As the seasons shift and the days get shorter (or longer in the Southern Hemisphere!) we look back and reflect on the successes of the past few months. One of these major successes for the GLOBALHealthPR partnership took place last May when partners from all member agencies were present in London for our Annual General Meeting (AGM). This year’s meeting, themed Reaching New Heights, was organized by our tremendous hosts at GHPR UK partner and European hub, Aurora.
For threedays, partners presented case studies, analyzed client practices, brainstormed innovative ideas, and discussed creative solutions to unify the GHPR strategy. Discussions covered everything from the rollout of new initiativesto best-practice sharing sessions led by GHPR Partners. The combined efforts of this global team continues to propel GHPR to the top of its class.
Have a look inside GLOBALHealthPR and our 2015 AGM in the video above!
Former Australian Test Cricket Captain, Steve Waugh, AO, is joining his wife and stroke survivor, Lynette, 49, health professionals and stroke survivors, to champion public awareness of stroke, its often fatal consequences, and the importance of early detection this month.
Lynette and Steve Waugh
With more than 60,000 Australians experiencing stroke each year,1 one-in-430 (17,273) of whom are from NSW,2Steve and Lynette, who survived a devastating haemorrhagic stroke in August, 2006, are urging members of the community to visit their local Blooms The Chemist pharmacy for a free Stroke Risk Assessment this Stroke Risk Awareness Month (September).
According to Steve, his wife experienced a stroke at the age of 40, without warning.
“It was completely unexpected, and an extremely intimidating and terrifying experience for everyone. “Lynette has since spent the past nine years working to reclaim her speech, memory and hearing – a battle she continues to wage today,” Steve said. “Mistakenly, many of us tend to think of stroke as an older person’s condition. But stroke can strike anyone, at any age.
“One-in-six people will have a stroke during their lifetime. While stroke currently has no cure,importantly, the most common type of stroke can be prevented,” said Steve. “Your pharmacist represents a good first port of call to determine your risk of stroke.” Stroke is one of our nation’s biggest killers,5,6 and the second most common cause of disability in Australia.1
“Stroke is the third most common cause of death in men, killing more men than prostate cancer, and the second most common cause of death among women, killing more women than breast cancer,”6 said General Practitioner, Dr Richard Kidd, Nundah Doctors, Surgery, Brisbane. There are two major types of stroke: ischaemic stroke, the most common type, responsible for four-in-five (80 per cent) strokes, that is lifestyle-preventable; and haemorrhagic stroke, responsible for one-in-five (20 per cent) strokes.3
Risk factors for stroke include older age, gender, family history, medical conditions and lifestyle.Lifestyle factors that increase the risk of stroke include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, cigarette smoking, poor diet and exercise, and high alcohol consumption. “While certain stroke risk factors cannot be controlled, lifestyle risk factors for stroke can,”Dr Kidd said. “With the help of your family doctor and pharmacist, you can reduce your risk of stroke by reducing high blood pressure, quitting smoking, reducing excess weight, achieving good control of diabetes and reducing excessive alcohol. A significant family history may indicate investigation for less common risk factors. A healthy diet, regular physical activity, screening for stroke risk and regular visits to your doctor and pharmacist, are all measures that help prevent stroke.”7,8
“I have no family history of stroke. I don’t smoke, and I’m not a big drinker. My stroke just happened,” explained the former Australian Test Cricket Captain’s wife, Lynette, who considers herself very fortunate to have survived stroke. “It [stroke] was an unusual experience that left me cocooned. I didn’t understand why I was in hospital. I didn’t even know I’d had surgery on my head.” Lynette cites her biggest frustration with stroke has been its effect on her immediate family. “A stroke is sudden and abrupt to the blood supply to the brain, and that’s how it affects the family as well. It’s sudden and abrupt to a family.”
Reflecting on the arduous, ongoing recovery process from stroke, Lynette advises “It’s important not to be in a hurry when recovering from stroke. The re-learning process is ongoing. It’s something you need to keep working on every day.
“I was in speech therapy twice-a-week and had daily activities to complete. I had to learn to talk all over again,” said Lynette. As a stroke survivor, Lynette contends she is well-positioned to campaign for heightened public awareness of stroke and its often devastating consequences. “My message to the public is to be aware of stroke, to not ignore any potential signs of stroke, and if present, to jot these signs down.
