Stay at home directives have unintentionally resulted in other areas of healthcare becoming neglected.
Take the Cervical Screening Test (CST) for example. This type of appointment has never been a favourite date in anybody’s diary. However, according to pathology data, attendance numbers have dropped significantly since the beginning of the pandemic.
The Cervical Screening Program changed in November 2017 from the ‘pap smear’ to the new and improved Cervical Screening Test (CST). Those with a cervix are now expected to attend a screening every five years. As people transitioned onto the new screening schedule a drop in participation rates was expected.
According to MBS data however, only 163,207 women had a CST from July 2020 to October 2020. This figure is dwarfed by the 431,602 tests that were performed during the same period in 2019. A 2020 study by Cancer Council NSW predicted that between 270,000 and 1,000,000 women would miss a screening test in Australia due to pandemic disruptions.
Encouraging the public to return to regular healthcare has been no easy feat.
Awareness groups and consumer healthcare organisations are utilising real time data to determine their public health messaging. The power of real time data is a sure way to consolidate your organisation’s external communications. It allows you to create tailored messages specific to your target audience.
Over the course of 2020 concerned organisations used real time data to encourage eligible Australians to catch-up on cervical screening. CST testing data from two large private pathology laboratories was used to analyse trends in the target audience’s behaviour. This allowed organisations such as the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation and Pathology Awareness Australia to develop and distribute key messages to the public about the importance of regular healthcare.
In short, having access to relevant real time data is a huge bonus to any communications campaign. It allows communications teams to get a better understanding of their target audience. However, delivering that message in the right way is just as important. Using the right platform to engage with your audience is crucial when you are dealing with a sensitive subject.
On this particular awareness project the London Agency team created an animation to explain the importance of the Cervical Screening Test. The team utilised real time data and took guidance from consumer survey insights to curate a piece of content that addressed the target audience’s concerns. Popular social media channels were used to promote the animation. This promotion was designed to reach the eligible demographic directly, encouraging them to catch-up on cervical screening.
This campaign took a multi-channel approach, which is an important factor to consider when devising a public awareness campaign. This can include earned media, owned media, events and targeted social media advertising.
Schedule a zoom meeting to learn more about tactics to tailor your company’s public messaging.
