Online educational campaign uses Doctors.net.uk to deliver highly targeted messages to senior-level medical professionals
Patient Safety First’s (PSF) campaign – of the same name – seeks to reduce harm to patients through changing clinical practice. The campaign is sponsored by the National Patient Safety Agency (part of the Department for Health), the NHS and The Health Foundation.
Sponsors of the campaign required Doctors.net.uk – the UK’s largest and most active online network of doctors – to develop a digital educational programme designed to encourage the implementation of safer practices and to reduce harm in the secondary care setting.
Doctors.net.uk’s objectives were to drive awareness and understanding of PSF and its key messages and initiatives, by targeting relevant clinicians. The network also sought to generate two-way engagement with PSF content and resources, and increase the uptake of specific interventions.
The solution
Doctors.net.uk developed a practical learning-based campaign that encouraged the audience to reflect and make rapid changes to practice by implementing interventions showcased. The campaign targeted all secondary care doctors and nurses, as well as those from relevant specialities.
The seven-month digital programme, which ran from September 2009 to April 2010, incorporated a variety of elements, including dedicated content pages for the PSF campaign within Doctors.net.uk, and a targeted engagement programme for four specific interventions.
Tools included downloadable PDF resources, clinical guidelines, intervention resources, case studies, hospital showcases, video content, an online forum, blog, and news and
events resources.
To ensure nurses were engaged, Doctors.net.uk also delivered a three-month integrated online engagement programme via Nursingtimes.net.
Impact assessment research that measured the behavioural impact on clinical practice was conducted, with monthly reporting enabling content to be refreshed, sustaining levels of engagement and repeat visits.
The campaign was the first time that PSF had used Doctors.net.uk. It chooses to work with the networking organisation after seeing the results of work for the NHS Institute, which demonstrated enormous engagement rates with doctors and succeeded in changing clinical practice.
The results
Doctors.net.uk campaign impact assessment showed that 31 per cent of campaign visitors implemented a clinical intervention as a direct result of PSF’s campaign, and 74 per cent actively assessed their own clinical practice.
On average, 46,000 doctors were exposed to PSF’s promotional messages each month. In total 19,155 unique doctors interacted with content 39,344 times and 1950 unique nurses interacted 3400 times.
Precise targeting also enabled the tracking of doctor and nurse seniority – a variable that was key to influencing up and downstream advocacy.
Data collection revealed 29 per cent of doctors engaged with the campaign were consultants and 74 per cent of the nurse audience were of senior grades.
Overall, 73 per cent discussed the content with clinical colleagues, highlighting the prominent role that advocacy played in spreading the campaign messages.
The online campaign for Patient Safety First was ‘highly commended’ at the PM Society Digital Media Awards in 2010, winning praise from doctors and nurses alike.
Murray Anderson Wallace, head of field strategy and communications for Patient Safety First, commented, “Doctors and nurses are typically difficult to engage, but in targeting and tailoring by seniority and specialty, we have developed a campaign that has delivered rapid and accurate results, creating a lasting positive impact for patient safety across the country.”
