Changing the narrative: women reveal what they want from health communication and health brands
November 9, 2022 | Behaviour change, Health content, agency, gender health gap, health communications, women's health
In this white paper, we interview more than 1,000 women to gain deep insights into healthcare, what they really think about the gender health gap and how health brands and the right communication can help bridge it.
More than six out the 10 the women we surveyed about healthcare and how brands communicate with them, say that poor communication has negatively impacted their health and wellbeing.
Meanwhile, three-quarters want brands to provide more health information, representing huge opportunities to advocate for women, opportunities which are all explored in detail in the white paper, now published in full.
It comes at a time when the gender health gap is gaining wider recognition, following the appointment of Maria Caulfield, the UK’s first minister for women’s health, the launch of Scotland’s Women’s Health Plan and the Wellbeing for Women’s Menopause Workplace Pledge. In 2021, Organon also became the first dedicated female pharma company.
We wanted to delve further into the personal impact of the gap, knowing that female health conditions, and their impact on women, are often undiagnosed and overlooked. Less is known about conditions that only affect women and women are also often more likely to be misdiagnosed than men. Misdiagnosis is particularly serious when it comes to heart conditions with women more likely to die of a heart attack than men.
The women were also asked to pick the three main issues in accessing healthcare from a list of 12 options. The most picked option, chosen by more than 44pc of women was ‘not being taken seriously by healthcare professionals’. This was closely followed by a ‘lack of understanding of women’s lives and experiences’ and a ‘lack of understanding of female bodies’, pointing again to the issues around the gender health gap.
In the survey, 77pc of women want to see more health information from brands. But they said it needs to be direct, expert-led, empathetic, and free from stereotypes.
Caitlin Dalton, Thrive’s Innovation Director, said: “Women’s health is at a critical juncture. There have been some wider societal changes with the UK’s First Minister for Women’s Health and the appointment of Dame Lesley Regan as the Government’s Women’s Health Ambassador. But while the often-slow political change is happening, technology is perfectly positioned to create grass roots change for women.
“Our survey has shown that women feel they don’t have a voice, that their voice isn’t taken seriously. Technology can provide women with the information they need and the empowerment to make their voices heard. From generational differences in health communications, to how language and tone matter in engagement levels, the findings in our survey act as a blueprint to help companies play their part in closing the gender health gap.”
Thrive’s Changing the narrative white paper reveals key insights and opportunities for brands to leverage content and create empowering connections with women.
Read on to learn about:
- What really matters to women when it comes to healthcare communications.
- The disconnect between how brands think they are communicating and the views of their female customers.
- The key health advice women want you to give to their younger peers.
- The right communications blend for a campaign that resonates through powerful storytelling.
This content was provided by Thrive Agency