Hamell recognised at British Medical Association (BMA) awards for excellence in patient information

Hamell are delighted to announce that three booklets from Boehringer Ingelheim’s More than Scleroderma campaign  have been commended  by the world-renowned British Medical Association (BMA) for excellence in patient information.

Established in 1997, the BMA Patient Information Awards recognise patient material that is accessible, well-designed and clinically balanced. This year alone, the patient information awards received almost 300 entries. The BMA traditionally awards medical organisations and charities, so this is a major achievement for a pharmaceutical company.

What makes these booklets different?

The booklets were commissioned by Boehringer Ingelheim, who saw an unmet need in a complex, and devastating rare disease.

Hamell conducted primary research with people living with scleroderma, their loved ones and physicians to uncover what they understood and feared about the condition; what was said, and what was often left unsaid. These findings were integral to developing the booklet’s content, which were then tried and tested by patient organisations around the world.

The booklets have since been translated and disseminated to patients and carers across the US and Europe through congresses, patient groups and clinical centres.

We have received fantastic feedback

Recognition from the BMA is further testament to the quality of the work that can be achieved through active collaboration between pharma, healthcare professionals and those that matter the most – the people that live with the condition.

Hamell would like to thank Boehringer Ingelheim for the opportunity to work with them on this project, and the tireless efforts of the clinical teams and patient organisations around the globe, without who’s support, this would not have been possible.

Highly Commended

Shortlisted for 2019 Patient Information Award

Highly Commended

Silver for Self-care Award

Shortlisted for 2019 Patient Information Award

"This is the best patient leaflet I have ever had the pleasure to see, to the extent that I had to ask my wife to look at it to see if she could find fault. The first 20 pages are concerned with general encouragement to carers and patients to work together as a team and demonstrating how this team effort improves quality of life. It aims to support and encourage both carers and patients with scleroderma who know the condition is untreatable and have yet to learn that many symptoms may be mitigated by changes in diet or by specific exercises.” - Pharmaceutical physician David Ingram

Commended

‘This is an excellent resource. It has been very carefully researched and tested with patients and clinicians. This is apparent from the design of the booklet itself. In particular, designing it for use by patients with scleroderma (and often reduced dexterity in their hands) is very helpful indeed and clearly a result of patient feedback. The tabs on the sides are also clever and make it easy to use. It can be a resource for patients to use alone, or used with a nurse, doctor, carer or family member due to the large and clear font. It is carefully and clearly written, with only salient details in simple English. There is a link to an excellent online resource.’ - BMA Final Judging Panel

We want to make good practice common practice in rare disease 

Hamell firmly believe that you can only improve patients experiences if you listen to those on the frontline.  

At Hamell, we construct behavioural models that explain how people make sense of their illness and treatments. Using our models, we map the disconnect between patient and HCPs, to identify conflicting beliefs, misunderstanding and where information is overlooked.

For more information about our approach and to see what we could do for you, contact Fiona Hammond (Managing Director) at fiona@hamell.co.uk, Frank Walters (Creative Director) at frank@hamell.co.uk or visit the Hamell website .