“Having a Stroke Risk Assessment is an initial step toward stroke prevention,” Lynette said. According to Kurt Smith, Working Partner and Pharmacist, Blooms The Chemist, Wyong, NSW, an ischaemic stroke can be prevented by addressing simple lifestyle factors through this type of assessment.7,8
“A Stroke Risk Assessment takes less than 10 minutes. It involves a pharmacist taking your blood pressure and asking a series of simple questions designed to assess your overall risk of stroke. Should the pharmacist consider you to be at-risk of stroke, you will be advised to seek prompt medical advice,” Kurt said. “The results will be feature in a Doctor referral form for the patient to share with their doctor.”
Social media manager, Deb, 53, Sydney, lost her mother, Sylvia, 70, in July this year, following four ischemic strokes over the past four years.
The heavy smoker, mother-of-three and grandmother-to-four, lost her ability to walk and talk, her independence and eventually, her ability to care for herself. After her third stroke last year, her husband, Edward, became her full-time carer.
“It was hard for Mum because, eventually, she couldn’t even make a cup of coffee, feed herself, get dressed, go to the toilet or have a shower,” said Deb. “Mum was in and out of hospital after her second stroke, until she passed away. It was devastating to see what stroke can do to a loved one.
“A Stroke Risk Assessment could have prevented Mum’s stroke, and had I known they existed at the time, I would have encouraged her to have had one, because stroke prevention is key,” Deb said. “Dealing with stroke and the impact it has on the individual and their family, is heart-wrenching. I would urge anyone to undergo a simple Stroke Risk Assessment to help prevent the devastation that results from stroke,” she said.
About stroke
Stroke is a medical emergency that can lead to brain damage or even death.9,10 Stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, either by a blockage in an artery, or a bleed in the brain.11 Interrupted blood flow stops nutrients and oxygen reaching affected parts of the brain, resulting in brain cell death in those areas.9
If you suspect you, a family member or friend is at-risk of stroke, visit your local Blooms The Chemist pharmacist for a Stroke Risk Assessment this Stroke Risk Awareness Month. Stroke Risk Assessments are being run throughout major metropolitan and regional areas of NSW, QLD and in Melbourne. For further information, head to http://www.blooms.net.au/monitoring-management/.
What factors do you consider when selecting a doctor? In Australia as in other countries, payment is a hot topic of discussion. Today’s post comes to us from our GLOBALHealthPR Australia partner, VIVA! Communications.
In Australia, patients may soon begin to see higher bills each time they visit their local doctors as the government has chosen to freeze Medicare rebates for general practitioner (GP) services. This move is expected to generate approximately $1.3 billion in government savings that would otherwise have been directed to GPs by 2018.
In preparing to launch an extensive Medicare review after ruling out a Medicare co-payment, The Federal Health Minister, The Hon. Sussan Ley MP, was reported by The Sydney Morning Herald on April 22, 2015 to have said, “Basically, there’s wide agreement the Medicare system in its current form, is sluggish, bloated and at high risk of long-term chronic problems, and continuing to patch it up with band-aids won’t fix it.”
This brings about a larger question about how co-payments fit into the broader set of considerations that patients must address when selecting a provider.
GPs have warned the ongoing freeze on Medicare fees may attract an additional $8.43 co-payment for non-concession patients by 2018, which is all the more reason why Australians should be asking their GPs if their billing processes are changing.
Factors to consider when selecting a doctor:
If you’re on the hunt for a new general practitioner (GP), there are certain items you need to take into account, including gender, age, availability, qualifications and specialisation, other service provisions and of course, billing.
Associate Professor Helena Britt from The University of Sydney’s Family Medicine Research Centre was reported by The Age on June 16, 2015 to have said age and gender are important considerations in GP selection.
“Female GPs are more likely to conduct longer consultations and ask about psycho-social issues, and some male GPs avoid offering procedures such as pap smears for women altogether.”
Furthermore, older GPs are known to rely more on clinical experience and patient examinations, while younger GPs order more tests to verify their suspicions.
Importantly, you need to be able to establish a connection with your doctor and to be able to engage in open, honest dialogue.
