Need another reason to commit to a healthy diet and exercise? Think migraines are just headaches? Migraine and obesity sufferers feel more emotional pain than those dealing with life-threatening conditions like congestive heart failure, prostate cancer, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. In fact, they tend to feel more pessimistic than those diagnosed with depression.

In a study about healthcare influencers, AdSAM®, a non-verbal process of measuring emotional response, and TNS Healthcare found that people who suffer from some severe diseases accept and handle them better than other types of sufferers.

"People suffering from prostate cancer, seem to cope better than those suffering from migraine headaches," said Jon Morris, Ph.D., the president of AdSAM® and a communications professor at the University of Florida.

Results showed that migraine, obesity and erectile dysfunction sufferers essentially feel afraid, disgusted and saddened by their situation. Understanding the emotional impact of these and other conditions is critical to the physician's approach to condition management but also to those loved ones helping a patient through the condition.

Because of their embarrassed state-of-mind, those who suffer from obesity and erectile dysfunction often feel more comfortable talking with influencers - non-healthcare professionals such as relatives, friends, co-workers, etc., rather than physicians.

Obesity sufferers in particular feel most relaxed when discussing healthcare decisions with influencers. For men or women, the research shows that influencers are most often the women in sufferers' lives, such as their spouses, mothers, sisters or female friends.

"Understanding the emotions surrounding the condition and the patients' emotions towards the physician, as well as other influencers, has a major impact on how to communicate effectively with a patient," Morris said.

TNS Healthcare also conducted research into communications in healthcare. The results indicated that an integrated communications program targeted to patients, physicians and influencers is needed to reach and impact people most effectively, especially in today's digital age.

There are countless opportunities to seek healthcare information through the Internet and other channels. Discovering people's true emotions can help physicians identify individual needs and information-seeking preferences.

Source
AdSAM