UK Ethical Healthcare Case Studies
Project Name: The Evolution of Tropism Testing Regional Meetings
Date: Autumn 2009
Client Name: Pfizer
Three years ago a new class of HIV medicine - the CCR5 antagonists - was launched, requiring a specific test, the `tropism test', to understand which patients will respond. Historically this diagnostic was only available from one laboratory in the US, though over time advances have led to a test more suitable for widespread rollout. In September 2009, only one UK laboratory offered the newer test. The two-staged `Evolution' programme was designed to educate and up-skill UK laboratories and clinicians to conduct the new test. Since launch, ten laboratories in the UK offer the newer test, servicing 46 HIV-treating centres.
Project Name: A Matter of Emergency
Date: 2008 - 2009
Client Name: College of Emergency Medicine
The College of Emergency Medicine appointed Red Door Communications to raise public and political awareness of issues in emergency medicine through the media. In doing so it wanted to put pressure on the Government to work with them on emergency medicine policy. Two major initiatives were developed - a policy document called The Way Ahead and an election manifesto - which together brought nearly 90 pieces of media coverage, including BBC Radio Four's influential Today programme, national television, print and online.
Project Name: JUPITER study
Date: 2008 - 2009
Client Name: AstraZeneca
The landmark JUPITER study, AstraZeneca's largest cardiovascular trial, was a key outcomes study for the statin CRESTOR. Initial results were announced at the 2008 American Heart Association congress and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine, with a succession of sub-analyses at major 2009 congress. Whilst positive for CRESTOR, the data used a diagnostic not available in the UK and a patient population for whom CRESTOR would not be immediately relevant. The challenge was to communicate scientific areas of significance, whilst making the data UK relevant and complient. Communication was via the media; detailed pre-planning and careful messaging delivered unprecedented coverage; over 400 items.
Project Name: Setting the Standard for Cardiac Rehabilitation (START) Meeting Series
Date: 2009
Client Name: Solvay
The START meetings programme provided a vehicle to improve clinical practice in cardiac rehabilitation (CR), enabled Solvay to support an NHS priority area and enhance relationships with the BACR and Cardiac Networks whilst achieving its commercial objective for Omacor. The overall objective was to improve customers' understanding and uptake of CR, including aspects of diet management. Evaluation showed that 88% of the 250 attendees intended to encourage patients to attend CR sessions and 65% felt the meetings had helped increase their understanding of the role they could play in CR. 85% intended to review and improve dietary advice for all their patients.