Long-form audio and visual content focusing on individual patient journeys can help empower clinicians and patients, according to insights from a panel discussion presented at FIERCE Pharma Week, taking place September 14 to 17, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

The panel, Reel Impact: How Audio, Film & Digital Content Empower Patients and Clinicians, was moderated by Tracey Yaw, festival director at CINEHEALTH International Health & Wellness Film and Video Festival, and featured insights on how long-form storytelling is influencing how clinicians and patients engage with health information, how narratives can improve patient understanding, and how these stories can help build stronger connections between patients and clinicians. 

According to the panelists, the ways that patients and health care professionals consume information has been changing over time. Patients are accessing sites like  Google and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to ask health care questions before seeing a clinician, resulting in the spread of misinformation and erosion of trust. 

Share your journey because you never know when one story, and it could be yours, could make that meaningful change and have that impact on one person’s life…

Jeff Fischer, executive vice president and head of content at Publicis Health Media, spoke on how health conversations are no longer one-to-one between a health care professional and patient. According to Fischer, “There is an infinite amount of resources available [to patients]. The patient has never been more empowered” with access to communities they can turn to for advice and feedback on their health care interactions. 

The panelists also spoke of their own experiences with how sharing patient journeys, whether their own or those of others, can have positive results. Manu Singh, chief data and innovation officer at National CineMedia (NCM), discussed how her company posted long-form content focused on an NCM employee who shared his story regarding his need for a kidney transplant. After the story was posted, audience members reached out to help, resulting in the employee being paired with a donor. 

Jenn Fessler, entrepreneur, media personality, and health advocate, shared her story of posting about the side effects she experienced when she first began taking glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) that were the result of not following her clinician’s instructions. She said that she received many messages from her audience members thanking her for sharing her experience, as it made them take their clinician’s instructions for avoiding the side effects more seriously.

“For me, the advice that I try to impart upon my team, myself, and clients that we’re in conversation with is have that holistic conversation about how does it impact anybody where this content may come into play, because if you’re having a one-sided conversation, I believe, you lose the authenticity,” said Fischer. “You’re not going to build the trust, and ultimately, you’ve lost the first impression that you made with somebody when trying to really engage.”

“Share your journey because you never know when 1 story, and it could be yours, could make that meaningful change and have that impact on one person’s life to empower them to change their narrative, so don’t be afraid to do it…find your own way and share your voice out there for everybody,” said Yaw, in her closing statement.