Using impact to show accountability and progress

In health communications, impact should be our North Star – whether we’re raising awareness about a disease, sharing new data with healthcare professionals (HCPs), empowering patients or the public with accessible information, or building trust with an organisation. Yet, while most of us agree on its importance, defining and demonstrating impact remains a challenge. As we navigate increasing scrutiny on our ability to deliver return on investment (ROI), the need to showcase the tangible and intangible outcomes of our efforts is more critical than ever.

When we talk about impact in health communications, what do we really mean? In its simplest form, impact is the measurable change resulting from our activities. However, in our complex ecosystem, it goes beyond ‘deliverables’ or ‘outputs’. Impact bridges the gap between well-executed campaigns and transformative results. Here are three lenses to consider when defining impact:

1. Perceptual impact or ‘out-takes’: has the communication shifted perceptions? Whether it’s reducing stigma, building trust or increasing knowledge, measuring sentiment can provide powerful insights.
2. Behavioural impact or ‘outcomes’: has the activity changed the behaviour of your target audience? For instance, are more HCPs implementing a treatment guideline or are those with a chronic condition more likely to attend an annual review with their family doctor?
3. Organisational impact: what value has the activity delivered to the organisation? This could be enhanced trust or brand reputation, stronger advocacy relationships or increased awareness among stakeholders.

There are challenges in how impact is captured. These can be budget related (is it realistic to invest in market research to assess changes in perceptions?) or practical (how do we get data to track behaviour change in patients?). Most definitely there is the challenge of time. Meaningful outcomes are often not achieved in the space of 12 months. This doesn’t mean we give up – even if impact is agreed in terms of surrogate markers of success or tracked longitudinally in increments. The way to show impact will be specific to each project, but there are several approaches that, when combined, are particularly compelling.

1. Embrace diverse metrics: combine quantitative measures (eg, engagement rates, sentiment scores) with qualitative insights (eg, stakeholder feedback, case studies) to paint a comprehensive picture of impact.
2. Leverage technology: advanced analytics tools can track and visualise the journey from communication to action. From sentiment analysis on social media to HCP engagement tracking, technology offers powerful ways to demonstrate impact.
3. Tell stories: numbers alone don’t inspire change. Pair data with human stories to illustrate how your approach has made a difference. Whether it’s a patient who benefited from an awareness campaign or an HCP influenced by educational materials, stories make the impact resonant and relatable.

Since its inception, the Communiqué Awards entry criteria have been structured around evidencing outcomes versus objectives. For the 2025 programme, we want to increase our scrutiny of the impact of the submitted work for several different reasons:

1. As an industry constantly challenged to make decisions on where best to invest resources, demonstrating ROI is essential. Evidence of impact not only secures future funding but reinforces the value of communications as a strategic function, essential to achieving broader organisational goals.
2. Stakeholders, from senior executives to advocacy groups, expect transparency and accountability. Demonstrating impact builds credibility, showing the resources invested in communications are making a difference where it matters most.
3. Evaluating impact is not just about proving success – it’s about learning. By analysing what worked (and what didn’t), teams can refine their approaches, ensuring future campaigns are even more effective.
4. Clear evidence of impact can energise and inspire teams. There’s nothing quite like seeing the tangible difference your work makes in people’s lives to foster engagement and pride within teams.