Self care is an emerging healthcare theme globally, enabling patients and consumers to play a more active role in managing their own health. Reckitt wanted to understand from a policy and regulatory perspective how advanced the policy is and in which markets to focus resource. H/Advisors Cicero was instructed to undertake an independent review of the self care landscape in five key markets, and present to Reckitt a Self Care Strategy and next steps for implementation.

Strategy & Execution

Across five tier-one markets, UK, US, France, Germany and Australia, we conducted desk research to collect information available on self care policy in each market. This included using Government and regulatory websites, trade association groups for consumer health, and academic sources to compile reports on each market. We established both how well-understood self care was as a term in the market, and which other issues it was most likely to be associated with. We also identified any live policy debates or legislation that specifically referenced self care.

Having completed the desk research, we utilised relevant political contacts to assess their understanding of self care. We also interviewed the Reckitt country leads in each market to understand how familiar they were with self care as a term and to compare this with our research findings, identifying potential gaps or hooks which could be used to drive the self care debate within that market.

Reducing the burden of care on healthcare workers is a top priority across all developed markets. Self care is a key part of that strategy, increasing the role that consumer and Over The Counter (OTC) medicine can play in the wider healthcare system, and enabling the public to become more informed about how to reach their own decisions regarding their own health, and which services are most appropriate to be contacted.

Sarah Bosworth, Account Director

Results

Our work concluded with the presentation of a global public affairs strategy to Reckitt on self care. We provided Reckitt with detailed insight into each market, including political appetite for self care, and mapping of key political stakeholders, as well as the toolkit needed for country-level activation.

For the UK market, where we found that self care was most advanced as a policy, we made suggestions for two potential campaigns that could be launched by the public affairs team, and how they would align with the wider healthcare policy agenda.

If you wish to discuss any of the issues mentioned in this article, please contact Sarah in H/Advisors Cicero’s Research team on sarah.bosworth@h-advisors.global