Envisioning 2.0

Readers of this blog know that I have published a number of series over the past few months. I have done this for two reasons:

1. The complexity of healthcare requires in-depth analysis and commentary.

2. I prefer to (largely) develop and present original content rather than repurposing or reporting information you can find via other sources.

Two of my most popular series, include the recently-concluded “Conversations About Race-Based Medicine” and the “FDA and the Pharmaceutical Industry.” I am grateful that you have taken the time to read these articles and I hope they have helped you become better informed about a range of important healthcare issues.

My new series focuses on a very sensitive topic for pharmaceutical marketers: “disease mongering.” Critics have said that marketers are engaging in “disease mongering” by educating the public on new medications, new diseases and new ways of thinking about illness. Late last month Last June, The Seattle Times published a series, “Suddenly Sick,” looking at how the pharmaceutical industry markets medications for a range of conditions, including hypertension and obesity. In my new series, “Examining The Issues: Disease Mongering Or Saving Lives?,” I plan to highlight each installment of the Seattle Times series and provide my commentary on each article.

A Note About My Motivations

As a side note, one of my primary aims in maintaining this blog is to highlight my healthcare expertise and perspective. I want potential clients thinking about engaging Envision Solutions for projects to know that they have access to in-depth knowledge and insightful thinking about the issues faced by corporations, non-profits and other players in the healthcare industry.

In tackling this subject (and others I have highlighted on this blog), I know that I may (and have) please(d) some and anger(ed) others. Despite increasing the prospect that I be turning away potential business by talking about these issues, I feel that I serve potential clients best by being clear headed and (relatively) objective about these difficult subjects. Of course, I have and will not reveal confidential client information on this blog.

So, if you like (or dislike) what you have been reading, please let me know. And, if you have been thinking about contacting me to discuss your communications problems, I’d love to hear from you. Please e-mail me at info AT envisionsolutionsnow DOT com.

Prepare For This Series

To prepare for this series, please:

Click here, here and here to read a series I published on HealthCareVox, a blog I write for Know More Media, a leading business blogging network on the history of pharmaceutical marketing.

Click here to read the Seattle Times series, “Suddenly Sick.”

The first installment of “Examining The Issues: Disease Mongering Or Saving Lives?” will appear next week.

While scanning the headlines for interesting healthcare-related stories, I often find little tidbits of information and save them to blog about in the future. In this series, From the Back Pages I post links and commentary on a few of them. This month’s edition is below.

-Sometimes It’s All About What’s Not Said: In January, researchers published a study suggesting that what patients don’t say is as important as what they do. According to the study investigators: “Nonverbal behavior can be an important diagnostic tool increasing the physician’s comprehension of words spoken or thoughts left unsaid.”

Commentary: As someone in the field of communication who has participated in a number of projects focusing on cultural competency, this study is very interesting to me. Despite all of the different channels of information available to healthcare consumers,  medicine is still – and will likely remain – a one-on-one, person-to-person art form.

-Congressional Power Players: In order to be effective, advocates need to contact individuals who are going to help raise awareness about an issue or champion a cause. If you are outside of the Beltway and do not have inside information how do you find out which people in Congress wield the most influence?

Enter Congress.org’s Power Rankings. This organization ranks each member of Congress on 15 indicators, including position, influence and legislative activity.

Commentary: This is a great resource for those developing public affairs programs designed to engage and motivate Congressional stakeholders.

-25 Years Of AIDS: Christine Gorman has this blog post focusing on her experiences covering AIDs over the decades.

Commenatry: Interesting reading and a reminder that while a lot has changed with AIDS, much more remains the same.