David Hancock, a long-standing expert on the health tech industry with a passion for interoperability, has become an associate of Highland Marketing.

In his new role, David will support clients of the specialist digital health agency that need advice on market entry or positioning, so they can communicate effectively with IT leaders at every level.

Mark Venables, the co-founder and chief executive of Highland Marketing, said: “We want to be able to offer the very best possible service to our clients and are confident that David’s expertise will be a valuable addition to that of our existing team.

“This is all about combining David’s knowledge, skills and experience with our knowledge, skills and experience, in order to give companies that want to work in this exciting but challenging market the very best chance of success.”

David Hancock has worked in enterprise IT for almost 40 years and has spent most of his career in life sciences and health tech. He is well-known in the industry for his work at Orion Health, where he supported the early development of shared care records, and at InterSystems, where he helped to build an electronic patient record and health information exchange business.

David has also been a member of the techUK health and social care council since 2018 and is vendor co-chair of INTEROPen, which was set up to advocate for the use of open standards in healthcare IT systems.

Since October 2022, he has led New Found Consulting Services, which he set up to help software suppliers with go to market and product strategies – and to advise them on how to adopt interoperability standards to support transformation initiatives.

David said: “Becoming an associate of Highland Marketing is about being able to bring my set of skills to the work of an expanding team – and applying them in a different way.

“Companies that want to succeed in digital health need excellent intelligence and a good understanding of where their ideas, services and products sit in the market. Then they need effective marketing and PR to get their messages across.

“I am looking forward to working on that marketing piece, to help build successful companies that can support the NHS, social care and life sciences with the challenges they face.”

Highland Marketing is an established marketing, PR and communications agency with more than 25 years’ experience in health, social care, med tech, life sciences and clinical research. It currently employs or works with more than 30 experts in strategy, campaigns and sales acceleration.

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Crisis? What crisis?

The thing with crises is that they’re sudden, unexpected, and not under your control. You think it’ll never happen to you, then you’re part of the news cycle – and not in a good way.

In our sector, problems are pretty much inevitable. Think about it. Healthcare technology is tricky stuff.

Innovation means that you’re often dealing with first of type systems. No matter how well you’ve laid the ground, nothing fully prepares you for the moment when a customer goes live with a new system.

You’re also probably dependent on third parties, either for core technologies or to provide interfaces and data. They have all the same problems as you do, so you may suffer collateral damage.

Then there’s malign cyber-attacks, which can take down even the most carefully planned and monitored installation.

If something happens, your fault or not, it’s still your problem.

It’s a high stakes game

To use the jargon, healthcare technology is “mission critical”. At best, system trouble means administrative delays, extra work, and regulatory scrutiny. At worst, it means serious clinical risk. There’s ample scope for even a minor problem to compound into a full-blown crisis.

The dangers are clear. Product rejection, reputational damage, and ultimately business failure. Worse is the clinical risk impacting customers and ultimately patients.

It would be fair to say that in this business, boring and reliable are selling features.

Don’t think you can hide

Our sector is highly visible. Everyone is interested in healthcare, and most people in the audience have an opinion about technology. Journalists and commentators are looking for something to fill column inches and schadenfreude makes for easy stories.

You can’t hide, and saying nothing isn’t a good option. If you don’t comment, someone else will, and they won’t have your best interests at heart. Social media means news travels fast, and bad news travels fastest.

What can you do about it?

Over the years we’ve worked with clients to help them understand risk, plan for the unexpected, and respond rapidly. This is what we’ve learned.

Plan and prepare – and do it before the crisis hits

This one seems obvious, but surprisingly few people get round to doing it. When you’re focused on making healthcare better, you don’t worry too much about what happens when you make it worse.

Keep a register of the risks you face and monitor the situation constantly. Asking the question, “what could possibly go wrong”, is a fundamental skill for project leaders, implementation specialists, and senior leadership.

Know your plan in the event of a problem. You need to identify your overall crisis lead and give them the time to draw up a plan. You also need to know who handles communication and make sure they’re trained to deal with the media.

It’s also essential to build good relationships with people who have influence in the environment you’re operating in. This could be journalists, policy makers, or customers. Having credit in the reputation bank means you have allies to call on when times get tough.

Own the crisis – react rapidly and control the message

There’s a cliché amongst communicators that your reputation is built on how you cope with the tough stuff. Some people believe that a strong response in a difficult situation can actually enhance your standing with customers, prospects and influencers.

It’s not a theory I’d want to test to destruction but getting out in front of problem makes good sense.

People who do crisis management well are available, open, and empathetic. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should blow up minor problems into crises just to show that you care. What it does mean is that, when the worst happens, you need to be in control, move rapidly, and demonstrate your commitment to finding a resolution. You also need to be there, on the ground, with reassuring actions.

Apologising is good, fixing the problem is better

Perhaps the most difficult thing is accepting the problem and taking responsibility. We all of us suffer a bit from hubris and, when you’re innovating, there’s a tendency to believe your own PR.

Going against an old adage, in crisis management, always apologise and always explain. This isn’t weakness, it’s honesty and empathy. Stuff happens and, if it’s your fault, you need to deal with it. This doesn’t mean empty apologies of the, “sorry you think you’ve had a bad time” type. It means being clear about the problem, explaining the causes in a way that makes sense to your audience, and setting out an action plan.

Of course, the real solution is resolving the problem or providing sensible workarounds. Good crisis communications can prevent damage to your reputation. Fixing, a problem can genuinely enhance your standing with a client.

Who you gonna call?

If this seems like a lot of time and effort, think of it this way, it’s all common-sense business practice, just like insurance.

Even if nothing goes wrong, the thinking and preparation means you’ll deliver a better service for your customers, and a better working life for your people.

One thing you do need to consider though is what support you need.

Dealing with a crisis isn’t business as usual, or at least it shouldn’t be. It’s likely you’ll need help, be that expert counsel, strategic messaging, or someone to handle tactical communications. One communicator I know always asks agencies who would be available to advise the CEO if something nasty happened on a Sunday afternoon.

Crisis planning and communication is one of the services we offer at Highland Marketing. Get in touch. We’d be happy to talk it through with you, even on a Sunday.

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