Healthline Convenes Expert Panel and Unveils New State of Cancer Report

Healthline recently unveiled data from its State of Cancer report at a media-attended event in the company’s new New York office, located in the Flatiron District. An expert panel, moderated by Dr. Marisa Weiss, founder of Breastcancer.org, discussed the findings of the report, which examined how digital information and patient support networks influence treatment decisions and approach cancer care.

The 2017 State of Cancer Report: The Impact of Digital Information and Patient Support Networks is the latest in Healthline’s “State of… “ series, which offers in-depth analysis of critical health issues. This report spotlights cancer care and the influence that digital/social networks can have in empowering treatment decisions. The results, showing stark differences between generations, can help hospitals, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical marketers, and other businesses more effectively personalize information and create positive change for patients.

“The State of Cancer report spotlights a critical need in the cancer patient community not only for medically accurate information but also for an understanding of patients’ cancer experiences,” said Tracy Stickler, senior vice president of content at Healthline. “Healthline is an ally to patients throughout their health journey by providing condition-specific information, along with genuine caring, that acknowledges the modern health consumers’ experiences.”

The panelists discussed intriguing findings of the report, such as 89 percent of the 1,500 survey respondents, regardless of age, have gone online for cancer information — and many within the same day as receiving a cancer diagnosis. They also uncovered gaps in resources, such as a lack of content that spoke directly to each individual in the way they needed to be reached at the time. “I became the voice I needed to hear,” said Melanie Griffith, a cancer patient advocate and master SoulCycle instructor, who was on the panel. The panelists discussed the idea of reaching patients where they are in their journey and beyond treatment.

Following the panelist discussion, Emmy nominated actress and activist, Fran Drescher, a cancer survivor herself, delivered a heartfelt and inspirational keynote speech, sharing her story and work in the field with Cancer Schmancer.

Healthline will utilize learnings from the State of Cancer report to inform the development of meaningful content experiences and a new breast cancer app, launching in Q1 2018. The app matches people who are living with breast cancer to create one-on-one connections and try to meet social, emotional, and education needs.

Beyond oncology and cancer care, Healthline delves into various condition-specific topics to connect with patients, offering much-needed content and resources. Healthline offers research solutions to help brand marketers engage with target patient groups in an empathetic way and meet patient needs.