The democratization of healthcare information has impacted the way healthcare communicators inform and educate consumers in the region.
Up until a few decades ago, and perhaps more recently in Asia, the relationship between patient and physician was largely one-sided. Codes of medical ethics relied heavily on the Hippocratic tradition, which frames the obligations of physicians solely in terms of promoting the welfare of the patient, and rarely addressing patients’ rights.
This paternalistic model of the doctor-patient relationship posits that the patient is wholly dependent on the doctor for making decisions regarding his or her treatments and well-being. In this context, information the doctor provides to the patient is meant to encourage or support these decisions, with the patient agreeing to, and implementing the doctor’s advice and recommendations. In Asia, where society is more hierarchical compared to the West, doctors are perceived to have a higher social position than patients, while patients accept their lower social positions, and do not think of doctors as partners in their care.
However, there has been a noticeable shift in the power dynamics between doctors and patients in recent years, leading to an increased emphasis on patients’ rights. These have been due to several developments, most notably, the emergence of the internet with a myriad of health-related websites and sources of medical and healthcare information.
The democratization of healthcare
According to a report by Stanford Medicine, the democratization of healthcare refers to the patients’ increasing access to health data through technology and decreasing dependency on healthcare professionals for health guidance.
Compared to about 10 or even five years ago, patients today are more willing to obtain health information and care from sources outside of conventional and established institutions. The shift in perception of hospitals as the primary point of care has been largely due to the rapid proliferation of technology and digital healthcare services in the region.
Bain’s Asia Pacific Front Line of Healthcare 2023 reports that roughly 70% of consumers in India, Indonesia and China trust digital health and tech companies to manage their healthcare needs. Meanwhile, in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, offline providers still hold a trust advantage of about 40% more than digital players. Compared to the 2021 survey, the 2023 survey revealed that consumers showed greater willingness to receive care outside conventional hospital setups, particularly for routine check-ups and diagnostic services. The usage of telehealth and telemedicine services is also anticipated to increase in the coming years across the region in Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, China, India, and Indonesia.
The COVID-19 pandemic was largely responsible in normalizing the usage of digital health and telehealth platforms, which grew roughly twofold across the Asia-Pacific during the pandemic, and continues to persist post-pandemic.
Roughly 50% of all consumers — of which nearly 60% is Gen Z — are willing to spend more on healthcare, if doing so gives them better health outcomes, better experiences, and greater efficiency.
The same report highlights several noticeable changes that are taking place in consumer healthcare behaviors and preferences in the region:
1. Consumers are taking charge of their health. They are willing to invest more in wellness and demand better experience. Healthcare is no longer a passive experience.
2. Consumers expect seamless, omnichannel care experiences that extend beyond traditional hospital settings.
3. Integrated care will soon become the new standard, as consumers demand a single touchpoint to manage their healthcare journeys.
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and health tech are unlocking the power of personalized care and reinventing healthcare delivery.
In a fully digitally democratized healthcare system, patients can have enhanced access to medical expertise, regardless of time zones and geography, for as long as there is internet connection. This could be potentially beneficial to patients who may not have easy access to high-quality care close to where they live. Easier access to health information will ultimately enable a more egalitarian doctor-patient relationship, with patients at the heart of the healthcare ecosystem.
The impact on healthcare communications
Changes in online health information seeking behavior have had a significant impact on healthcare communications. A 2020 survey shows that about 55% of Europeans aged 16 to 74 have sought health-related information online, a 21% increase since 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of online health information seeking behavior in some Asian countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam are 80%, 85% and 86% respectively.
Nanny Eliana, Founder and Regional Account Director of regional medical and healthcare communications agency, Bridges M&C, says, “The modern consumer has multiple digital touch points before they even see a doctor. I’m sure that nearly all of us consult ‘Dr Google’ more often than an actual healthcare professional, and in fact, one in 20 searches on Google are health-related. Digital media is therefore uniquely positioned to inform, educate, and influence patients at various stages on their healthcare journeys; from pre-diagnosis and diagnosis through to treatment and recovery.”
