Consumer Safety Campaign 2

Consumer Safety Campaign

bySeattle University Consultancy Group

For the Healthcare Technology Foundation

Agenda of Proposal

Situation AnalysisStrategies & TacticsPartnershipsMarketingFundraising

Issues facing the HTF

Currently there are no patient safety organizations that comprehensively address healthcare technology

Consumers have lost trust with medical device manufacturers due to controversial accidents.

There are too few profiles for medical devices on the Web. Patients need comprehensive resources.

The foundation is well positioned to serve the need of device safety

The board is broad based with an array of interests

The HTF is independent of manufacturer monetary contributions, unlike the ECRI

Opportunities for the HTF

Solutions

The web offers a low cost way to provide a substantial amount of information

A multidisciplinary focus will give clinicians, patients and clinical engineers all a place to share knowledge and collaborate for safety concerns.

Partnerships with AARP and WHO programs will direct interest in supporting a coalition

Goals & Objectives

Develop a website, which will take advantage of HTF’s opportunities while solving the majors issues facing HTF and the industry

Increase visibility around consumer device safety and the foundation through the website, which will generate funding for the HTF

Establish a forum for consumers to communicate with manufacturers.

Create partnerships with clinical safety organizations (NPSF or AARP)

The key audience that the HTF can successfully reach are patients. Moreover, home patient safety is a vast, untapped opportunity.

A second key audience that can be reached by the HTF would be healthcare professionals. This audience is in direct contact with patients and are the intermediary between manufacturers and patients.

Target Audiences

Our mission is to provide patients with online access to comprehensive and interactive consumer safety information. Many consumers distrust healthcare technology as a result of clinical hazards and manufacturer error. We are urging patients around the world to help us create safety solutions through education and awareness.

Website Mission

www.Biogadgetguide.com

Primary Focus Patient Safety Data

A comprehensive list of topics arranged by disease or condition by device name, and by brand name. Much like webmd.com, the section would provide impartial and comprehensible details of the device itself. Much like the drug descriptions at WebMD.com like this.

Clinician Safety DataThis section would be designed much like the patient section with three separate sections for diseases/conditions, device name, and brand name. Each device would include common safety hazards, frequently asked questions, and similar information. This section would also include resources for health care providers, much like how the CDC does this by providing resources for guides, educational opportunities, conferences, and reports.

www.Biogadgetguide.com

Forum/ Q.A.The forum could be user generated content (from clinicians, patients, clinical engineers, etc) on specific topics related to devices. The Q.A. features a professional who has expertise on a particular device or safety issue featured every month, like here at Yahoo! Health. An expert in a specific area is featured in a 400 word article about their field of expertise.

Recalls, Alerts, and NewsSpecific recalls and alerts would be featured in a section on the home page. There would also be past alerts and recalls under the umbrella of the news section. Much like the news section on Medline Plus’s website here. There is a section arranged by disease and by the published date. Each story is provided by Reuters Health, the CDC, the FDA, or HealthDay. There would be links to stories that feature specific devices in their page.

Podcasts, Blogs and MultimediaInstruction is the best way to utilize multimedia for device safety, for both patients and clinicians. A video showing how to properly use a device or a video example of a common safety problem embedded in the sight. A link to the podcast “Patient Power” and other such podcasts would be useful as well. Discovery Health utilizes multimedia the very well, primarily because they are a television station.

Partnerships AARP

This organization claims over 38 million members, making it one of the largest membership organizations for people age 50 and over in the United States. Membership is expected to grow significantly as baby boomers age. They do not have any clinical device safety content and they would be a prime candidate for creating a partnership.

NPSFThis not-for-profit organization was founded in 1996 by the American Medical Association, CNA HealthPro, and 3M, with significant support from the Schering-Plough Corporation. NPSF is strongly interested in forming partnerships with other patient safety organizations.

Partnerships CAPS is a consumer-led nonprofit

organization formed to be a collective voice for individuals, families and clinicians. Their mission is to forge partnerships within the healthcare landscape and organizations like HTF.

WHO is a specialized agency of the UN that coordinates international efforts for public health and safety. Their scope is so large that the WHO needs legitimate and authoritative clinical device safety content.

Dr. William Maisel is a highly circulated doctor who writes on a number of issues, including device safety. He is a Harvard professor and has been published in many publications including USA Today.

Marketing

Trade Press ReleasesMedia buzz can be generated through healthcare and health technology related publications. Specific articles promoting the site in American Medical News and other such publications will drive traffic to the site and increase the visibility of HTF.

Booth at HIMSSA booth at HIMSS advertising the site is a great way to raise awareness at a large event featuring key figures within the industry, which the HTF operates and serves. A promotional tie-in to the website also generates buzz and helps to drive traffic to the website.

Marketing

Provide and Share ContentA great deal of online traffic and awareness is generated by original content and stories that are featured on other websites.

Consumer Media OutreachCreating video news releases for local news stations (like Jean Enersen’s Healthlink) is a ripe medium for generating traffic. Also, pitching interviews and making HTF members available for comment on a certain device issues creates media buzz and traffic.

Fundraising Opportunities

MedtronicsMedtronics, the global leader in medical technology, donated a total of $53.1 million from May 1, 2006 to April 31, 2007. They help fund programs and organizations that improve the health of people with chronic diseases, educate future generations of scientific innovators, and enhance the communities where people live and work.

SiemensThis large organization grants funding for projects of non-profit organizations that work for the benefit socially disadvantaged groups. Siemen’s Caring Hands, with its giving campaigns, honors a commitment to good citizenship with organizations such as HTF.

Fundraising Opportunities

GE HealthcareThis large organization focuses exclusively on the special needs of the healthcare industry, bringing a comprehensive collection of business and financial resources to deliver valued solutions for companies engaged in the business of healthcare. GE Healthcare has over $17 billion in assets.

CovidenThis large healthcare oriented organization offers many grants to many organizations, specifically in the non-profit realm. They have several guidelines, which the HTF meets: benefits a community by increasing access to quality healthcare, provides assistance that will have a significant impact on an individual's health or a community's well-being ,supports development of new treatments or new approaches to prevention

Conclusion