Edelman Health Engagement Barometer

Is good health, like disease, communicable?

That’s one of the intriguing questions explored in Edelman’s 2011 Health Barometer, our third survey of worldwide health perceptions. Edelman’s global health leaders announced the findings at the European Health Forum on October 6 and will present them to a broader audience via webinar on Thursday, October 13 at 10 A.M. Central Time.

Following on the 2008 and 2010 Health Barometers, this year Edelman and its sister agency StrategyOne surveyed more than 15,000 people in 12 countries about their attitudes on health and wellness. The responses make it clear that the definition of health has evolved. Health is more than the presence or absence of disease. Health is about emotion. It’s what we think, live and do. Health is about connections – and interconnectedness. While about four out of five respondents globally believe they are most responsible for their own overall health, the survey found that more than a quarter also believe their friends and family are most responsible.

We invite you to learn more about these and other attitudes – including the belief that all corporations, not just those focused on health, play an important role in people’s health – by joining us for the webinar. More information and the opportunity to register are available at http://healthbarometer.edelman.com/.

Set a Goal: No Flu for You

  By Reid Schwartz, Account Executive, Edelman Austin

It’s that time of year again: we’re on the brink of flu season, a time when people across the country rush to protect themselves and their families from the potentially deadly virus. Here at Edelman, we are particularly aware of flu season since we represent clients that offer workplace and walk-in healthcare services.

This year, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) warns that the flu bug already has reared its ugly head in states across the U.S., and is strongly recommending that all men, women – including pregnant women – and children older than six months receive the seasonal flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available.

Tips to keep in mind as we enter the flu season:

PREVENT IT!

The best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated. There are two types of vaccines this flu season.

The traditional flu shot is the most common and well known vaccine available, and involves an injection given into the muscle. Check with your local clinic or doctor’s office for availability.

Have a problem with needles? (I do!) The FluMist® is a needle-free, nasal-spray flu vaccine that is approved for children and adults 2-49 years of age. This vaccine is administered with a gentle, quick spray in each nostril – one of the places where the flu virus enters the body.

Remember the 2009 H1N1 virus, better known as the swine flu? This year, the CDC expects the H1N1 virus to cause illness again along with a number of other influenza viruses. Luckily, this year’s flu vaccine (both the injectable and the flu mist) will protect against the 2009 H1N1 and two other influenza viruses as well, so you’ll only need to get one vaccine to protect yourself from all of those strains.

TREAT IT!

Sometimes, try as you might, you still get bit by the flu bug. Should this happen, walk-in to your local clinic and a clinician can perform a diagnostic test for your symptoms, then provide effective treatment options to get you better faster.

Remember, many people, including the elderly, young children and people with certain health conditions are at a higher risk for serious flu complications. The flu also can make chronic health problems worse. The best way to protect yourself, your family and the people you come into contact with from the flu virus is to get the flu vaccine each year as soon as it is available.

With all that said, if you do get the flu this year, please stay home and take care of yourself. You’ll be doing us all a huge favor!

Stay healthy!

Washington’s Unfinished Business: The Affordable Care Act

  Carolyn Bunce, AS, Washington D.C. Health Practice

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been law for more than a year and implementation is moving forward. Yet millions of stakeholders – from patients, doctors and hospitals to small businesses, insurance companies and state legislatures – are still confused about provisions of the law and what it means for them.

Opinions on the ACA are deeply divided, especially in Congress. More than 100 bills have been introduced to defund or change portions of the law – a few have managed to pass through Congress. Meanwhile, there are 26 lawsuits seeking to overturn the law, at least one is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

This is evidence of our government in action, and the results will be interesting to watch.

But with the presidency and control of Congress at stake in 2012, the rhetoric in Washington is fierce. Politicians use the ACA to rally their supporters, subdue rivals and score political points. Partisan catchphrases like “socialized medicine” and “Medicare vouchers” are stated as fact, while the truth, which is often nuanced and complex, becomes a casualty of political gamesmanship.

Real ideas to keep Medicare costs under control, get health information technology to rural areas and reduce the number of uninsured in inner cities are out there. Some of these ideas are in the ACA, some are not. If you have time to scour policy newsletters or attend health conferences, you’ll find them. But you won’t see them in the partisan talking points repeated on the news.

Whether it’s full implementation, complete overhaul or something in the middle, politicians need to be reminded that there is more at stake than winning elections.

