VML Health releases a report on 10 trends that will define the future of healthcare, arguing that pharmaceutical marketers need to adapt as patient goals shift from longevity to “periods of pleasure.”
Popularized by a book published last year, the term “joyspan” is defined as the experience of happiness and contentment during a long life. Lifespan only describes how long a person is alive, and says nothing about the quality of their existence. Healthspan builds on the term lifespan by defining the period during which a person is generally healthy. Joyspan goes a step further and establishes the period during which a person feels joy in life.
VML Health, a marketing and communications company, recognizes the emergence of this concept as a trend that will impact the way pharmaceutical companies speak to patients. If patients define successful treatment by the quality and meaning of years gained, VML Health believes that pharmaceutical communications should reflect that belief.
That means moving beyond survival metrics to stories and evidence that capture how patients are faring, VML Health said. Vitality, purpose, connection, and agency are outcomes that may resonate with patients who value joy over longevity and healthspan. Many pharmaceutical company advertisements already focus on daily activities that people can resume or enjoy more after taking the drug.
Another of VML Health’s 10 Defining Trends shows the potential for pharmaceutical marketing teams to directly impact joyspan. The agency cited social health as a distinctive trend, reflecting its belief that addressing issues such as loneliness is essential to improving life outcomes. VML Health said pharmaceutical companies can help address the problem by supporting community programs and designing support services that reduce isolation.
Patients can play a role in the design of such programs and services. VML Health said patient advocates want collaboratively created health literacy tools, community-led screening efforts, and support programs that reflect lived experience rather than institutional assumptions.
VML Health’s other recommendations include earning trust through “unflinching honesty.” Brands that prioritize patients’ desire for truth over their desire for accolades and provide clarity in murky areas such as drug pricing can build trust that protects them from misinformation, skepticism and apathy, the agency said.
