Healthy Conversations
Verywell
Rob Stephen, VP, Marketing
rstephen@verywell.com
Healthy Conversations is an interactive editorial platform, launched in April 2019, that focuses on an under-appreciated and often overlooked aspect of health—the difficult conversations that happen (or don’t happen) when health impacts patients and loved ones.
Through proprietary research, Verywell learned that 43% of people delayed a difficult conversation for at least six months. When they did have the conversation, 80% cited that it was moderately effective at best. This white space created an opportunity for Verywell to coach people through meaningful conversations.
In order to design a product that combines medical accuracy with empathy, the company created a multi-disciplinary review board that included a Verywell editor, a board-certified physician, and a board-certified psychiatrist. The editor crafted realistic content infused with the informative, empathetic Verywell voice; the board-certified physician ensured medical accuracy; and the board-certified psychiatrist spoke to conversation sensitivities audiences needed to understand.
The final product was shared through an interactive experience called the “Conversation Coach.” The interactive tool allows users to select their persona, and then responses are generated based on those personas. Users then practice how they would navigate the difficult conversation through a personalized experience, similar to a text message conversation. The simulation becomes even more personalized, as people get to choose the approach that is most similar to their exact experience. The “Conversation Coach” then provides responses as to why you should or should not approach the conversation in a certain manner, backed by research, psychology, and science.
At the end, users have the option to download a PDF of the script they just interacted with as well as any available and relevant doctor discussion guide to bring to their next appointment or share with others.
