communication training for healthcare professionals and HIV prevention initiatives, aimed at reducing transmission in drug users, as well as a pilot scheme for reproductive health.

It is thus clear that Russia is aware of its health challenges and is approaching the main problems in a number of creative ways.

Conclusion

Overcoming Russia’s health problems is a huge task, but engaging the population in prevention activities, and using social media-type platforms to provide information and normalise the concept of healthy living may provide a viable way forward. Digital media may be particularly helpful in driving change across such a large country, but other forms of communication and action are important for a diverse society.

As the focus of the current initiatives is preventative, it may be that a difference will not be seen for some years, but it is clear that Russia is an area where engaging with the population about health will have a decisive impact on the country’s society and economic well-being.

If you would like to have a conversation about healthcare engagement in Russia or other emerging markets, a member of Creation Healthcare’s team would be very pleased to speak with you. Simply contact us now.

The French digital economy development plan of October 2008 identified the deployment of information and communication technologies for health and wellbeing as one of the French government’s investment priorities for the future development of digital applications and services:

“The digital revolution in the world of health is still in its infancy. The production, dissemination and sharing of information is at the heart healthcare. [Digital information]  opens considerable opportunities. The elderly, frail, disabled, and sick at home, all need technology to overcome illness, maintain social bonds, get help, and simply live better”.ⁱ

This year, “e-Santé”, or e-Health (a term referring to technology-enabled healthcare) is experiencing a dynamic and growing interest among all health stakeholders in France including healthcare organisations, patients, health professionals, and the healthcare industry.

Indeed, the Health 2.0 Europe Conference, held for the first time in Paris in April and the opening a few months later (23rd June) of a government website dedicated to eHealth, http://esante.gouv.fr, is a good indicator of this vitality.

A government “e-Health” website open to all

Through the esante.gouv.fr portal, the Health Shared Information Systems Agency (ASIP Santé), operator of e-Health for the Ministry of Health provides “a platform for information and awareness about the challenges of e-health in France that tries to develop projects and initiatives in this regard”. This website allows all stakeholders to exchange, share and comment on articles online.
Thus, anyone interested in these issues can play a part and contribute to the development of e-health. This website, available in English too, allows for a wider international debate.

The DMP and telemedicine as a spearhead of e-Health

The objective of the DMP or Personal Medical Record (a French Personal Health Record) is to allow a healthcare professional (with the patient’s consent) to access a patient’s “medical memory” via the Internet. The record includes all medical information, diagnostic and therapeutic information reported by healthcare professionals in clinics and hospital, as well as data collected if the patient has stayed in a healthcare facility. This service should be available in December 2010 and will be deployed across the whole of France during 2011.

Such a service will certainly accelerate the development of telemedicine and establish a collaborative mechanism for the care of patients with chronic diseases (which affect 17 million people in France).

Collaborative medicine for patients

Beyond its ability to respond in part to the need to reduce public health expenses, e-Health is intended to be a solution to improve access to information, support and prevention of disease in a networked and collaborative environment. This environment, in which the patient is a stakeholder in their own health whilst being surrounded by a community of professionals with common goals, each having access to the same information is an emerging concept often called “Medicine 2.0“.

Each stakeholder, whether the healthcare professional, patient, government or the pharmaceutical industry is in an environment where information is ubiquitous, shared, commented and evolving. This “social” environment born with the development of new digital communications tools built on ‘web 2.0’ platforms, is changing patients’ views about their health. No longer isolated, they have access to information via the internet. The “patient 2.0“ communicates differently; he’s looking to share experiences, a community online or simply reliable information, and he tries to find these where they occur and where access is the easiest: on the web.

Thus the relationship between stakeholders has changed. This is where communication strategies must evolve in line with this new digital environment. The patient must be at the heart of strategies to best meet their needs, expectations and all the questions surrounding their disease and the “patient ecosystem”.

If this article has made you think about your healthcare engagement strategy in a new way, and you would like to talk to an expert who could help you develop your ideas, Creation Healthcare can help. Contact us now to find out about our approach to global healthcare engagement strategy.

References:

1. http://www.gouvernement.fr/sites/default/files/legacy/FRANCE_NUMERIQUE_2012.pdf

There has been considerable discussion in recent times about ‘local’ versus ‘global’ engagement strategy, or whether there is some kind of mystical balance of the two. Earlier this year Creation Healthcare was pleased to facilitate seminars in New York and London with leading global pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, during which the constraints and opportunities of global healthcare engagement strategy were discussed.

