October 27, 2017
As PR professionals, it’s our job to stay on top of the news so that we can find relevant story angles and leverage hot topics to guide our media relations outreach for clients. In the healthcare space, we are fortunate to have a number of great publications we read and work with every day, including Healthcare IT News, Becker’s Hospital Review and Medical Economics, to name a few.
But, besides reading the trades every day, there are other traditional and non-traditional outlets we turn to to learn more about the politics of healthcare, to take a deeper dive on a particular topic or to get the breaking news as it happens. Here are some of the sources we tap to stay “in the know” on all the latest and greatest issues in healthcare:
Podcasts
Podcasts are great if you want to take a deeper dive on an issue, and especially if you want to sink your teeth into the ins and outs of the politics of healthcare. Some of our favorite podcasts include:
- The Impact – hosted by Vox’s Sarah Kliff, The Impact’s first season focuses on the challenges consumers face while navigating the US healthcare system. While it is relatively new (having launched this week), it’s easily going to be one of our new favorites as Sarah Kliff brings on a host of experts to look at issue from all sides, such as why it costs $629 to get a Band-Aid from an emergency room.
- Pulse Check – hosted by Politico’s Dan Diamond, Pulse Check focuses on the debates shaping health politics and policy. With guests such as Cleveland Clinic’s Toby Cosgrove and former HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, listeners get to hear great conversations about the issues driving the changes in our healthcare landscape.
- Pod Save America – hosted by former Obama speechwriters and staffers, Pod Save America is focused on the politics going on in our nation today, including healthcare. During the ACA repeal efforts, Pod Save America was one of our team’s go-to sources to break down the fight in easy to understand language from experts who helped draft the Obamacare legislation and get it passed in the first place.
Newsletters
For a daily roundup of top headlines, newsletters are one of the best ways to stay “in the know.” Our favorites include:
- FierceHealthcare– every FierceHealth newsletter– whether it’s IT-, Payer- or Practice Management-focused– is an engaging read. With a list of the top four to five headlines each day, it’s easy to quickly digest the top stories and trends that are being covered across the various segments of healthcare.
- VoxCare – focused on explaining the day’s most import healthcare news, VoxCare breaks down confusing concepts, such as single payer or the proposed Graham-Cassidy Bill, in an easy to understand, yet extremely detailed way. Plus each day it includes charts on relevant healthcare issues, which are great fun to look at.
- Politico’s Morning eHealth – this newsletter is a must for anyone working in health IT as it gives a rundown of the big issues and proposed policies that will impact digital health.
If you want to stay on top of the news as it unfolds, Twitter is the place to go. Some of our favorite healthcare influencers to follow include:
- Andy Slavitt – as former head of CMS, Andy Slavitt knows healthcare. He’s extremely active on social media and doesn’t shy away from going on a multi-tweet explanation on the impact a proposed legislation, making it easy to quickly learn about what’s happening in the world of healthcare policy.
- Sarah Kliff – you’ve probably seen her name on here quite a bit, so it’s not surprising that her Twitter feed is a great place to turn for explainers on confusing healthcare concepts, such as cost sharing reductions or the individual mandate.
- Christina Farr – a reporter at CNBC, Christina Farr is one to follow if you want to know what’s going on with tech and healthcare. She’s been getting some great scoops on big moves in the healthtech space, such as Apple’s potential move into primary care. Additionally, she’s pretty frank and honest about life as a journalist, which is always an interesting read for a PR professional.
We could go on and on about great ways to stay informed and on top of healthcare news, but these are just a few of our many favorites. What are your go-to sources for healthcare headlines? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
