PatientConnect Video was launched by Healthgrades earlier this month to provide not only education video programming about specific health conditions, but to then connect patients with qualified, local specialists. According to the news release, “PatientConnect Video eliminates the uncertainty for patients who don’t know where to access care.”

Coupling proprietary AI technology with their innovative solution suite, this online video solution provides content along with relevant healthcare provider information. “For example, patients watching video content about rheumatoid arthritis are dynamically provided with listings of rheumatologists closest to their location along with the physicians’ accepted insurance, patient reviews, contact information and more.”

According to John Mangano, Senior Vice President, Business Intelligence for Healthgrades, this takes things a step further than the usual ‘ask your doctor for more information’ instruction typically found in ads by actually “helping the patient find their doctor. After viewing an ad online, Healthgrades delivers individually localized contact information, along with patient reviews of the provider, so each patient can connect with the right practitioner.”

In its ongoing commitment to raising awareness of mental health conditions and treatments and to help the millions of suffering adults, Allergan launched a new campaign for VRAYLAR earlier this month. To represent the ups and downs of mood swings associated with bipolar I disorder, the campaign showcases a woman viewing various episodes of her life as she rides up and down in a shaky elevator.

In “The Ups and Downs Campaign,” upon entering the elevator and pressing the button to her floor, all of the button lights begin to flicker rapidly. The elevator plummets down, with the doors then opening to show her crying on the edge of her bed, before surging back up high, where the doors open on a scene of her arguing with a man. The elevator screen then shows the arrows pointing in both directions, as the doors open to reveal her clothes shopping in a panicked state. After taking VRAYLAR, the elevator ride steadies before stopping in her current life moment where she cleans up the mess in her bedroom, and then takes a smooth elevator ride to meet her date in the lobby.

The creative was shaped by “insights and anecdotes shared by” bipolar I disorder patients, according to the public relations team. “Using physical metaphors taken from how patients describe the condition,” this illustration helps describe the mood episodes as well as the transitions between, covering the full spectrum of bipolar I symptoms: depression, mixed episodes, and mania. The next stage of this campaign will introduce another visual, “inspired by real analogies real patients made about how the ups and downs of bipolar can feel. The intention is to help more people who may be living with the condition recognize the symptoms, and talk to their doctors to see appropriate treatment.”

The campaign includes in-network and cable spots, running in all time periods of the day but with a particular attention to specific shows. Print and newly designed website companion elements launched mid-month. BBDO created the ad; BCW supports the PR and strategic communications efforts for the brand.

The custom campaign, In These Rooms, launched this month to help transform the point of care space to a more empathetic “moments of care” image. Created by Outcome Health, a 90-second video was released which portrayed life-changing moments that patients and caregivers experience in waiting rooms and exam rooms. According to a news release, In These Rooms depicts “raw, authentic emotion” to create a shift in mindset when it comes to healthcare content in these locations and channels. The long-form video will be complemented by shorter spots – distributed via selected healthcare trade support – as well as a social media campaign.

To provide a well-rounded representation of potential patient and caregiver experiences with their healthcare professionals, the creative includes: “a waiting room, a pediatrician visit for an asthma check-up, an OB-GYN ultrasound room to hear a baby’s first heartbeat, a standard exam room for a long-overdue physical, and a doctor’s office to learn about treatment results.”

Matt McNally, CEO of Outcome Health and DTC Innovator honoree, stated in the news release: “In These Rooms challenges all pharma marketers and their agency partners to think differently about point of care and is the first step in our commitment to the ongoing understanding of the needs in this space. Today, we call on our industry to create content and experiences that wrap patients with empathy, education and support at the ‘moments of care’ when they are most vulnerable and need it most.”

Ogilvy Health, a part of Ogilvy, has promoted seven creative team members in the agency’s New Jersey and New York offices. Expressing her excitement for the department’s growth was Ogilvy Health North America’s Chief Creative Officer, Samantha Dolin: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this group acknowledged for their respective talents and collective leadership. Their brilliant contributions every day help to elevate the entire Ogilvy Health team and the new roles they are taking on will allow their impact to be felt more broadly across so many of our key accounts. As they continue to drive meaningful results and delight our clients, I am looking forward to building our next creative chapter with this group of tremendously talented individuals.”

