Edelman and Tsinghua launch digital heath initiative

Edelman China and the Tsinghua Institute of Health Communication have announced a strategic partnership to examine the online health information consumption in China.The partners will launch a study on “Digital Health" which will explore how people in China consume health content in the digital era, and examine content preferences and the needs of consumers in China.The alliance will focus on three areas, including integration of knowledge and training programs, exchange of talent and recruitment capabilities and collaboration on advance field research.According to the 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer, the public’s trust in the healthcare industry has declined 4% in China compared to the previous year. The study also found there is a gap between what the public is looking for and the actual performance of companies in the healthcare industry, such as in the quality of products and services, data security, sustainable business models and CSR.Anita Cai, senior director, National Health Sector of Edelman China, said it is essential to bring a new level of transparency and stakeholder engagement to meet the expectations of healthcare consumers.“Healthcare is vital to people’s livelihood. Together with more concerned parties, we will be able to help organisations build public trust and drive progress in China’s healthcare industry.”