Availability is also critical. On what basis does your GP work, and can you afford to wait? Large corporate clinics tend to operate after-hours and cater to walk-ins, but may involve longer waiting times. On the flip side, small, family-oriented GP practices are open during business hours and offer a more personalised service.
It’s also important to consider a GP’s area of specialisation in order to best meet your healthcare needs. For instance, does your GP specialise in women’s, men’s or sexual health, pediatrics, obstetrics, dermatology, travel medicine, addictions, complementary medicine, or other therapeutic areas?
Furthermore, what other services does your GP offer (e.g. pathology, diagnostic imaging) and are they conveniently located (i.e. in-house, next door, down the road)? In addition, does your GP practice house allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists, psychologists, dieticians and nutritionists?
Perhaps a locum doctor service (such as the Home Doctor Service and Australian Locum Medical Service) is more suited to your healthcare needs? These bulk-billed services operate from 4pm to 8am, seven days a week, with an average waiting time of up to three hours, and cater for sickness that does not warrant hospital attention.
Recently, Ley has vocalized that her views on GP services in general remain the same. She shared her opinions with The Sydney Morning Herald on August 4, 2015, “We are committed to finding better ways to care for people with chronic and complex conditions and ensure they receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.” Ley agrees with the public that the Medicare system is not supportive enough of chronic and complex health conditions.
So remember to think twice when selecting your GP.
Interested in more details regarding the Australian government’s freeze on indexation of Medicare rebates to GPs? Head over the VIVA! blog for a more in-depth look.
Jonathan Wilson, Spectrum president and head of GLOBALHealthPR’s North America hub
There’s no better feeling when you run a client services agency than to identify a need and be able to deliver a solution. We get to do that today, with the introduction of Reimbursography, GLOBALHealthPR’s global strategic communications programme that leverages country-specific access insights to shape the value context for reimbursement success.
GLOBALHealthPR clients discover some of the world’s most innovative treatments for life-threatening conditions, saving and improving lives around the globe. They invest billions of dollars in the science and in the people who develop treatments for cancer, infectious and cardiovascular diseases, and more. Yet when their drugs make it through regulatory approvals, they face huge hurdles in global market access and reimbursement. A treatment’s value to the patient, to the community, to the healthcare system as a whole, is reduced to a discussion – usually an overwhelmingly contentious one – about the cost of the prescription.
But price is not really the issue here. It’s about recognition – by all decision makers – of the value that a new treatment brings to the market. To achieve that recognition, you need to build and tell a compelling and credible value story.
In our inaugural Reimbursography white paper, “Pharma Market Access Success: Shifting the Dialogue from Price to Value Through Strategic Communications,” we demonstrate how communications creates the right environment for value recognition.
Download the white paper
Market Demand for a New Approach
At GLOBALHealthPR we see an opportunity to redefine market access communications, building the story early in the drug development process and sustaining it throughout the product lifecycle. Clients have increasingly turned to us for help with market access challenges. In the countries where we live and work, GLOBALHealthPR partners have seen restrictions attached to reimbursement agreements and reluctance of companies to even launch a product in some markets. Reimbursography reflects our collective capabilities to substantiate and communicate the value of an innovative treatment for funding, access, coverage and reimbursement in markets around the world.
What Makes GLOBALHealthPR Stand Out When it Comes to Market Access Communications
We are a connected global network that works effectively and efficiently in key geographies around the world. Check out our high-level market access and reimbursement insights for key markets in our Reimbursography guides.
Our partnership includes expertise in health communications, PhD scientists, best-in-class market access consultants and trusted counselors with in-country experience and relationship
We engage clients to conduct a value analysis and bring together company cross-functional leaders and key market access stakeholders for an open dialog about value, to ultimately arrive at a customised value communications playbook.
Download the white paper and get in touch with GLOBALHealthPR to learn how Reimbursography can help tell your product’s story to showcase its value to the marketplace.
In many countries, this Sunday marks a very special day in which we celebrate and show our appreciation for the unsung heroes in our lives – our Mothers. In each place where it’s celebrated, Mother’s Day brings its own unique story and traditions. Similarly, we as GLOBALHealthPR partners have our own unique stories of how Mum has impacted us.