The new advancements are:

• Mike Brune and Deborah Ciauro have been promoted to the positions of Executive Creative Directors.
• Larry Hannon has been elevated to Senior Vice President, Creative Director.
• Beth Elkis and George Giunta have advanced to the posts of Group Creative Directors.
• Anita Caruso has moved to Vice President, Associate Creative Director.
• Agnes Topor has advanced to Associate Creative Director.

HCB Health announced the hiring of ten new team members under its BioPharma division and an additional four to support the agency across all groups. Of the new hires, three will take on roles in senior management: Gabriel Cangiano, Mark Davis, and Travis Waggoner.

New BioPharma team members:

• Denise Byrne joins as Senior Project Manager in HCB Health’s Chicago location. Denise was previously a Senior Project Manager at Havas Life Metro.
• Leslie Calabrese joins as Assistant Account Executive in Chicago. Leslie was a Social Engagement Associate at Golin prior to this role.
• Gabriel Cangiano serves as VP, Group Account Supervisor in Chicago. Gabriel joins from GC Healthcare Consulting, having been a Consulting Director, and InTouch Solutions, where he was a Group Account Director, HCP and Market Access.
• Brooke Claussen is an Associate Creative Director in Chicago. Brooke was with InTouch Solutions previously as an Associate Creative Director.
• Nick D’Amore serves as Medical Editor in West New York / New Jersey. Nick was with FCB Health as a Senior Medical Editor previously.
• Ethan Stickle joins as Account Supervisor in Chicago. Most recently, he work for The Sandbox Agency as Account Supervisor.
• Pooja Desai holds the role of Senior Account Executive in Chicago. Pooja was a Senior Account Executive with EVERSANA previously.
• Christine Mavridis (Chris Mav) is an Associate Creative Director in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina office. Most recently, Chris was a Group Copy Supervisor with McCann Health.
• Julyna Moore is a Senior Art Director in Chicago, having previously held the Senior Art Director role at AbelsonTaylor.
• Ruth Nobile joins as an Account Executive in the Austin location. Most recently, Ruth, a postdoctoral marketing fellow, was with Bayer Pharmaceuticals in US Oncology Marketing.

Supporting the entire agency:

• Cody Morris is now an Associate UX (user experience) Designer, working in the Austin location. He was previously a contract / freelance graphic designer.
• Mark Davis holds the role of SVP Multichannel Delivery in New Jersey. Prior to that, he was a healthcare digital marketing consultant, and was with Sudler & Hennessey as a SVP, Digital Strategist.
• Travis Waggoner serves as IT Director in Austin. Travis was previously with TeamLogicIT as a Solutions Engineer / Technical Delivery.
• Kelsi Brown joins as Director of Employee Engagement in Austin. Previously, Kelsi was a Senior HR Manager at T3.

In early June, PhRMA released its first-ever television ad as part of its Let’s Talk About Cost campaign, which has previously released print, digital, and radio ads. The ad aims to “reaffirm our commitment and generate more conversation about solutions to the challenges patients face affording their medicines.”

With heightened discussion in recent times surrounding drug prices – including the US District Court’s ruling on price disclosure in DTC ads and pricing trends data from Rx Savings Solutions – PhRMA’s Let Talk About Cost campaign helps create transparency and encourages open “dialogue on how we can make medicines more affordable for patients,” stated their news release. According to the trade association, the campaign helps “put a spotlight on the role insurers and middlemen like pharmacy benefit managers play in determining what a patient pays out of pocket for their medicine.

“Research shows that on average, 40% of the list price of medicines is given as rebates or discounts to insurance companies, the government, pharmacy benefit managers and other entities in the supply chain. These rebates and discounts exceeded $166 billion in 2018 alone and are growing every year.”

The article’s author, Priscilla VanderVeer, Vice President, Public Affairs with PhRMA, stressed the importance of focusing on “changes, like reforming the rebate system in Medicare Part D, that can lower patients’ out-of-pocket costs, improve access to cutting-edge treatments and cures, and drive competition to help bring down costs.”