Creation Healthcare are long-time proponents of setting aside time to define an overarching global strategy; we are therefore sometimes asked by new clients, “Do you really think we should have a global engagement strategy?”

This is a great question, to which we (almost) always answer “Yes”.

Some may say, “What about the local nuances?”; “What about the language challenges?”; “What about the regulatory variations?”; “What about the different technology constraints in each region?”; and so on.

We certainly do understand these issues. With 30 consultants all over the world Creation Healthcare is well aware of the challenges facing each territory, and we are constantly increasing our local in-country knowledge in order to make the best recommendations for our global clients. As much as we often encourage global strategy, we also know that it is absolutely necessary to have a local, tailored strategy to suit each individual territory or brand.

It is also true that at a global and companywide level, there are inevitably some common guiding principles that can bring continuity and consistency to the way an organization communicates, presents the brand personality, and ultimately engages with people – even on an international scale.

Incidentally, if you are skimming this article to find the quick-fix, ‘give-me-the-ten-tips’ commandments, you may wish to pull out now.

The reason for the title of this article is that it describes an approach, rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

Let me explain using a ubiquitous metaphor. Most people in the world – regardless of their own personal religious belief, country of origin, or language – have heard of the so-called “10 commandments”. Indeed, quite a few people could list at least some of them from memory.

Interestingly, orthodox followers of the ‘Torah’ (as these books of laws are known) usually insist that there are actually 613 commandments all told, and that the 10 commandments are more of a ‘table of contents’ – a sort of cheat sheet for remembering the detailed laws and regulations.

Elsewhere, there is even a further distillation in to just two guiding principles. It is fair to say that in religious circles the 10 commandments have certainly permeated the human race over the past several thousand years, across millions of people in many languages and cultures.

We’ve found that this same concept also works for guiding an organization in healthcare engagement. Creation Healthcare maintains that it is possible to create ‘10 commandments’ which can be implemented globally, to bring new levels of (consistent, on brand) engagement.

Of course there really isn’t a single set of ‘10 commandments of healthcare engagement’ that would apply equally well to every company or organization, hence you will find no simple list here as a ‘take-away’.

Rather, each organization is uniquely different in its own right, with particular heritage, traditions, idiosyncrasies and ‘personality’. Therefore it makes perfect sense that each company should really develop their own global engagement strategy (and resulting 10 commandments).

Creation Healthcare can deliver a customized process to help you formulate your own global strategy 10 commandments; all you have to do is give us a call now.

Many leaders are bombarded with new buzz-words and ideas, as the popular media and the masses start to embrace the opportunities provided by the ‘information age’. As each new trend finds a fan-base, pressure can start to mount externally and internally for these leaders to embrace and sign-off on emerging tools and techniques, without necessarily fully understanding or carefully evaluating the return on investment, the strategy, the effectiveness, the potential risks, and ultimately the bottom line.

Government and healthcare are two sectors that face very particular legislative challenges which are designed to protect ordinary citizens, and to provide a regulatory framework for ensuring due diligence. These same mechanisms can seem like an anchor preventing the adoption of technological change. In a rapidly changing global information economy, this can also effectively mean that healthcare and government are somewhat left behind, in the wake of more agile brands. Where there are already sceptical or cynical citizens, this ‘slowness’ to engage can potentially create a unnecessarily negative perception of the very organisations that are there to help and protect them.

Engagement – an opportunity or a threat?

From a marketing and communications perspective, many have said that there are entirely new rules of engagement for building market share and customer loyalty, and for interacting with the masses. Once a safe and considerably cautious concept, ‘engagement’ is one word that now inspires but a few in healthcare and government, and yet strikes fear in the minds of others. This is especially true given that the modern platforms for ‘engaging’ apportion so much control to the masses rather than the organisation.

Some sectors are ‘pushing back the envelope’ in their adoption of communication technologies. Others are lagging behind.

In many ways, it is ‘right’ that government and healthcare are slower to embrace new media. The risks can very easily outweigh the benefits, where the implications of a new trend or technology are not fully known. Yet by observing the ‘cutting edge’ private sector brands, and analysing their successes and failures, government and healthcare can implement considered strategic interpretations of these methods, platforms or technologies, operating within the context of due diligence and regulation.

The risk versus the return

In a worse case scenario, the implication of a poorly implemented digital engagement strategy affects the bottom line via negative feedback, revolt, or even virtual ‘rallies’ – all of which prove to be wonderful fodder for the traditional press machine, who seem to cotton on quickly and fan the flames of controversy. Unlike the newspapers and magazines of yesteryear, the content created in this day and age is preserved forever in a searchable archive for all and sundry to discover within a few clicks.