Considering this, the executives of our GHPR partner agencies around the globe reflect today on the advice that their Mum gave that helped shape them into the people who they are today. These leaders and their agencies would not be where they are today without their support.
Australia
My mother told me “to be bold and brave, to work hard and to never say die; that you reap what you sow.”
I’ve carried these words of wisdom with me throughout the various trials and tribulations of my life and plan to pass this philosophy onto my three young children.
Kirsten Bruce, Principal, GLOBALHealthPR Australia partner, VIVA! Communications
Spain
Considering that we are six brothers, and I’m the third, she had always time to spend with everyone, something that if we look now in our own families is really difficult, so lesson learned: do all you can to stay as much time with your children; they will have the best teacher in their lives.
Pedro Cano, CEO, GLOBALHealthPR Spain partner, Berbés Asociados
Portugal
We all carry some parts of our parents but there are things that stick stronger than others and contribute for who we are. My dear mother, a lovely and practical woman with a quirky and wonderful sense of humor shared two things that still linger. “A man isn’t measured by how many times he falls; he is measured by how many times he rises,” made me not be afraid of my mistakes and be more entrepreneurial. “Son, if you’re not a doctor it isn’t your job to take care of the craziest people,” made me not take some people too seriously and achieve the inner piece that we, as trusted advisers, need.
Jorge Azevedo, Managing Partner, GLOBALHealthPR Portugal partner, Guess What
Singapore
My son, Wy-En, wrote a poem (when he was 15 years old) dedicated to me and this poem is part of a collection of poems he published into a book.
BEACON (Ode to my Mother)
Cherubic face and perpetual smile, Bring cheer to me when I am down. Encouraging words and invaluable advice, Provide the motivation for me to go on. Selfless and dedicated, Tender and affectionate; The embodiment of virtuosity. Never one to demand reciprocation, Nor crave recognition, A truly altruistic woman, simple and plain. Indeed I wonder sometimes, What would happen if she were gone, Pillar of strength lost – I would fall. Cherubic face and perpetual smile, I treasure every moment with; My incandescent beacon; Illuminating my life….
My grandfather used to tell my mother and my mother always tells me “your children will be better than my children.” She is a very positive woman truly convinced that humanity always progresses. I always take with me this premise in my daily life and in the message to my little sons. Many times the future world looks grey, but we must believe we can do better.
My mother has taught me so much but nothing more important than to be yourself and be happy with who you are. Then you are able to accept others for who they are. I thank my mother that I am a confident and strong, independent person who is accepting of people from all walks of life.
Claire Eldridge, Owner and MD, GLOBALHealthPR UK partner, Aurora
My Mum repeatedly told my sister, brother and I: “I don’t mind what you do for job when you get older, as long as you are happy.”
Happiness is at the core of Aurora’s philosophy: that a happy client and a happy team deliver great work. I have my Mum to thank for the importance I place on this state of mind and the benefits it brings to Aurora – cheers Mum :)).
Neil Crump, Owner and MD, GLOBALHealthPR UK partner, Aurora
Poland
My Mom was much more special than I often let on. She taught me how to read when I was barely out of diapers, and trotted me off to museums, art galleries or the Zoo almost every Sunday. She convinced me I was special and never, ever lost faith in me, no matter how much I might have disappointed her in respect to my religious or political choices, or even that I never wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer…
Ken Rabin, Senior Consultant, GLOBALHealthPR Poland partner, Alfa
United States
As a student in probably the sixth grade at St. Jude’s School, as I was about to head off to walk to school one morning with my brothers and sisters in tow, my Mother turned to me and commanded, “John, do something outstanding today.” I’m not sure what caused her to say what she did and why on that particular day, but I’ve never forgotten that moment or the message. Her challenge could apply to anyone on any day. By exceeding our own expectations, we promote greater good throughout the world.
The happy news is that I can still ask my Mother exactly what she meant, and by the way, what did she do extra-special today?
John Seng, CEO, GLOBALHealthPR US Partner and Chair, Spectrum
Let’s salute all the Mums out there – Happy Mother’s Day!
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What factors do you consider when selecting a doctor? In Australia as in other countries, payment is a hot topic of discussion. Today’s post comes to us from our 
