Summary: Cincinnati AF4Q Diabetes Consumer Concept Development Research American Diabetes Association was regarded as the authority Local diabetes resources …
Summary: Cincinnati AF4Q Diabetes Consumer Concept Development Research
Prepared by: Judy Hirsh, Senior Customer Marketing Manager
PG Healthcare Customer Institute
This summarizes key findings from Rounds 2, 3 and 4 of the Diabetes
consumer concept development research in Cincinnati and serves to document
the process utilized This research is part of the work of the Consumer
Engagement workgroup for Cincinnati AF4Q
Background Methodology
This summary covers rounds 2-4 of our research process The goals of the
research were to accomplish the following objectives:
1 Develop a deep understanding of consumers with adult, Type 2 diabetes:
Related to their diagnosis, care, relationship with their
physician/other providers and impact of the disease on their lives
Their understanding of and interest in diabetic health care quality
standards/guidelines
2 Develop a motivating concept/message that can be used across all AF4Q
communication initiatives to build awareness of diabetes guidelines
and encourage self-management
Round 1 research covered the first objective and has been summarized
separately; the last 3 rounds of
research deliver on the second objective
Round 2 was conducted November 13, 2007, Round 3 on November 20, 2007, and
Round 4 on December 5, 2007
Following the Round 1 consumer understanding research, we developed an
extensive list of concept components based on the consumer insights We
categorize these components as:
Accepted Consumer Beliefs ACBs-These represent the mindset of the
consumer or what gets her attention to think, this message is for me
Benefits-This is the single-focused promise being made to the consumer
Reasons to Believe RTBs-These are the support points that allow the
consumer to believe that the benefits can be delivered
As a guide for reading the attached concepts, the top italicized line is
the ACB, the bolded subhead/sentences are the benefit and the last section
that describes the Diabetes Footprints Campaign is the RTB
Rounds 2 and 3 were conducted among 7 women from Round 1 who we invited
back based on their ability to communicate their diabetes experiences and
emotions A 60 minute 1-on-1 research interview was conducted with each
participant in both rounds of research The women were a mix of insured,
uninsured and Medicaid
In Round 2,
the participants went through sorting exercises to identify the
concept components that were the most motivating to them Additionally we
tested options for branding the diabetes quality initiative and terminology
regarding standards of care In Round 3 a range of 5 distinct concepts
plus variations were tested with the same 7 participants We created these
concepts based on the highest ranking ACBs, Benefits and RTBs
Round 4 was concept validation research It consisted of 3 focus groups of
15 newly recruited consumers insured, uninsured, and Medicaid to select
and optimize a final concepts In this final round we tested the
strongest, optimized concepts from Round 3 The final concept is the
output of this process and outlines the positioning that was most
compelling and motivating among the research participants See the last
page under this tab
Conclusions
1 The concept Knowledge is Power was consistently the most motivating
across all groups see Attachment 4 The ACB resonated because it
recognizes the doctor/patient partnership and importance of family support,
but that bottom line its the role of the individual with diabetes to take
care of herself The final language in
the Knowledge is Power benefit
statement incorporates key ideas that received a positive response from the
participants: success is possible, knowledge is power/is empowering and
when empowered you can take charge of your diabetes a strong statement of
consumer activation The RTBs identify and describe the Diabetes
Footprints Campaign based on the specifics that were strongest during the
research outlined below The statement of RTBs was further strengthened
by identifying that Footprints is a local team effort which builds on the
importance of identifying this as a team effort found during the RWJF
consumer research
2 The concept approach will help ensure the AF4Q CE workgroup achieves our
objective of having the target audience aware that evidence-based
guidelines exist for physicians and for diabetes self care The final
concept and all the concepts tested recognize that we need to reach
consumers with an emotional hook that connects to them personally Once
the personal connection is made, the target audience is receptive and
highly interested in the evidence-based tools that are described in the
RTBs We should also think of this as part of a process We are starting
with
awareness building and activation tools introducing the physician
checklist and self-care checklist, and longer term will build on this to
introduce diabetes data reporting which should fit with the Knowledge is
Power positioning
Key Findings
1 In reviewing the draft concepts the ideas that the participants related
to most were:
ACBs
Self-responsibility and empowerment
Acknowledging the daily challenge of staying motivated to manage diabetes
Fear
Being around or being healthy for family
Benefits
Knowledge is power; knowledge is empowering
Self responsibility; in your hands; its up to me
Take small steps-too overwhelming to change everything at once
Ability to control or take charge of your diabetes
Can do attitude
Physician is part of proper care
You are not alone
Knowledge reduces the fear
Guidelines are empowering
Being a strong role model for family
RTBs
American Diabetes Association was regarded as the authority
Local effort and using local groups for communication
Checklist for physician visits and self care
List of questions to ask physician
Explanation of test result numbers
Local diabetes resources
Having a website with all the information was
important for those who
regularly use the internet
