This morning at the PRSA Health Academy conference, Dr. Peter Salgo — whose name you might recognize from here, here or here — gave a very energetic talk about the future of healthcare in America. The future, he says, is wellness: a proactive approach to treating people before disease strikes and before they need to be “fixed.” But then he said something that blew me away. He said that we, the communicators, are the most important element of forward-looking healthcare.
For a moment, I thought it was a joke. I’ve worked with many docs over the course of my career and, let’s face it, they don’t exactly think that writers are the greatest thing since the invention of sliced bread.
But he made many interesting points. Where do you or I get most of our health information? Do we make an appointment to see the doctor to ask questions? No. We consult Dr. Google. Want to lose 10 pounds/quit smoking/reduce your cholesterol level/be healthier? Are you more likely to pay for an office visit or look for tips on WebMD?
Healthcare communicators do play an enormous and ever-expanding role in the health, wellness and wellbeing of the American population. Whether we’re the PR director of a small health system producing cable access videos about medical conditions or a corporate copywriter explaining what to expect from treatment for aortic aneurysm, we are often the primary source for medical information.
Those of us who walk the line between communicator and medical-science geek will be called upon to play an even greater role as healthcare continues to evolve. I’m very excited to be in the right place at the right time.