Findings from new study offer valuable
insights for physicians and healthcare companies working to improve
health of Black communities
NEW
YORK, Feb. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study
from BlackDoctor.org (BDO) highlights the complex factors that
build and break trust in healthcare among Black communities.
Comprised of more than 45 million people in the U.S., Black
communities have historically had a complicated, and often painful,
relationship with the healthcare system. The BDO Black Community
Trust Study uncovers how Black individuals think about trust and
their health and identifies ways pharmaceutical and healthcare
organizations can best partner with Black community members to meet
their needs. The study findings were unveiled to healthcare leaders
at the Community Voices in Health Equity Summit, hosted by BDO in
collaboration with USA TODAY,
Omnicom Health Group (OHG) and Omnicom Public Relations Group
(OPRG), including Ketchum.
The study, which surveyed more than 500 Black individuals within
the BDO community, found that more than 80 percent of respondents
say honesty and transparency are defining elements of trust in
health (83%). A majority also agree that trust requires healthcare
providers to see and treat patients as whole people vs. just their
symptoms (77%) and believe them when they describe how they are
feeling (68%). In a signal to companies that one-time efforts are
not effective in building trust, 58 percent of respondents say
their trust is dependent on organizations demonstrating a long-term
commitment to their community.
The study also explores what pharma and healthcare companies can
do to earn trust and improve the health of Black community members.
When asked what steps companies should take to earn their trust, 40
percent said hiring more Black employees would help earn their
trust, indicating a growing desire for companies to reflect the
diversity of the communities they serve. The survey data also
highlight a desire for pharma companies to facilitate racial bias
and empathy training for healthcare providers and make it easier to
access patient navigators.
Clarity and transparency also rose to the top as key elements of
establishing trust. More than half (54 percent) see pharma
companies playing a role in making health information easier to
understand, and 34 percent say using simpler language would go a
long way in earning their trust. This desire for jargon-free, plain
language is gaining greater prominence among physicians and
healthcare organizations according to Ketchum, a global
communications consultancy with deep health equity expertise and
part of Omnicom PR Group (OPRG). More and more, they say, the
conversation is shifting away from patient health literacy to the
need for more equitable and inclusive language.
The Community Voices in Health Equity Summit held at the
USA TODAY office in New York City brought together more than 70
leaders from top pharma and healthcare organizations to engage in
much needed dialogue around health equity and community engagement.
Panels during the full-day event covered topics such as medical
gaslighting, early detection of cancer among Black men and clinical
trial diversity.
Clinical trial diversity was also highlighted in the study. When
asked what they need help with to live their healthiest life, many
respondents indicated a need for greater access to health
information. Half (50%) want more information on new, innovative
treatments, and 36 percent are seeking more information on clinical
trials.
"Trust remains the number one gap we must overcome to achieve
clinical trial diversity and health equity, and we are committed to
walking hand-in-hand with pharma to get it right and move quickly,"
said BlackDoctor.org CEO Reggie
Ware. "Trust is the foundation for health equity strategies,
and reaching Blacks in a trustworthy manner, in places they trust,
by people they trust must be the lens."
BDO Chief Marketing Officer Derrick
Lane also underscored the organization's commitment to
normalizing Black participation in clinical trials, leading with
trust and educating BDO's 20 million audience reach on Facebook and
six million monthly visitors to its website. "We are entering new
territory to meet diversity in clinical trials standards," he said.
"Awareness and collaboration are paramount to improve health and
set up our legacy in good health."
In 2024, BlackDoctor.org intends to work closely with pharma
companies, community health workers and local influencers to bring
awareness to its Clinical Trial Resource Center (CTRC) and engage
in important conversations around health equity for measurable
impact and improved health outcomes.
Valarie Clark, MPA Senior Vice
President of Health Equity at Ketchum, says the Community Voices
summit is just the beginning of the health equity partnership with
BDO. "Being able to effectively communicate with patients and
communities can actually save lives – we saw this happen throughout
the pandemic. Clear, simple and concise messages are most
effective, but equally important is who is communicating – a valued
member of the community can help establish more trust and
engagement. Everyone involved in the healthcare system has a
responsibility to make the complex simple to ensure patients get
the care they need. Achieving better outcomes really requires all
of us to communicate differently, and our summit was a great step
forward in advancing that communication."
About BDO Black Community Trust Study
Data was
compiled by BlackDoctor.org. There is a Black population size of 45
million in the U.S. The SurveyMonkey® was completed
online by 500 people within the BlackDoctor.org community, with a
confidence level of 90 percent and margin of error of four
percent.
About BlackDoctor.org (BDO)
BlackDoctor.org (BDO) is
the leading and most trusted health platform for Black consumers,
reaching a total audience of 20 million people, with six million
monthly website visitors. BDO leverages culture, content and
technology to improve health outcomes for Black consumers.
BDO is positively impacting Health Disparities and Health
Equity, which has become an increasing priority with health
stakeholders. BDO's mission is to get every Black family as healthy
as possible and has been able to build an activated, health-focused
consumer base, about which it has deep insights. BDO works with
leading Black medical and health experts to provide "how to do it,
you can do it" content to an audience who needs it most.
Other BDO assets include a Clinical Trials Resource Center, a
robust Find a Doctor search tool and more.
About Omnicom PR Group (OPRG)
Omnicom PR Group (OPRG)
is the largest global network of communications and consulting
agencies in the world. It is home to three of the top global PR
agencies FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, Porter Novelli and
more than a dozen specialist agencies in corporate and public
affairs, political consulting and advertising, language strategy,
global health strategy and organizational transformation. OPRG is
part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC). www.TeamOPRG.com.
About Ketchum
Established in 1923, Ketchum's century of continuous evolution is a
testament to our progress. Our storied journey is fueled by our
guiding principles of empathy and intelligence. Progress allows us
to create a thriving environment where we embrace innovation and
deliver excellence with our people and partners, producing work
that matters. Driven by data, we develop culture-first work at the
intersection of industry and capability. With 136 Cannes Lions, our
global communications consultancy is one of the most creatively
awarded firms in our industry. We are Ketchum: Progress at Work.
For more information on Ketchum, a part of Omnicom Public Relations
Group, visit www.ketchum.com.
About Omnicom Health Group (OHG)
At Omnicom Health
Group (OHG), differences drive impact. A global network of
companies with diverse expertise, we're united by a common purpose
to change lives for good. We reach beyond our teams to forge
unexpected connections that spark never-before-seen solutions. The
teams we assemble help you tackle what's now—and next—getting you
from science to market, ensuring access, and driving engagement
with patients and providers. All while holding ourselves to the
highest standard: to be the case study.
Across the hall or across the globe and everywhere in between,
we've built a global network that thrives on connection and is
driven by respect. We celebrate diversity and individuality. OHG
takes what makes us different and we weave it into the fabric of
what makes us a network. For more information, visit
https://omnicomhealthgroup.com/.
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SOURCE Ketchum Inc