2 The participants want a message that is positive and plays to their
current beliefs, needs and aspirations Knowledge is Power accomplished
this while other concepts were more polarizing For example, the concepts
based on insights about fear and you are not alone didnt do as well
While the women cited fear as the primary motivator when they were first
diagnosed, it is no longer their primary motivator even though their fear
about diabetes still exists The concepts based on being there or being
healthy for those you love were also polarizing For some this was
motivating, but for others it brought out their feelings that the main
reason to take care of ones diabetes is for ones self This feeling
helps explain the strong appeal of Knowledge is Power because it puts the
individual with diabetes first The Small Steps concept was less appealing
because the idea of taking small, incremental steps wasnt broadly
understood and for many easy just wasnt a believable promise related to
diabetes We Just Raised the Bar on Diabetes Care was understood and
believable, but less distinctive or motivating than Knowledge is Power
3
Checklist was the preferred terminology to describe the list of
diabetes tests that a physician should do on a regular basis Checklist
was preferred because it sounds simple, user friendly and action oriented
Other terms tested were guidelines, standard of care and diabetes care
list Standard of care was polarizing A couple of the participants liked
it, but the majority regarded it as a term that sounded cold, clinical and
covered only the bare minimum that a physician should do Guidelines was
regarded as a friendlier term, but still seen as just a suggestion or
optional
4 Diabetes Footprints Campaign was the preferred brand name and carried a
sense of support and activation The participants identified a range of
reasons the name resonated in a positive way:
Footprints implies journey consistent with diabetes being a life-long
journey
Footprints implies that others have gone before me and will follow after
me on this journey
Recognized a connection with how diabetes care is about taking the right
steps
Footprints was associated with keeping feet healthy
Uplifting for those who saw a religious connection with the name
Footprints and a popular poem
about support from God
None of the other names tested came close to the positive response elicited
by Diabetes Footprints Campaign These included Diabetes Community Action,
Diabetes Community Plan, Diabetes CARE Community Action Regarding
Excellence, several variations using CARE, and Joining Hands for
Diabetes While Joining Hands was regarded positively it wasnt as strong
as Footprints; the use of an acronym didnt play well and the other names
were viewed as sounding political or bureaucratic
5 The research participants prefer the term people with diabetes because
it covers everyone This was preferred over:
Diabetics-feels like being labeled
Consumers -sounds commercial; a shopper
Patients–only see self as a patient when they are at physicians office
or in hospital; sounds like youre sick and thats now how the
participants viewed themselves
6 The NCQA/ADA Diabetes Recognition for Physicians was not a compelling
support point Consistent with Round 1 findings, the participants regarded
their relationship with their physician as more important than a third
party recognition and also believed that a physician could be excellent
even if he/she didnt go after this formal
recognition
7 Being part of the research had a positive and unanticipated impact on
the participants who were part of Rounds 1-3 The women reported the
following :
Being part of this process was motivation for better diabetes self
management
Women who discovered they werent receiving the recommended standard of
care were motivated to action: 2 switched physicians with one changing
from a GP to an endocrinologist
The focus group participants at GE decided to initiate their own support
group and recruited one of the non-GE participants who is a nurse to
work with them
The women learned from each other One woman reported that she learned
that it was common to also have high cholesterol and depression; she never
associated these conditions she had with her diabetes
The women were excited to be part of this effort and viewed it as an
opportunity to help others who also have the disease
Theyve talked to family members about their diabetes and this project
Increased confidence and sense of empowerment knowing what the physician
should do and self care activation trying to improve diet; exercising
more
One woman told her MD about the research and asked him
why he didnt
check her feet
8 Being informed, self care and excellent care by the physicians were
cited as the most important things about the diabetes care these women
received The group responded with a strong sense that they have to take
charge of their diabetes You better help yourself; You need to be
responsible for yourself They also want and depend on a good
relationship with their physician to get the excellent care they need
They want a physician who has an interest in their feelings, regularly does
the diabetes tests they need, tells them what to expect and what to do when
their test result numbers go up, as well as a physician who treats their
whole health and not just their diabetes
Indicated Actions/Next Steps
1 The Cincinnati AF4Q CE Workgroup will hire a marketing/communication
agency to work with us to bring our Communications Plan to life This will
include
Translating the Knowledge is Power concept into a copy strategy and
creative brief that will guide the development of all Cincinnati AF4Q
consumer communication
Developing the Diabetes Footprints Campaign into a brand with a
distinctive visual identity and tagline
Developing the educational
material and other marketing material that
will deliver against our Communications Plan
2 The Cincinnati AF4Q CE Workgroup will work with the other standing
workgroups to ensure our consumer and physician efforts are coordinated and
integrated
Source:vdh.state.va.us
