Diagnosing digital

There are many point-of-views (POV) on how pharmaceutical companies are engaging in digital and social media activities.  Most of the POVs I’ve read contain compelling case studies and sound guidance for navigating issues associated with adverse events, DTC, and the FDA. For example, our sister company, Bridge Worldwide, has a terrific blog on digital healthcare and a number of whitepapers and articles worth reading.

One topic that is not discussed as frequently is how and where pharmaceutical companies should start when it comes to implementing a company-wide digital strategy that includes standard operating procedures and policies.  We have found that in addition to external legal and regulatory barriers there are internal roles, responsibility and accountability obstacles associated with executing digital and social media programs. To address this, I just published a general white paper called “Diagnosing Digital” that provides a framework for navigating and managing the transformation of healthcare communications.  The focus of the paper is on:    

• Establishing guidance

• Defining the landscape

• Clarifying roles and responsibilities

• Addressing legal issues

• Understanding best practices

This paper is based on Cohn & Wolfe’s experience participating in pharmaceutical councils focused on digital and social media and from developing standard operating procedures/policies for a number of our clients.  I plan to update this paper periodically since the digital media landscape is in a constant state of evolution. I welcome your comments and questions.

On a related note, I’ll be speaking at the PRSA Health Academy Conference in May entitled “Leveraging Social Media in Health Care Public Relations.”  If you’re interested in attending please let me know.