The Healthcare Communications Association (HCA) today launches the Evaluation Toolkit, in response to calls from professionals in the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare PR consultancies.

The HCA Evaluation Toolkit will help marketers demonstrate a clear return on their investment, and is intended to be used as a practical guide to implementing evaluation of healthcare PR programmes by both PR consultancies and their clients.

Stuart Rose, Commercial Director at Elan Pharma and a member of the HCA's Evaluation Sub-committee, says: `One of my own personal aims is for SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) objectives to be set before a programme or project is started. The Evaluation Toolkit encourages a clear intended outcome to be set at the beginning of the programme so that effectiveness can be demonstrated when it is reviewed.'

Kate James, VP External Relations - International at GlaxoSmithKline, and an Executive Committee member of the HCA, welcomes the initiative: `An evaluation toolkit is long overdue and I very much hope that the industry will utilise the kit and help support the
HCA in its efforts to raise the standards in healthcare communications.'

Sarah Hart, Deputy Managing Director of Munro & Forster Communications and chair of the HCA's Evaluation sub-group adds: `The HCA hopes that the Toolkit will help dispel the myths surrounding PR evaluation, encouraging evaluation to be routinely undertaken. The toolkit aims to ensure that everyone involved in healthcare public relations understands how to measure a return on investment'.

To ensure the toolkit meets users' needs, the HCA carried out focus groups and a survey among professionals in both the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare PR consultancies. More than 100 people responded to the survey - 76 from the pharmaceutical industry.
 
The research showed that PR was valued as part of the marketing mix, and that there was a definite need for its effective evaluation. It revealed that evaluation is not carried out as extensively as it is for other elements of the mix such as sales force activity and advertising, due to a variety of perceived barriers, including:

• Lack of clear, measurable, agreed programme objectives
• Lack of baseline measurements
• Failure to define significant endpoints in PR
• Limited general understanding of how to evaluate
• Practical considerations of cost and resources

The paper-based Evaluation Toolkit addresses these issues by giving practical guidance on:

• How to agree realistic measures of evaluation for different types of healthcare PR programmes and component activities
• When to take measurements
• How to go about it
• How much it should realistically cost.

The Evaluation Toolkit was devised, researched and compiled by the HCA's Evaluation sub-committee, which includes representatives from healthcare PR consultancies, pharmaceutical marketers and in-house communications professionals.

In addition to the step-by-step guide, the Evaluation Toolkit includes a Q&A section which explores why evaluation of PR is important, and answers most of the frequently asked questions. As the Toolkit is designed to be practical, it also includes quick-view checklists and not surprisingly, a feedback evaluation form.

An HCA training initiative to roll-out the toolkit will take place in the autumn. Copies of the Evaluation Toolkit are available from the HCA; prices for a minimum order of 10 copies: £100 for HCA members, £300 for non members.