RALEIGH, N.C. and NEW YORK, April 21, 2021 – Phreesia, the nation’s leader in patient intake, and the Ad Council, a nonprofit organization that produces, distributes and drives impact through public service communications, have partnered to bring the Ad Council’s ongoing awareness campaign with the Alzheimer’s Association directly to patients and caregivers. Initial results from the campaign extension show that over half the people who engaged with the campaign as they checked in for a healthcare visit on Phreesia’s digital platform were likely to talk to a doctor about Alzheimer’s disease.
In the 10 weeks after launching the campaign, nearly ninety thousand patients and caregivers aged 40 to 70 in the United States saw one of the campaign’s Alzheimer’s awareness PSAs and more than 1,500 people from that group completed an optional survey about the impact of the campaign and knowledge of the disease. Survey results showed that people exposed to the PSA were more than 25% more likely to identify the symptoms of Alzheimer’s in their loved ones than those in the control group of more than 11,000 people who took the survey without seeing the PSA. Patients were also activated to seek out more information: 52% of patients who engaged with the PSA said they were likely or very likely to talk to their doctor about Alzheimer’s disease for themselves or a loved one, and 40% intended to visit the Alzheimer’s Association website for more information about the disease.
“More than six million Americans are living with this difficult disease, and early diagnosis supports better outcomes,” said David Linetsky, Phreesia’s Senior Vice President of Life Sciences. “We’re very pleased to partner with the Ad Council and the Alzheimer’s Association to help deliver important public health information to patients nationwide. These partnerships reinforce Phreesia’s commitment to bringing targeted educational content to the right patients, and promoting important conversations at the point of care.”
While more than two in three patients surveyed were aware that forgetting new information and becoming confused are symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease, patients were less familiar with other symptoms, such as challenges in completing tasks and naming objects or changes in judgement.
“We’re very excited to see the success of this campaign with Phreesia, which indicates that the content shared within healthcare settings drove symptom recognition among those who received the information,” said Heidi Arthur, Chief Campaign Development Officer at the Ad Council. “These results underline the importance of delivering public health campaigns like this one in a highly targeted way, reaching the right audience with the right content at the right time.”
“The results indicate that our campaign is working. It is raising awareness about the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease and encouraging important conversations with healthcare providers,” said Michael Carson, Chief Marketing Officer at the Alzheimer’s Association. “We’re happy to partner with the Ad Council and Phreesia on these creative approaches to drive awareness of our campaign so people can get the help they need.”
The PSA, designed by Phreesia’s in-house creative team, directs patients through a series of educational screens that highlight key differences between typical signs of aging and early symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Those who are interested can receive additional resources via email including conversation starters for those wanting to address worries with family members, and a 10-step action plan for concerned caregivers. The campaign will run through the end of the year.
About Phreesia
Phreesia gives healthcare organizations a suite of robust applications to manage the patient intake process. Our innovative SaaS platform engages patients in their healthcare and provides a safe, convenient experience, while enabling our clients to enhance clinical care and drive efficiency.
About the Ad Council
The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation’s most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels.
The Ad Council’s innovative social good campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council’s communities on Facebook and Twitter and view the creative on YouTube.