In a best case scenario, the implication of a carefully considered digital engagement strategy means the formation or nurturing of positive and long-lasting loyalty from constituents or consumers, leading to word of mouth recommendations and positive traditional publicity. In some cases, the entire public perception of a brand has been reversed, leading to dominant market share. In the political arena, it has even led to the election of a new president.

Who cares about the final outcome?

If you are the custodian of an important public-facing organisation, it is imperative that you are actively involved in setting the strategy and objectives of digital engagement initiatives. Sadly, you may find that many creative agencies are more interested in winning awards and contracts, than in caring about the long-term implications of your interactive strategy. Even your internal marketing and communications department will have their own agenda to push new ideas through so as to potentially advance their own careers. You may find that in reality, very few people care about the end results as much as you do, which is why you are wise to take it slow and get it right the first time.
In the world of digital media, there is rarely a second chance.

Rather than allowing a creative agency, or your marketing or communications department to ‘push through’ an innovative new digital engagement initiative, consider ‘workshopping’ the strategy at an executive level to ensure that you have considered the consequences fully. You will be given the tools to make an appropriate decision, based on real-world insight and sector-specific research. The trends and buzz-words will be de-mystified and you will be empowered to lead your organisation to successful digital engagement.

Slow adopters – quick tips

Here are some quick tips for executives looking to adopt digital engagement strategies in a regulated sector:

1. Commission or source sector specific research about the successes and failures of early adopters
2. Undertake a high-level education on the tools and techniques being adopted by other sectors
3. Set strategic objectives
4. Bring key stakeholders together (legal, medical, legislative etc) to set boundaries and protocols
5. Direct the organisation in the strategic and appropriate use of new technologies.

If you would like to create a bespoke strategy for your organisation’s use of new engagement technologies, contact us and speak to one of our consultants.

Some years ago the importance of website accessibility came to the forefront when the Target corporation of the United States of America was sued by the US National Federation for the Blind (NFB). The issue was not that the website failed accessible standards, but that no significant progress towards accessibility had been made on the website’s accessible features following complaints raised twelve months earlier.

Accessibility is not just about anti-discrimination law

Whilst maintaining a compliant site means avoiding unnecessary litigation, there are so many other advantages for keeping up with the latest standards of accessibility. The “Guide to good practice in commissioning accessible websites” (British Standards Institute 2006, ISBN 0 580 46567 5) raised a few interesting commercial points about the need for accessibility in the United Kingdom:

• The Family Resources Survey [2] found that there are almost 10 million disabled people in the UK with a combined spending power in the region of 80 billion pounds per annum. Furthermore there are millions of other individuals that are affected by sensory, physical and/or cognitive impairments, including those resulting from the ageing process.

• Research undertaken by the DRC “The Web: Access and inclusion for disabled people” [3] has confirmed that people without disabilities are also able to use websites that are optimised for accessibility more effectively and more successfully.

• Content developed upholding World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) guidelines and specifications can be more easily transferred to other media, such as interactive TV, mobile phones and handheld computers.

• Accessible content, for example where a text equivalent is provided for graphical elements, is highly visible to search engines, often leading to higher rankings.

New standards are on the way

As technologies and techniques change, so does hardware and software. Naturally the standards that made a website accessible several years ago will be showing their inadequacies as vendors try to deliver solutions that take users of the Internet into the future.

It is for this very reason that the Website Content Accessibility Group is recommending a new set of standards to build on the existing framework. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) have been in development for some time, and will inevitably become a standard in the near future.

The same questions that were asked by marketing departments and executives are likely to surface again: “Do we have to do it, and how much will it cost?”. Not that executives or marketers are in any way discriminating, but that it can seem like a forced expense that may be unbudgeted.

A new opportunity for a new generation

Rather than perceiving changing accessibility standards as a threat or weakness to the business, they actually present an opportunity to develop a new strength in the marketplace. Companies should enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to develop a fresh new site, build in some new and much needed functionality, and to capitalise on some of the trends in online social networking. All made possible by a change in accessibility standards.

Never forgetting those that actually use the site

An unfortunate aspect of some standards development processes is that although with best intentions, the standards do not always reflect the very real people that are using the Internet every day, despite needing various enabling technologies.

Real world accessibility is quite different to the tables that are spat out from automated accessibility validators. Interestingly many users simply ignore any part of the site that refers to ‘how to user this site’, or ‘Accessibility help’. Like any person browsing the Internet, they are not thinking about ‘how’ to use it, and especially not how they ‘should’ use a particular site: they simply get on and use it.

