BLOG POST
By leveraging the point of care, organizations can deliver empathy-driven education about seemingly embarrassing health concerns at the moments that matter most.
Mary is a 57-year-old mother of two children. When she was 51 years old, she entered menopause, experiencing symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings and thinning hair. Now that she’s postmenopausal, she’s struggling with a new symptom: bladder leaks, otherwise known as urinary incontinence. Hot flashes and night sweats seemed like normal, common side effects of menopause, but Mary is embarrassed to bring up this latest symptom with her provider. “Is this normal?” Mary wonders.
Mary has a doctor’s appointment in a few days. She knows she should discuss this symptom with her doctor, but she feels uncomfortable bringing it up. After checking in online for her appointment, she opts in to receive educational health content, where she sees this headline: “Confidence starts with a conversation. Talk to your healthcare provider about urinary incontinence.”
Kismet? Maybe, or maybe it’s data.
Because Mary is postmenopausal, she is matched to a campaign designed for conditions that regularly affect her population—in this case, information about urinary incontinence. Research shows that urinary incontinence affects more than 50% of postmenopausal women, meaning Mary is not alone in these symptoms, even if she feels like she is.
Seeing the headline “Confidence starts with a conversation” prompted Mary to read deeper, where she learned that nearly 80 million women in the U.S. also experience urinary incontinence. Mary requested to receive a Discussion Guide from the National Association for Continence (NAFC), which gave her helpful tips for starting a conversation about her symptoms with her healthcare provider at her upcoming appointment. She no longer feels like an awkward conversation is awaiting her. Instead, she’s empowered with information and a trustworthy advocacy group that works on an issue that impacts her.
Although Mary is a fictional character, the campaign about urinary incontinence and the NAFC is not. In 2024, the NAFC, in partnership with Health.Equity.Outcomes and Phreesia, launched a campaign about urinary incontinence on Phreesia’s platform, designed to raise awareness of urinary incontinence and encourage more doctor-patient conversations.
Health concerns don’t always fit into polite conversation, even if they are common issues like urinary incontinence or overactive bladder, sexual health problems, digestive health issues, or hygiene. Many people with these conditions suffer in silence, too embarrassed to bring them up with their healthcare providers out of fear of the stigma attached to them. Unfortunately, this stigma can prevent individuals from seeking the care and solutions they need and leave them feeling isolated in their experiences.
While patients may worry about embarrassment, doctors aren’t concerned with polite conversation—only with helping their patients. No health topic is too taboo in a doctor-patient discussion.
Education plays an important role in destigmatizing these conditions and symptoms for patients. When someone faces an embarrassing health issue, such as urinary incontinence or constipation, it can be easy to feel like they are the only one dealing with it. The reality is that these conditions are far more common than people realize.
The point of care offers a prime opportunity to meet patients when they are cognitively and emotionally in a healthcare state of mind. Healthcare leaders like life sciences companies, government organizations and advocacy groups can provide trusted, discreet and accessible information to ensure that patients feel seen, supported and empowered to seek the care they deserve. By addressing these so-called “taboo” topics head on, organizations can help eliminate the stigma.
Spark patient conversations with intentional messaging
Breaking the silence around embarrassing health conditions requires more than just information—it requires strategic design rooted in behavioral science and an empathetic approach that acknowledges patients may feel uncomfortable discussing some topics with their doctor. Life sciences companies, government organizations and advocacy groups have a unique opportunity to shift mindsets by designing educational campaigns with purposefully designed messaging, cues and content. When visual and verbal elements are built around proven behavioral insights, they don’t just inform—they inspire meaningful doctor-patient conversations.
The point of care is an ideal opportunity to reach patients just before they see their provider. By leveraging this space, organizations can meet patients where they are, ensuring they receive relevant education when they are most likely to act on it. Here’s how to provide empathy-driven messaging that sparks a conversation.
- Prioritize education first, brand second. Disease state education is often more engaging than treatment-focused information. Patients are more likely to engage with content they find relevant and helpful to their health and wellbeing. Phreesia research indicates patients consider information about a specific disease or illness more relevant and helpful to them than an ad for a prescription or over-the-counter medication.1 By prioritizing educational content over direct product or treatment promotion, organizations can deliver more relevant experiences to patients and build trust over time.
- Ensure patients know what “normal” looks like. Many people may be suffering and not even know they’re dealing with something treatable—or something that indicates a more serious issue that needs treatment.
- Include conversation starters that make it easier for patients to ask questions. Providing suggested conversation prompts or Discussion Guides can make it easier for patients to start the discussion and give them the confidence to voice their concerns.
- Provide quantitative social proof. One of the most effective ways to break down stigma is to normalize common health conditions. Erectile dysfunction, for example, affects as many as 30 million men and is one of the most common sexual health-related conditions that men face. However, Phreesia research indicates that nearly 1 in 3 men with a primary care provider do not feel comfortable discussing sexual health concerns with their doctor.2
Similarly, conditions like urinary incontinence, hemorrhoids, erectile dysfunction, constipation and other changes in bowel movements, among many other conditions, impact millions of individuals in the United States, but embarrassment often prevents them from seeking help. By highlighting how common these conditions are, organizations can help patients feel less isolated. - Humanize conditions through patient testimonials. Hearing from a real person going through the same issue can be powerful for someone stuck in a shame cycle. Using video, imagery, quotes and other narrative elements from peers helps put a face on the personal wins a patient might get if they speak up for themselves.
By leveraging the point of care, life sciences companies, government organizations and advocacy groups can deliver empathy-driven education at the moments it matters most.
Turn uncomfortable topics into confident conversations. Learn how Phreesia can help you empower patients in the moments that matter most and encourage more informed doctor-patient conversations.
1 PatientInsights: DPE Patient Testimonials 2024, June 2024.
2 Men’s Health Patient Insights 2023, March 2023.
