Created by: Polina Opelbaum, editor of ProfNet

1. Patient Engagement: The
Future of Healthcare
Communications Summit

2. Healthcare Communications & The Future
• BDI hosted an event about how leading healthcare brands are
planning for the future, including:
– Integrating big data
– Innovative digital, mobile and social communications that improve patient
outcomes
• Moderator: Steve Etzler, CEO/ Founder, BDI

3. Presented by: Sven Gierlinger, VP, Chief Experience Officer,
North Shore – LIJ Health System
Presentation: Perspectives From a Hospitality Leader
in Healthcare

4. • Gierlinger worked in hospitality until he was bedridden and
then saw a huge difference between the two industries
• Patients are not customer-system centered
• During his hospital stay, he felt like a person or thing of a
specified kind that one has to deal with
• Patients want the highest quality care; a warm welcome;
interact with competent and nice people, have a hassle-free
experience; have problems fixed quickly and effectively; and
consistency.
• One of the things Gierlinger is exploring is how to select the
right employees, set them up for success and continue to
engage them.
Key Highlights

5. Raymond Russo, VP, Global Chest Pain Pathway, The Medicines Company
interviewed Lee Davies, SVP Health Practice at Makovsky.
Interview: The Evolution of Patient Engagement

6. • Russo: Healthcare industry is one of the most regulated
industries in the world, as far as what and how things are
said.
• Russo: When they did direct-to-consumer advertising, they
tried to educate, motivate and then activate.
• Russo: Effective communication changes behavior.
Communicate and motivate patient to change behavior, such
as take better care of themselves, seek healthcare providers,
etc. This is patient activation.
• Davies: Social media has made patients not only recipients of
messages but also communicators. They are activists,
ambassadors, citizen journalists.
• Russo: Social media is great and innovative, but curious how
next app is going to get patient activation and its impact.
Key Highlights

7. Presentation: Talking About Research
Result – Patients are Our Partners
Presented by: Bill Silberg, Director of Communications, Patient-Centered
Outcomes Research Institute (views are his own and not necessarily those of
PCORI)

8. • PCORI is an independent research institute authorized by
Congress through the Affordable Care Act.
• Why PCORI? Research hasn’t answered many questions that
patients face.
• PCORI has three strategic goals: increase quantity, quality and
timelessness of research information; speed the
implementation and use of evidence; influence research
funded by others.
• PCORI partners with patients on their communications efforts
by featuring patient and caregiver stories on their website.
• Lesson learned: Sometimes you need to just “shut up and
listen.”
Key Highlights

9. Presentation: Using Social Media in the Age of ACA
and HIPAA Regulations
Presented by: Joanna Belbey, Social Media and Compliance
Specialist, Actiance, Inc.

10. • 1 in 3 Americans use the Internet to research medical
conditions. (Pew Research)
• Risk of using an internet-connected device liked Google Glass
is security and privacy of patient data risks.
• If you employ technology, how do you protect it from leaking
out? How do you protect frontline staff from themselves?
• If you are going to allow frontline staff to use social media,
then you need to create an appropriate policy. This may take
six months.
• Here’s an action plan for social media compliance: protect
patient info; keep adequate records; create an appropriate
use policy and train employees; create content strategy;
supervise and monitor.
Key Highlights

11. Panel: Painting the Starting Line Together: How
Industry and Patients Must Partner to Define
Engagement Goals
Todd Kolm, Senior VP of Strategy and Insights at WEGO Health
moderated a discussion with patient influencer MarlaJan
DeFusco and Pfizer communications expert Carrie Goldstein.

12. Key Highlights
• DeFusco: Patients need to be educated and know what kind
of medicines they are taking. It is important for them to know
how the medicine will affect them.
• Defusco: Take the time to educate healthcare and
pharmaceutical professionals, and that would really help
patients.
• DeFusco: Patients with chronic illnesses get lost in the
transition between childhood and adulthood.

13. Presentation: Engaging Patients Online to Improve
Market Insight
Presented by: Lance Hill, CEO, Within3

14. • Within3 is the leader in healthcare professional digital
collaboration solutions.
• For pharmaceutical companies, the need for insight from an
expanding set of stakeholders is a reality.
• The patient perspective needs to be deeply ingrained into any
healthcare strategy.
Key Highlights

15. Presentation: Rite Aid Engages & Empowers Patients
With Wellness Programs
Presented by: Jocelyn Konrad, VP healthcare initiatives, Rite Aid

16. • Rite Aid acquired Health Dialog and RediClinic as part of their
wellness initiatives.
• Rite Aid’s goal with its wellness programs is to improve
outcomes and reduce costs.
• It came up with the Health Alliance program to help interact
with patients.
• The Health Alliance program is getting rave reviews from
patients and physicians.
Key Highlights

17. Written by Polina Opelbaum, editor of ProfNet, a
service that helps journalists connect with expert
sources.
To read more from Polina, check out her blog on
ProfNet Connect.