ACA’s hundreds of provisions have important real-time ramifications, and some create potential opportunities from a product, service or corporate reputational perspective. If you would like to learn more about the ACA and its potential impacts on your interests, please contact Carolyn Bunce in our Washington, D.C. health practice at Carolyn.Bunce@edelman.com

Time for a Mental Flossing

  By Helen Vollmer, President, Edelman Southwest

When I hear the word, “health,” I immediately think about physical wellbeing. What’s my cholesterol level? Am I overweight? What’s my risk of getting cancer? What can I do to prevent getting sick and how can I better manage my family’s wellness?


What I and most others—including government and businesses—overlook or think of as an afterthought is mental health. But stop and consider how many of our friends, family, colleagues-- and even ourselves—are affected by anxiety, mood, impulse or substance issues. And yet, mental health issues often still remain the “elephant in the room,” not to be discussed openly in social settings. It’s not comfortable talking about your kid who is ADHD, a neighbor who has a drinking problem or a wife you’re afraid to come home to because depression has led her to stay in bed all day.

The bad news is that mental health issues affect each and every one of us, whether we admit it or not. The good news is that most mental health illnesses are treatable. So it serves us all to get a grip on what keeps us emotionally as well as physically healthy. No time like the present, I say. October is not only Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but Mental Health Month as well.

A great place to start in understanding what’s at stake here is Mental Health America. This national organization, with local chapters across the U.S., has long been devoted to education, advocacy and service for more than 100 years. Go to http://www.liveyourlifewell.org/ for a self-assessment of how stress alone impacts how you feel, and how you deal with those around you.

With a better understanding of the issues surrounding mental health, it’s easier to be an advocate for needed policy changes and community initiatives. It’s also easier to start those awkward conversations about getting help for people you care about and, ultimately, erasing the taboos of yesteryear so we’re all more productive.

Take a bit of time to assess your mental wellbeing and that of those around you. And then seek help if needed. Those panic attacks or sleepless nights worrying about things you can’t control might just disappear.

Newsworthy or not? A look at Japanese business and trade media

 By Baley Phelps, AE, Houston


This week more than most, I’ve been feeling the love from the global Edelman network. Here in the Southwest region (Houston, Dallas and Austin) we often call on each other for assistance and expertise. But this week we’ve been doing early morning and late night calls in order to coordinate with our colleagues on the opposite side of the world (…”hold on, are you sure we dial that extra zero?”).

Last night we had a call with Edelman Tokyo regarding the business and trade media landscape in Japan. As a public relations professional (in the crazed and fast-paced agency world), the one—and only—thing that is consistent about my job is the steep learning curve. Our call with Tokyo last night was no different. I work with the media on a daily basis, so I am already well aware that newsworthiness is in the eye of the beholder. Last night, I got glimpse of what exactly that means for my Japanese counterparts.

In the B2B space in the U.S. we often hear about office openings, ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings. It’s not uncommon for organizations to host large media events when they complete construction on their new office building or finish up an expansion project at one of their manufacturing facilities. Stories like these appear in the business and mainstream media multiple times a day (in fact, the search term “ribbon cutting” garnered 3,700 Google News results for the past 24 hours alone). This, however, is not the case in Japan.

In Japan, these media events don’t interest local reporters. Instead, business and trade publications are more attuned to “konshinkai,” informal get-togethers with company executives. These get-togethers include a short presentation followed by the chance to network over drinks and snacks. This is great news for us—clients generally appreciate the opportunity to interface with journalists in a more personal setting and are happy to use a presentation to drive the conversation.
Here are a few more eye-opening facts about the Japanese media:

• In Japan, journalists are most often “generalists” as opposed to “specialists.” Unlike in the U.S., where journalists may spend 10 or more years covering the same beat, Japanese journalists usually rotate between beats every 2 to 3 years.

• Because these journalists are generalists, stories tend to be driven by facts and figures rather than analysis. Consider providing a fact sheet with stats about your company and its impact in Japan.

• On that note, APAC ≠ Japan! Japanese journalists are off put by the assumption that an Asia-Pacific story will be appropriate for a Japanese audience. Companies need to make sure that the story relates specifically to economic impact in Japan before pitching it to the local media.

• Finally, (and this might seem pretty elementary), translate! English-speakers abound in Tokyo, so it may be easy to overlook the language barrier. Don’t. Have all your materials professionally translated and hire an interpreter to assist during interviews and presentations.

With these tips in mind, sensei, you are ready to take on the Japanese media. Thanks for reading and sayōnara!