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SleepApneaInfo.comSleepApneaInfo.com is the world’s first educational web site devoted solely to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and serves as the educational landscape for an issue-awareness campaign, entitled, “Sleep Well, Be Healthy,” that was commissioned in May 2004. The non-branded awareness campaign is committed to educating the public about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), its symptoms and effects, and helping to improve the lives of the 18 million Americans afflicted with the condition. By serving as an objective, comprehensive resource for OSA sufferers, their family and friends, SleepApneaInfo.com strives to raise awareness of the health risks of obstructive sleep apnea and make progress toward increasing diagnosis and treatment rates. For more information, visit www.SleepApneaInfo.com. IndustryAmong the general public, there is a heightened awareness for topics related to health and a growing consumer interest in becoming more proactive in managing one’s own health. All indications are that this trend will continue and most likely increase. Sleep disorders, however, and specifically obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), remain largely underappreciated, as is reflected in the scant diagnosis rates in this country. While OSA afflicts approximately 18 million American adults, most experts agree that as many as 90 percent of cases remain undiagnosed. If left untreated, OSA has been proven to lead to hypertension, heart attack, heart failure and stroke. In addition, studies have shown that untreated OSA sufferers create a public health threat on our nation’s roads, rails and skies. Business Challenge- Prior to the launch of the campaign, sleep apnea and its therapies have received a modest share of coverage on regional and national levels. However, the quantity and quality of the coverage did little to move diagnosis rates and broad understanding of the condition as anything more than a nuisance.
- Far too many consumers consider loud, persistent snoring, a leading indicator of obstructive sleep apnea, to be merely a distraction for the bed partner or fodder for jokes rather than a serious health issue.
- There are a large number of web sites, some well-known, where consumers can learn about OSA. However, many of these sites were developed by third party organizations with slightly different or broader agendas.
Schwartz PR Strategy- Drive understanding of the issue by educating the public about the prevalence of OSA and the seriousness of its health consequences, including cardiovascular disease and threats to public safety.
- Drive broad visibility of the Sleep Well, Be Healthy campaign as an educational resource to potential sufferers, sufferers’ families and friends, caregivers and sleep industry professionals.
- Encourage media to turn to the Sleep Well, Be Healthy Council – an established advisory council of distinguished, expert physicians to be featured on the web site and serve as the campaign’s primary spokespeople as experts in the field - for insight into the condition and its health effects.
- Demonstrate leadership by providing comprehensive information as well as the latest news, trends and developments in the sleep apnea field.
- Through awareness and self-assessment, drive an increase in physician visits, diagnosis and treatment rates.
Results- Since launching SleepApneaInfo.com, Schwartz has generated media coverage with more than 230 million impressions, detailing key messages around the prevalence of sleep apnea and the seriousness of its health consequences and highlighting hypertension, cardiovascular disease and threats to public safety. Much of the coverage includes interviews with physicians from the Sleep Well, Be Healthy Council, further establishing them as the leading experts on healthy sleep.
- The Web site’s traffic has gradually increased since launch, now averaging nearly 7,500 visits and nearly 15,000 page views per month. Traffic spikes can be attributed to weeks where coverage appeared as a result of the Sleep Well, Be Healthy campaign’s outreach.
- The Self-Assessment Quiz, a popular staple of the web site which can help readers determine whether they may have OSA, continues to drive more potential patients to explore their symptoms. In November 2005, 632 people clicked to take the Quiz and Schwartz saw an 83 percent completion rate, meaning the vast majority of visitors are downloading their results and answering the call-to-action. In addition, consumer inquiries from the Web number in the dozens, most of which are inquiring about where to find a sleep lab for diagnosis or thanking the creators of the site for providing valuable resources.
- SleepApneaInfo.com is increasingly referenced in print and broadcast coverage as a trusted consumer resource. Even physicians and sleep labs note they are recommending the site to patients for general information prior to formal diagnosis and treatment.
At the time of the campaign’s launch, no web site existed that served as a non-partisan, comprehensive, objective resource for consumers looking to learn more about obstructive sleep apnea. Schwartz’s approach to educating the public about the seriousness of this public health threat has raised the level of awareness and driven a direct impact on increasing diagnosis and treatment rates in communities small and large.
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