Since its inception, the HCA has been committed to effective evaluation of healthcare PR and the demonstration of meaningful RoI.  The first step was the production of the HCA Evaluation Toolkit published in 2003.

In 2004, an RoI ThinkTank of senior consultancy and some industry professionals was convened, as the first step in identifying the challenges we face in the definition of RoI for PR.  It reinforced that, despite acknowledgement of its importance, there is a general lack of consensus amongst communications professionals as to how we can effectively measure RoI in practice.

Following on from this meeting, the HCA agreed to seek qualitative input on potential methodologies to determine RoI in different situations, which would have the potential to become routine practice - and which could also have the potential to change how PR programmes are derived and deployed as part of the marketing mix.  This consultation process was initiated at the RoI Forum held in June 2005, attended by a round table of senior industry communications and marketing personnel.  During the meeting, several potential processes were identified for assessing RoI and discussed in the context of different product scenarios.

We are keen now to broaden the consultation with your support. The full report from the June RoI Forum,  published 19 July 2005 is essentially a consultation document.  It is accompanied by a brief questionnaire seeking your comments and personal experience of RoI definitions and methodologies.  All data will be anonymised and we would encourage you to give as much generic information as possible to support our aims for a robust consultation process - and one that has wide meaning throughout the pharma industry.

Please do take ten minutes to contribute and to circulate the report and questionnaire among other senior marketers and communications professionals within your organisation who may like an opportunity to comment.   Finally, if you have a particular question relating to the report or the consultation process or would like to become more involved, please email RoI@hca-uk.org.

Click here to download the HCA RoI consult report.

RoI Forum consultation questionnaire

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Q1. For the following potential RoI measurement tools, please answer parts A-C. It would be useful also if you can add in any other tools that your company is working with in the section ‘other’ and then go on to answer B and C: Cause and effect analysis A. How familiar are you with this tool?   Use regularly   Use occasionally   Aware of it, but have not used   Not aware of it B (i) If using: For which specific activities do you use this tool?   Sales Force Activity   Advertising   Direct Mail   Public Relations / Professional Relations   Medical Education   Other If Other, please specify (ii) If aware but not using: Is there a specific reason why do you not use this tool? C. Is the form of this tool you are using proprietary to your organisation?  Yes     No     Don't know    Surrogate markers / milestones / end point A. How familiar are you with this tool?   Use regularly   Use occasionally   Aware of it, but have not used   Not aware of it B (i) If using: For which specific activities do you use this tool?   Sales Force Activity   Advertising   Direct Mail   Public Relations / Professional Relations   Medical Education   Other If Other, please specify (ii) If aware but not using: Is there a specific reason why do you not use this tool? C. Is the form of this tool you are using proprietary to your organisation?  Yes     No     Don't know    Econometrics A. How familiar are you with this tool?   Use regularly   Use occasionally   Aware of it, but have not used   Not aware of it B (i) If using: For which specific activities do you use this tool?   Sales Force Activity   Advertising   Direct Mail   Public Relations / Professional Relations   Medical Education   Other If Other, please specify (ii) If aware but not using: Is there a specific reason why do you not use this tool? C. Is the form of this tool you are using proprietary to your organisation?  Yes     No     Don't know    Impact vs. cost chart A. How familiar are you with this tool?   Use regularly   Use occasionally   Aware of it, but have not used   Not aware of it B (i) If using: For which specific activities do you use this tool?      Sales Force Activity   Advertising   Direct Mail   Public Relations / Professional Relations   Medical Education   Other If Other, please specify (ii) If aware but not using: Is there a specific reason why do you not use this tool? C. Is the form of this tool you are using proprietary to your organisation?  Yes     No     Don't know    Additional Tools – please state what A. How familiar are you with this tool?      Use regularly   Use occasionally   Aware of it, but have not used B (i) If using: For which specific activities do you use this tool?   Sales Force Activity   Advertising   Direct Mail   Public Relations / Professional Relations   Medical Education   Other If Other, please specify (ii) If aware but not using: Is there a specific reason why do you not use this tool? C. Is the form of this tool you are using proprietary to your organisation?  Yes     No     Don't know

Q2. Are there any currently accepted definitions of RoI in common use in your company, that are? (a) Directly financial  Yes     No     Don't know    If yes, please state how RoI is defined? (b) Not directly financial?  Yes     No     Don't know    If yes, please state how RoI is defined?

Q3. If you are using surrogate markers/ endpoints as a measure in your organisation, please give examples of what these are:

Q4. (a) What stage, during the planning and implementation of a campaign, do you believe is the optimum point to agree RoI measures? (b) Who do you believe should be involved in the planning and objective setting for PR and medical education campaigns?   Agency PR/ communications   Brand team/ product manager   In house PR/ communications   Market Research   Marketing   Medical education   Procurement   Sales manager   Other If Other, please specify

Q5. How much would you value an independent facilitator in this planning process, to control discussion and determine clear objectives and value measures? (1 - Low, 10 - High) -- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Comments:

Q6. If you have any other feedback/comments on the consultation document, or any further suggestions on how to improve the measurement of RoI. Please provide outline thoughts below.

Q7. Are you happy to be contacted by a member of the HCA Evaluation Committee to be involved in the next stage of the consultation process? If yes, please provide your contact details: * test