Category: Health

The UK’s response to antimicrobial resistance could be likened to efforts to improve our resilience to climate change. Both should not be considered a substitute for the preventative actions of reducing carbon emissions and reducing misuse of antibiotics...

Two decades after the first Medicinal Products Regulation and Directive was adopted, the EU is re-opening a pandora’s box of legislation in response to long-standing concerns that the current European pharmaceutical framework does not go far enough to address unmet medical needs, inequities in access to approved therapies and the burden of rising costs on national health care budgets...

The institutional questions the pandemic has raised about the EU’s role in health will not disappear. With the forthcoming revision of the EU pharmaceutical legislation, larger EU countries set the direction of the European pharmaceutical market for decades to come. ..

APCO’s Germany team was on the ground in Berlin to cover the latest developments on the global health agenda...

Advancements in technology have unearthed vast potential to galvanize the Indian health care landscape...

Climate change leads to prolonged heat waves, increased length and severity of the pollen season and more which put human health at risk...

We are in a constant whirlwind of industry updates that fundamentally change the way health care is delivered...

The World Health Organization (WHO) listed vaccine hesitancy as one of its top 10 threats to global health in 2019...

Solidifying a hospital brand requires a clear narrative, consistent storytelling and a boldness to work with partners in new ways. ..

The reopening of borders is a particular relief for those travelers relying on foreign healthcare and providers themselves...

The acceleration of remote health care could be one of the most sustained innovations to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic...

By evaluating government communications during threats to public health, we can identify fundamental rules for communicating risk...

Here are 10 recommendations for how we could do a better job of educating the public about the pandemic...

With no quick end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, life sciences companies are increasingly being challenged to navigate this complex geopolitical crisis...

The influence of COVID-19 vaccinations extends beyond the pandemic, changing how we conduct scientific research, travel and even geopolitics...

With global leaders understanding the impact of food security on the global economy, we must adjust our understanding of how to combat food insecurity...

We must raise a new generation that is health-literate, and empower the fresh, open minds and hearts of young people to help lead the way...

Without changes in policy, privacy & access to care, the adoption and further expansion of digital health services, may be limited...

In China, e-hospitals were already widespread prior to COVID-19, with the pandemic providing further impetus for their development and continued adoption...

We are on a pathway toward great discovery in the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. AI is is expected to play a crucial role..

India launched the Digital India campaign to transform the country into a knowledge economy, with on-the-go access to information, governance and services...

One of the tools available to us to help achieve durable control over the virus is what is referred to as vaccine passports or certificates...

There are many algorithms developed to do good but lack an understanding of the data science principles that allow them to benefit all people. No algorithm is perfect, but there are ways to design algorithms that can improve outcomes for all people over time. ..

To what extent will AI-aided systems replace or augment existing technologies as the role of frontline care staff is being reshaped by computers that can monitor cases, analyze data and directly deliver basic care...

We have now arrived at a significant milestone where companies and organizations should take stock of what’s worked, what hasn’t and what they can and should be doing to prepare themselves for the next “unprecedented” event...

If COVID-19 has a lesson for us with regards to health, it is this: our social environments matter just as much as our DNAs and lifestyle choices. Experts are cognisant of the fact that joblessness, lack of education and racial inequities are part and parcel of the problems that need to be fixed...

While the Biden administration can be expected to have a robust healthcare agenda beyond the first 100 days, the president understands that getting the pandemic under better control is critical to making progress on other issues. As a result, his first 100 days will be all about the pandemic...

2020 has delivered certainty to us all about health. We now know that it is an existential asset not only for individuals but for business and society as a whole. Now, as vaccination makes working, playing and loving without wearing a mask a realistic prediction for 2021, leaders of all ilk need to make operating as the one humanity we are a new status quo...

The COVID-19 crisis has been an eye-opener for many stakeholders, especially national governments, and has revealed that sharing health data is essential for enabling positive health outcomes and more sustainable health systems in Europe...

As a global population, we’re leaning in to science and the scientific community more than ever before—representing a critical inflection point for healthcare communicators and marketers...

The effect of existing antibiotics has perpetually diminished due to increasing development of resistance, hence securing a robust pipeline of new antimicrobials is more important than ever...

It has been a buzzword for several years, but the concept of Europe’s ‘strategic autonomy’ has really gathered more attention over the last months in light of the COVID-19 crisis...

