Improving Healthcare Communications in Rare Disease - Blog Part 1
Written by Benjamin James on Tuesday 18th June 2019
OPEN Health are delighted to be supporting Benjamin James with his master’s studies and his dissertation on 'Improving Healthcare Communications in Rare Disease’. Please read part 1 of his blog experience here.
Currently I am working with OPEN Health for about 8 weeks, in part to complete my dissertation and in part to help out on projects with OPEN Health.
Getting to know Gavin, Director of Rare Diseases over the last year has introduced me to OPEN Health and the world of healthcare communications. Currently I am studying my master’s at the University of Sheffield in science communications, this is one of the reasons I decided to look into communications around rare disease for my dissertation project. For this I will be conducting a thematic analysis and conducting interviews at OPEN Health.
Over the past two weeks I have been working on my dissertation project, getting an overview of all the work and different areas OPEN Health are involved with, alongside finding out about projects, including one in a rare cardiovascular condition.
My first two weeks have been really insightful and have been a great way to get to know how OPEN Health operates. My welcome has made me feel right at home, getting to know some of the medical communications team and others who work at OPEN Health. Everyone has been really friendly and easy to talk to and I am settling in really well.
It was great to have lunch with Gavin during my first week. This was a chance to catch up, discuss my dissertation and offer insight into gene therapies.
During my second week I met Shreena, who is Client Partnerships Manager at OPEN Health Medical Communications, who introduced me to her work and thought of possible ways I could help out on projects.
I have been impressed with the work ethic at OPEN Health, the friendliness and teamwork. Everyone is working towards the same goal, to drive positive change in healthcare communications and market access, ultimately working to improve the lives of patients. I am looking forward to the next few weeks and what I can learn whilst at OPEN Health.
