Improving Outcomes Through Health Narratives

Elyse Rettig, Chief Product Officer, Publicis Health Media

There is profound power in a well told story. And in health, where the stakes are high, well told stories can be harnessed to inspire consumers to take action.

When a consumer reads about Olivia Munn’s experience with breast cancer, they might think — I see myself in that story. But where to go next? Beyond the power of relating to someone’s healthcare journey, consumers also need medically sound information to enable better outcomes. We in healthcare media have a role to play.

According to a 2022 study published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, patient satisfaction can be greatly improved by relationship-oriented marketing powered by storytelling. By telling compelling human stories, the healthcare industry will be able to foster greater connections with patients, a difference-maker leading to potentially improved outcomes. 

While health influencer or editorial content succeed powerfully in elevating hope and engaging consumers, they often lack the medically-vetted, clinical information consumers need to make discerning decisions. In fact, most health-related content in digital spaces has not been medically verified; not to mention the complexity inherent in each individual’s patient journey. It is not the role of stories and inspiring editorial content to deliver such clinical data — such an addition could ring false or interrupt the important connection forged by narrative. Instead, as marketers, we should supplement these stories with adjacent clinical data to support consumer needs and motivate them to discuss such information with their physicians. 

In 2022 the World Health Organization (WHO) called for improved health-related content in mass media to counter the negative impact of health misinformation on public health. It is critical we in the media industry do our part to enact this recommendation. We can do this by placing clinical information into lifestyle spaces wherever health stories are being told. 

Because it’s not only that Olivia Munn’s OBGYN calculated her Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score that is helpful to learn. It’s that there are resulting actions to be taken by readers — namely, scheduling conversations with their doctors to understand their own risk — so those who identify with Olivia’s story can also come to identify with the fact she pursued treatment and experienced a positive health outcome thanks to these actions. The value in sharing healthcare stories lies beyond the healing power of relatability. It lies in how storytelling can contribute to many more improved health outcomes. 

Well told stories trigger a dopamine release, engaging the motor and sensory cortices, and the frontal cortex of our brains all at once, improving our memory. According to a 2019 study presented in the Journal of Neuroscience, “Dopaminergic Enhancement of Association Memory,” this is why we’re more likely to remember a fact if it’s conveyed within a good story. In the media landscape, we can do our part to ensure factual medical information — vetted by clinicians — is shared alongside health lifestyle content to further bolster the efficacy of powerful storytelling. We can help ensure that memorable medical storytelling comes with credible medical information and treatment options people may then discuss openly with their doctors. 

We need storytelling to help us through challenging times, in particular a difficult health diagnosis. As health marketers we need to be mindful of how powerfully storytelling improves content engagement. Because in our field, improved content engagement can drive more resulting engagement with healthcare providers, ultimately improving patient outcomes. 

Connect with Elyse on LinkedIn.

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