At the August 6th Brazda Breakfast briefing, an event sponsored by APCO and hosted by our partner, The Alliance for Health Policy, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci walked over 60 reporters through what we know now about COVID-19, how it spreads, where it is spreading, the status of vaccine development, and most importantly, what we all can and should do to slow the spread...

Watch the discussion of the policy and political ramifications of recent executive orders, how drug pricing actions will resonate considering the pandemic and which of these policies might move forward in 2021...

The COVID-19 crisis has given a boost to those who want the EU to play a bigger role in health. Only time will tell if EU Member States are really willing to take the jump and commit to a true “Europe of Health.”..

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally impacted how health systems and hospitals operate. In a recent roundtable discussion, APCO Worldwide Senior Director Bill Pierce spoke with APCO International Advisory Council Members Kavita Patel and Peter Urbanowicz about what health organizations must do to Come Back Stronger from this crisis...

COVID-19 is creating challenges never seen before in many of the nation’s hospital health systems. The new normal is creating a threat to staff health, morale and confidence in their leadership...

As painful, bewildering and traumatic as the past few weeks have been for businesses and society at large, one thing is clear: what we should really be hoping for is a return to ‘a new normal’—a world where we apply the many learnings of the current crisis and emerge stronger...

If there’s one silver lining to the dark pandemic cloud hanging over all of us, everywhere, it’s that we can apply the rude awakening to our shared vulnerabilities to accelerate a more proactive, preventative and protective approach to health...

New research from APCO Insight shows that concerns about the impact of COVID-19 are high in the Arabian Gulf...

While Chinese and global public health officials fight the current coronavirus epidemic, it is important to step back and examine the underlying causes of this outbreak. We are likely to see a continuation of infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics in the future and learning from this epidemic may help prevent or mitigate the impact of future epidemics...

Panelists agreed that the priority should be to ensure Europe’s capacity to compete in AI and to develop a good framework to attract investment, and incentivize industry involvement and innovation in healthcare. ..

In the United States, the issue of how to address prescription drug pricing will certainly be a hot button topic ahead of the 2020 election. The time is now for pharma companies to act and offer real and impactful solutions that help patients, while calling out elements of the healthcare system that create barriers to access in exchange for profit...

Patient consumers are increasingly influencing the future of healthcare. In this competitive and democratized environment, health providers and companies need to become more agile in the way they communicate...

With the global health community closely watching the UN's milestone High-Level Meeting on universal health coverage, Andrei Goldis takes a closer look at the World Health Organization's role in the evolving global healthcare landscape...

In healthcare, change is everywhere, affecting every patient and healthcare provider. More changes are coming, all with very few Rose Garden signing ceremonies. Buckle up for more change in 2020...

AI has a huge potential to revolutionize healthcare, but over-hyping AI can undermine the credibility of the promise...

In a world where companies are desperately trying to attract talent, the bottom line is simple: when employees feel better, they perform better...

While it’s less common to see someone getting praised in the press for their adherence to strict values, every health company we admire has a strong hand at the helm, guiding the company towards more ethical positions and setting an example for employees to make ethical decisions every day...

Cannabis is quickly becoming the “next big thing” on the cusp of breaking through all aspects of society: from medicine and beauty to food and beverages. Here are three key elements for brands and communication professionals to consider when prepping for its U.S. market entry...

At APCO’s recent Brazda Breakfast Briefing, health care experts, along with two former administrators for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, took questions from reporters about “Medicare for All” proposals...

There are reasons to be optimistic and excited about the promise of machine learning in medicine, but the path and speed towards wider implementation is hard to predict...

To better understand the future of health care, members of APCO’s global team took a closer look at the industry and shared analysis on the issues that will define the sector moving forward...

The reality is that companies in the business of health have their purpose built-in: they exist to generate health. The question their leaders need to ask themselves is not how do we define our purpose but rather, how do we deliver on it? ..

To better understand the future of health care, and the challenges the industry faces, we surveyed a select group of 18 members of APCO’s International Advisory Council (IAC) and Health Advisory Board (HAB)...

When it comes to understanding what could happen in health care over the next two years, the guiding principle is maybe. Maybe the two sides will come together on a modest package of changes to federal law, or maybe they won’t. ..

