Nancy Hicks's blog

“Politically correct” has become a powerful cultural meme that transforms our language and the way we communicate.  It can signal a level of respect for a group of people – “garbage collectors” became “sanitation engineers”, and Whole Foods calls their employees “team members”.  Marketers have been quick to inflate the value of their products with new terminology.  The downscale “used car” became “pre-owned”, and so much more appealing.

One would think that healthcare language, anchored in the solid world of science, would be immune to PC terminology.  While no one has found a better way to say “lipids” which is already an improvement over “fats”, the language of healthcare continues to  morph in response to public sensibilities and scientific insights. Read full post »

The news was devastating.  Lance Armstrong,
one of the greatest athletes of our age, had just announced that he would no longer contest the USADA investigation on doping charges.  Although he did not admit to using performance enhancing drugs, and many believe he is innocent, the decision not to fight the charges was a stunning development.  As a result, Armstrong will be stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and will be permanently banned from cycling.

But while perceptions of Armstrong’s role as an athlete may be altered by this development, what about his role as a philanthropist?  With Livestrong, his cancer advocacy group, Lance Armstrong has become as prominent in the world of health as he is in the world of cycling. Read full post »

The old adage, “you get what you pay for” does
not apply to healthcare.  As noted in a Commonwealth Fund study recently released, the United States spends more on healthcare than 12 other industrialized countries – and it doesn’t seem that our care is any better.

The cost gap is substantial.  The U.S. spends nearly $8,000 per person on health services while the next most expensive countries – Norway and Switzerland – spend a little more than $5,000 per person. Read full post »

Nancy Hicks, SVP and associate director, North America
Healthcare Practice, and Christina Nicols, VP and director of Research, Ketchum Washington, D.C., co-authors and editors of a new book entitled Health Industry Communications: New Media, New Methods, New Message sat down with Ketchum Corporate Communications Editor Jeff Lewonczyk to shed some light on the book, what communicators can learn from it, and overall trends in health industry communications.

JEFF: What is the goal of the book? What need does it fulfill, and what audiences is it intended for? Read full post »

Editor’s Note: This article originally ran on CNBC.com.  Click here to see the original post. 

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
recently released organ   procurement guidelines for public comment that are sure to prompt ethical debate.

In the first overhaul of the system in 25 years, UNOS announced younger, healthier people will be given priority preference for kidneys over older, sicker people.

This is a major change over the previous system which favored patients on a waiting list – first come, first served – irrespective of age or health condition. Read full post »