Communicating about Value

By Theo Smith, Associate, Marketing & Communications 

On July 29-30, 2020, the National Health Council (NHC) presented a two-day workshop on tactics and techniques on how to communicate about value in health care. The goal of this workshop was to educate our diverse patient group members about the importance of patient-centered value assessment and how to communicate about it to multiple internal and external audiences.  

Value assessment is a multidisciplinary process intended to evaluate the clinical, social, economic, organizational, and ethical impact of a health intervention or health technology (such as a drug) and can involve a review of: 

• clinical evidence compared to existing care, also known as comparative clinical effectiveness, 
• cost effectiveness, and 
• social and ethical impacts on the health care system and the lives of patients.  

Value assessment is inherently complex. During the workshop, the NHC team outlined how to clearly communicate about value assessment, including its challenges and benefits.  

When communicating about value, it is important to strategize by targeting specific audiences. For example, when communicating with an internal audience including staff, a Board of Directors, patients, members, and patient advocates, it is important to articulate how value assessment impacts patients and caregivers while reassuring patients and members that value assessment does not impact drug or device approval and how they can get involved when a value assessment is underway.  

For more information on our work on value assessment, click here. Visit our Center of Educational Excellence to learn more about value.