Health is always undergoing change – what is new today, will certainly be old by tomorrow. Actors in the industry need to understand how patient preferences are evolving and driving innovation...

As planned, the Danish conservative government last week published its proposal for a new health care reform in Denmark called "Patient First," intended to make the health care system in Denmark more patient-focused, better connected and with advanced quality of care and improved patient rights. ..

Population health has become a pivotal strategic focus for health systems and large provider organizations in the United States as they strive to improve quality of care and reduce costs for the entire patient care journey and focus on maintaining health and well-being of the patient population through preventative care - not just acute care...

Majority of U.S. health care providers and opinion-leading consumers say single-payer system will lead to rationing of access to health care...

After nearly a decade of the French government trying to steadily decrease the price of drugs, it goes without saying that Emmanuel Macron’s pro-business program was eagerly anticipated by the pharmaceutical industry...

Health care consumerism is an important and rising trend in health care. Yet, a new study in Health Affairs has thrown a dose of harsh reality into the expectation that we are on the verge of shifting to a consumer-driven marketplace in health care...

Our Doctors and Nurses are Tired: What does that Mean for the State of Health Care?..

Marginalizing the medical profession could undermine the quality of patient care...

As UK Prime Minister Theresa May was battling with changes in her Government late into the evening of Monday 9 July, after both her Foreign Secretary and her Brexit Secretary resigned in protest over her ’soft’ Brexit plans, it was confirmed that Matt Hancock would step into Jeremy Hunt’s shoes as the new Secretary of State for Health...

First, hats off to House Leadership for sticking with it and not giving up on their pledge to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA)...

Why is it so hard to pass a repeal and replace plan now that they have control of the White House and both chambers of Congress? Particularly when the President seems unconcerned about what they pass, just that they pass something so he can check it off on his list of accomplishments. The answer is both simple and complicated...

Health care in the United States is a $2.8 trillion, rapidly-changing and increasingly complex industry. ..

Danish pharmaceutical executives read President Donald Trump's tweets with great trepidation. And there is a very good reason for that...

The FDA ain’t broke, and it doesn’t need much fixin’. This is a message that is being delivered to the Trump administration from all stakeholders including the regulated industry itself, which hopefully will fall on open ears...

The latest report from the National Audit Office (NAO) focuses on the success, or otherwise, of efforts to integrate health and social care and specifically the £5.3billion Better Care Fund...

What are the implications of this new challenging, turbulent environment for health care communications?..

Here is what we expect to be important for multinationals navigating China’s business and policy landscapes in 2018. ..

Taking a look at some of the more comprehensive global assessments and scorecards regarding health and medicine published in 2015 and 2016...

Five major trends that will likely continue to transform health care and health care PR. ..

There are a couple of truisms that are important as we evaluate the nomination of Tom Price as HHS secretary and Seema Verma as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...

In what was not a surprise, Republicans gained control of the U.S. Senate and gained enough House seats to have a near historic majority. What was a surprise to most, though not all was the number of seats gained in the Senate...

Denmark is exploring a new health care reform that may lead to a more integrated health care system with better continuity for patients along all aspects of the patient journey – health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, care and rehabilitation...

Given the 2018 landscape and potential 2019 Congressional composition and agenda, here are three ways health care associations and their member companies should be preparing now...

The food and agriculture industries are incredibly important parts of the U.S. and world economies. Food and agriculture exports are critical to farm incomes in the United States and in many parts of the developing world. Open markets for agriculture goods are especially critical for importing countries in the developing world as these countries, which for a variety of reasons are not self-sufficient in food production, seek to provide a reliable source of food and nutrition for their citizens...

Are we returning to a more “regular order?” Recent developments at HHS provide a partial explanation why the health care agenda has calmed somewhat despite the continued disorder in other areas of government...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is setting a remarkable record for new drug approvals in 2018. As of November 1, 2018, 47 new drugs were approved by the FDA exceeding the previous record in 2017 of 46 new drugs. ..

With the results of the national election in, starting in 2019, Democrats will lead the U.S. House of Representatives. So, what does that mean for healthcare?..

2018 was a long year. Many global businesses are ill prepared for an increasingly challenging global regulatory environment, to respond to complex social issues and especially to geopolitical threats and political uncertainty. But those that are better prepared, will be better insulated from unforeseen global shocks...

Is it possible to change someone’s health behaviors simply through communications?..