So in thinking about making a website accessible as new standards come into play, don’t simply accept the website designer or developer’s certificate’s of validity, rather make sure that some real world accessibility and usability workshops are held.

Creation Interactive has helped organisations such as the Royal London Society for the Blind to implement a website which the real world blind and visually impaired students enjoy its content every day.

Download an article about developing
or updating an accessible website
(PDF 80 Kb)

If you would like to ensure your website is accessible in a meaningful way, or would like to organise a usability workshop, please contact our team on 0207 812 6474.

The United Kingdom’s politicians have missed many opportunities created by new Internet phenomena such as social networking, according to various research papers in recent times. In spite of this, could it now be time for Members of Parliament and electoral candidates to harness the capabilities of new media, particularly in relation to meaningful engagement with constituents?

Giving the people the information THEY want

It seems that the time has come for government to embrace the power of the online medium. In July 2008, we see the launch of an exciting new website at the domain showusabetterway.com

The UK Government has offered a prize of £20,000 for the best community generated idea that uses information held by the country, to better serve the people. Only one week after launching to the public, a staggering 150 conscientious ideas have come forward from the well-meaning public. These ideas are not just from software developers, but from citizens from all walks of life.

The best of these ideas will be taken into development by a professional team, funded by the government, in order to advance the services provided to the public by the government.

Inspire Inform Involve

Other government focussed communities have sprung up over the years that aim to improve society through the use of collaborative tools. TakingITGlobal.org provides a portal for young people to find inspiration, access information and get involved in improving their local and global communities.

“As social networking sites have taken off, TakingITGlobal provides a critical niche for youth who really want to make change happen. It is the place for youth to organize change and create a sense of community. TIG is needed now more than ever as a beacon for social change.”
Anurag Nigam, Member, Sand Hill Angels

With over 170,000 members, this community is surely one to be reckoned with.

It is our society after all

Some of the true pioneers of community engagement with government using the Internet include the talented and proactive bunch at mysociety.org. They have been able to help the government take notice of the need to use once-experimental media, for the benefit of real-world engagement with constituents.

Some of their notable examples include FixMyStreet, HearFromYourMP, NotApathetic, PledgeBank, TheyWorkForYou, and the most famous e-Petitions functionality as utilised on the Number 10 Downing Street website.

So what about the future?

It is very interesting to watch and learn from the various governments of the international community as they embrace the various aspects of social media and online engagement. Barack Obama has clearly seen the benefit of building a campaign around such tools. One thing seems certain: The UK Government is starting to see the online opportunity and to cautiously embrace it.

Free report on UK politics and the online opportunity

Click here to access this FREE report:
“United Kingdom politics and the online opportunity”
Adobe PDF format (1.1 Mb)

If you would like to discover ways that you can interact in meaningful two-way dialogue with constituents (or customers) please call us on +44 (0) 207 812 6474

There are so many emerging social networking tools for the integrated citizen of the future that it is easy to succumb to the natural response of ‘future shock’ and simply disregard them as fads that will pass away.

Surprisingly some of these tools are also establishing themselves as relevant for communication in political or brand communication circles.

‘Tweeting’ on Twitter 

A strange phenomenon in social networking is a tool known as Twitter, with which users ‘tweet’ their location or current activity using the web or a mobile phone. The premise is based on the ‘What are you doing?” conversations that take place with the teen generation.

In the corridors of power in the United States of America, photographers, commentators and press media now also ‘tweet’ out sentences in less than 140 characters that become news feeds for those that subscribe or ‘follow’. This ‘teen-tool’ has become a mechanism for real-time analysis, a virtual newswire which gives unedited insider information. For those who need to stay on the cutting edge of information or topical conversation, the Twitter platform has evolved into a useful way to pass on intelligence quickly.

Birds of a feather, flock together 

As social media tools are by nature attracting ‘birds of the same feather’, it also makes sense that the insights, readings, or other information that is interesting to one member of the ‘flock’ will also be interesting and relevant to those others who are following along or subscribing.

It is not unusual for a technology platform to come onto the scene intended for one purpose, only to be utilised in a totally different way.

The interesting aspect will be to see how the United Kingdom and other countries adopt this technology, and whether it becomes a useful part of interaction and communication strategies or remains the tool of teens.

Regardless, these present-day ‘teens’ are tomorrow’s citizens of the future that will vote with their allegiance or wallet. Progressive companies and governments are recognising this and embracing their chosen platforms.