Health information has long moved beyond medical journals or the doctor’s office. Today, patients can access medical and healthcare advice via social media feeds, online communities and increasingly, AI-powered search tools - even if the credibility of such information is not always clear.
For healthcare communicators, this shift has expanded the role of communications beyond brand visibility. Increasingly, it involves helping audiences navigate complex health decisions while continuing to foster trust through credible information.
Telum Media spoke with Aaron Dowling, Director of Global Corporate Communications at Cochlear, and Gareth Trickey, Director of Communications, Asia Pacific at Vantive, about how healthcare communicators can establish credibility in the digital age, balance stakeholder expectations, and keep communications work close to the heart of the practice.
Communications that drive impact
Healthcare communications does more than generate visibility - it helps people make better-informed decisions about their health.
“It starts with the principle that you earn trust through clarity, not necessarily volume,” said Aaron.
One way to do so, he shared, is to approach campaigns with a more analytical mindset: define the problem, identify behavioural goals, and measure whether communications can bring about meaningful change.
Gareth also sees the need for communications to go beyond visibility and align with broader organisational and societal objectives.
“You don’t want to confuse movement with momentum,” he said. “Movement is running up and down on the spot, but momentum means you’re actually moving forward - and that’s what you want communications to achieve.”
In contributing to conversations around patient support, healthcare policy, and innovation, communicators can ensure their work benefits stakeholders across the ecosystem.
Safeguarding credibility in the digital age
The digital information landscape has led to more complex healthcare communications, with misinformation and AI-driven platforms increasingly shaping how people search for and interpret health advice.
This has also resulted in significant changes to the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals. Aaron noted that what was once a largely one-way flow of information has become a more collaborative process, with patients increasingly seeking information and participating in decisions about their care.
“You have to lead with accuracy first, speed second, but always be transparent,” he said.
Credibility, he added, comes from clearly explaining the evidence behind health information, including expert input, the limitations of research, and the reasoning behind medical guidance.
Gareth echoed the importance of evidence-based messaging. Today, communications teams often work closely with medical affairs specialists and clinicians to ensure messages are grounded in robust research.
Despite the shifts and innovations, he highlighted the continued importance of earned media.
“If you land a successful story in a tier-one newspaper, it’s more likely to be referenced by AI platforms than content published on a company website or through paid channels.”
Balancing multi-stakeholders and uncertainties
In an increasingly volatile digital and information landscape, healthcare communicators must also navigate a complex web of internal and external expectations, balancing the need to project brand confidence while communicating responsibly about uncertainty.
To that, Gareth’s approach is to have a balanced story championing both the voices of the clinicians and patients, not of the companies.
Meanwhile, Aaron brought up the importance of tone and values in external communications. “Healthcare is a very personal thing, hence it's impossible to take the emotion out of healthcare.” When relaying uncertainties, communicators should fall back on values, showing empathy and respect while staying proactive to engage.
As for internal communications, both leaders emphasised the importance of alignment, particularly early, frequent, and collaborative alignment.
Every campaign should begin with a kick-off meeting that involves cross-functional teams from communications to legal, medical affairs as well as the senior management team. Aaron believes communicators play a unique role in acting as the glue between internal departments, aligning teams around a common purpose while drawing on each function’s expertise.
He also pointed out the increasing need for communicators to understand the bigger picture and how to fit within it.
“If you understand the business, its purpose, and the strategy, you're much better off having a more effective campaign because you know what you're trying to achieve.”
The role of communicators beyond brand
Reflecting on the evolving role of healthcare communicators, both Aaron and Gareth concluded that their work, at the centre of it all, involves much more than brand reputation.
“Overall, you're working towards better public health outcomes, whether that's improving health literacy, reducing stigma, or encouraging innovation,” said Aaron. “That impact goes beyond commercial outcomes.”
For Gareth, the focus is on the people of the industry, and communicators should work towards championing the voice of the hidden heroes.
“The voice of the patient and the voice of the clinician are the most powerful voices in healthcare communications,” he said. “They're more powerful than a global CEO's voice in the media.”
Whether it’s channelling the focus towards the bigger picture or the people who are at the heart of it all, both believe the core mission of healthcare communications remains unchanged.
As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve alongside shifting technology and expectations, the communications function is here to continue building towards long-term trust and helping people make better-informed decisions about their health.
