Preventive Healthcare – For The Uk Health Sector

By Author: Perfect Circle
Total Articles: 3
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Our preferred lifestyles bring on all sorts of health conditions
There isn’t a day goes by that the media doesn’t report on a new health issue taking hold of society. Why are we suffering as a nation? Is it purely down to our preferred lifestyles? Pressures of work, school or both? The intense stress that we put our bodies under? Or is it an inevitable symptom of what life is like in this new world of ours?

Bulimia in men

One of the latest headlines underlying the issue, is that bulimia in men is growing. More typically associated perhaps with females, it would appear that bulimia is no longer gender specific. Is this because bulimia is actually a problem, or is it yet another issue being blown out of proportion?

While there are many very personal reasons why an eating disorder might set in, it is another indicator that our lifestyles, the pressures that we face, and the sheer pace of daily life, can have an impact on our health from an early age.

How can preventive healthcare respond?

But if we had been talking about bulimia a few years ago, and made men (those perceived to ...
... be at greatest risk) aware of how to spot the signs of it, how to deal with the condition and about the importance of discussing what was happening with someone else, perhaps the headline would never have occurred.

Had the NHS and its healthcare partners been in a more informed position of promoting better, preventive healthcare, to people in specific ‘at risk’ groups a decade ago, perhaps we wouldn’t be talking about bulimia at all.

Big issues for society

The real issue here, of course, is not bulimia – it could be any illness. It’s how does the NHS positively tackle society’s health issues as part of its wider preventive, healthcare marketing strategy.

The philosophy of intervening into peoples’ lives at an early stage, in order to prevent future illness, is an interesting one. Can health intervention in a teenager, for example, promote behaviour change that leads to immediate lifestyle benefits and a greater sense of wellbeing?

The NHS believes it can and is now working with healthcare advertising agencies, London, to deliver thought-provoking healthcare awareness that drives positive change in people.
Behaviour change marketing
Social marketing as it’s better known, is a highly focused way of delivering key healthcare messages to people in ‘at risk’ groups. It’s also used to reinforce good behaviours.

The NHS has been using targeted social marketing campaigns across the country, through NHS Trusts and other bodies, to raise awareness, connect with people, promote healthcare opportunities, like screening for specific age groups, for years.

While it’s early days, the signs are that people are believing in, and connecting with social marketing in ways that they never have before.
Understanding peoples’ health

One of the key elements of a successful social marketing campaign is understanding peoples’ lifestyles. Any marketing agency will tell you that a campaign will fail if its central focus does not relate to their customers’ mindsets or needs. So why is social marketing different then?

Social marketing promotes the benefits of leading a positive lifestyle, enjoying good health – and that has a positive impact on society as a whole.

It’s not driven by profit, it’s driven by behaviour change – and that’s what sets is apart from other more traditional marketing campaigns.

What will tomorrow’s headline be?

So as the headlines continue to be dominated by who has what and why in terms of health issues, preventive medicine, fuelled by successful social marketing campaigns, have their part to play in connecting with people – identifying with their everyday concerns, their lifestyles and their health habits – and then delivering inspiring messages that promote a change in behaviour.

Will social marketing change tomorrow’s headline? Who knows, but preventive healthcare is here to stay.