“As communicators, understanding the complex and evolving relationship between digital media, consumers and healthcare professionals is crucial. Our role extends beyond simplifying medical jargon into layman’s language; we anticipate questions patients might ask about themselves and their healthcare needs. Knowing who the patients are, and where they ask these questions, give us insight into their preferences when asking for, and receiving medical and healthcare advice,” says Nanny.
Digital platforms have enabled healthcare providers and communicators to reach audiences much more effectively and cost-efficiently than before; whether they are targeting broader audiences for diseases affecting a significant portion of the population such as heart disease, or helping specific groups of patients manage chronic conditions such as eczema.
Patient advocacy groups on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X often provide community and emotional support, while sharing resources with patients who are managing specific conditions. Rare disease support groups do not only promote disease awareness, but their involvement has contributed to regulatory and commissioning processes, with the potential to expedite patients’ access to life-saving therapies.
John Battersby, Regional Account Director, Bridges M&C explains, “A key benefit of digital platforms is their advanced analytics capabilities. As healthcare communicators, analyzing social media trends especially with regards to how, where, and when conversation occurs around specific concerns, enables us to better understand our target audiences and their behavior. This enables us to not only refine communications strategies but craft tools and tactics to equip stakeholders such as physicians, so they can engage in such conversations more meaningfully.”
“Since the pandemic, our strategies have embraced more digital and online components, including engaging with social media influencers and patient advocacy groups, with increasing emphasis on volunteer-led ones,” adds Battersby.
Curtailing misinformation
On the flipside, digital and new media enables misinformation and conspiracy theories to spread just as quickly and reach a much wider audience than they were able to in the past. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how infodemics, defined as an overabundance of information, including misinformation and disinformation, can pose a threat to public health and hinder informed decision making.
Recent studies show that almost nine out of 10 social media posts related to smoking contained misinformation, and that over a third of all social media content on diet and nutrition was misleading or wrong. Additionally, people can easily experience information overload with social media and internet search engines providing healthcare information on demand, which may further impede their abilities to make decisions in their best interests.
“Misinformation poses a considerable challenge for healthcare communicators as they may propagate harmful health practices, impact vulnerable populations, and negate the impact of evidence-based communications initiatives. Unfortunately, the legislations and framework surrounding the use of social media and digital platforms have not developed as rapidly as its misuse,” says Battersby.
Southeast Asia, with its growing dependence on online platforms, lack of digital literacy and non-democratic nature of some countries, is highly vulnerable to infodemics. While governments across the different ASEAN states have adopted varying degrees of censorship, legal prosecution, and surveillance to curb the spread of misinformation, there is a lack of a unified and regional approach in tackling the spread of false information.
A recent paper published in Frontiers argues for adopting a common understanding of fake news and disinformation actions, elevating the issue as a non-traditional security threat, and establishing an ASEAN-centered fact-checking network. These measures can ensure the respective states can implement approaches that suit their individual political systems and concerns, without imposing a single, region-wide approach to counter the issue; a primary concern of member states in the past.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is leading an initiative to establish a new domain suffix that would be solely used for validated health information. If successful, these domain addresses will be prioritized by search engines when providing results in response to health-related inquiries, which could potentially curb the spread of misinformation.
Nanny says, “Above and beyond ensuring people have access to evidence-based health information, one thing continues to stand out regardless of what digital tools we use, and that is authenticity. People are always looking for other people who share their lived experience, whether it is pertaining to managing a chronic disease, or championing for policy changes on how healthcare should be paid for.”
“The democratization of health information is enabling people from across borders and time zones to organize themselves to champion specific causes, and this is expected to blur the barriers between patients and their physicians and policymakers over time. So, we should not simply pay lip service with regards to putting patients at the heart of healthcare; it is a move each and every stakeholder in healthcare must strive towards, and communications strategies and tools must be aligned to support this.”
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