Excellence in Engagement through Digital Channels

Summary of work

M&F Health developed the Heart Failure Data Map as part of Novartis’ Fighting Failure campaign to demonstrate the impact of the condition to national and local stakeholders, with a view to supporting the consideration of steps that can be taken to improve heart failure service provision and care, and as a result outcomes and quality of life for patients.
Historic estimates of the total heart failure population in the UK have long been considered an under representation of the true number of people affected by the condition, and as a result, it has remained poorly recognised and under prioritised.
However, in 2018, a landmark new study was published by Conrad et al. that estimated the true prevalence of heart failure to be nearly 1 million in the UK, which helped to shine a light on the urgent need for action in this area.
As such, the Heart Failure Data Map was developed to set out the impact of heart failure across several key data categories, to provide a platform to engage with Parliamentarians, national and local-level policymakers and commissioners to raise awareness of the condition and encourage action to reduce the impact it has on both patients and the NHS.

Judges' comments

The judges liked the Heart Failure Data Map for the use of data to drive this campaign and the evidence-based approach used. It was a strongly focussed campaign, addressing a major health issue which has not been appropriately recognised by policy makers.