From Devon Prutzman, Director, WW Communications, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics

 

Business ethics isn’t a new topic, but it does seem to take on particular relevance in light of today’s complex business environment. The tough challenges facing leaders in all sectors of society certainly aren’t going to be solved overnight and one Johnson & Johnson leader recently recognized the importance of helping current and future business leaders better understand the role of ethics in shaping the way they — and their organizations — do business.

 

I had the chance to watch Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics Company Group Chairman Nick Valeriani speak to members of the Rutgers University Institute for Ethical Leadership a few weeks ago on the topic of Creating an Ethical Organization and Dealing with Ethical Issues. Nick delivered the keynote address to more than 50 business students and business leaders for the first installment in the Ethical Leadership Speaker Series at Rutgers’ Business School campus in Newark, New Jersey. While he’s known for being an engaging speaker on any topic, it was clear that talking about ethics brought out Nick’s sense of passion about setting high standards for business leaders and for always doing the right thing. 

 

He began by discussing Our Credo and offering examples of how its values drive Johnson & Johnson’s business by encouraging “candid, transparent discussions to reach what we believe are the right decisions for our patients, our employees, our communities, and our shareholders.”  He talked about why building an ethical culture in an organization is important and shared some of the ethical challenges he has faced in his career, conceding that “it never gets easier to make these kinds of decisions as a leader. There are multiple sides to almost every decision and it takes a strong moral compass to stand by your values and make the tough calls.” 

 

He shared an example of making a tough call by reflecting on his decision to halt the U.S. launch and discontinue the international sale of a product gained through an acquisition. Nick acknowledged the disappointment of failing to deliver on a business objective, but said, “Once we understood what the data showed — that the product would not provide an additional benefit to patients, and in fact, could present additional risk – we knew we had a difficult choice to make. We held an honest and frank discussion about the options, but ultimately, the decision was clear: patients come first.” 

 

He went on to explore the concept of “ethical leadership” by pointing out that it’s important to value both sides of the equation.  A code of ethics that is created without leaders who commit to “ingraining honesty and integrity into the corporate culture is an empty ideal,” he said. “And leadership that doesn’t ground itself in a commitment to doing the right thing is destined to fail.” 

 

The audience responded to Nick’s candor and honesty with a barrage of questions, engaging in a thoughtful dialogue about how to instill ethical values in their own organizations and how to face difficult issues in companies that don’t have clear standards for ethical behavior. It was evident that his advice resonated with the audience and that they valued the opportunity to learn from someone who has spent more than three decades learning to lead in a values-driven culture.

 

He closed the talk by offering a simple piece of advice to the present and future leaders in the audience on creating an enduring ethical culture: “be authentic.” He stressed that the single most important thing a leader can do is lead by example, holding him or herself to a high standard and being transparent about personal values. “Have the courage not to compromise,” he said. “Your behavior speaks louder than your words.”

 

As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, though healthcare companies (like Johnson & Johnson) would like to take a more active role in the ongoing conversations online, most are still sitting on the sidelines. Why? Well, there are a number of reasons, but one of the biggest is that there is quite a bit of uncertainty about just what is appropriate under the current regulatory framework.

It’s all rather complicated, but in the US a lot of the uncertainty around how to engage online concerns how companies that sell highly regulated prescription medications and medical devices can do so and still meet their regulatory requirements to 1) report any side effects that people may experience while taking their products and 2) to ensure they don’t promote their products beyond what is covered in their approved product label. It may sound relatively straightforward, but the reality is that these requirements cause pause since there is no clear guidance from the regulator about what behaviors or approaches are frowned upon and which are acceptable.

This uncertainty has not gone unnoticed, and for the past two days the FDA has held a hearing on the subject. I’ve been sitting in a crowded (and increasingly hot) conference room WITHOUT WiFi watching a steady stream of presentations. It’s been an interesting series of presentations so far – and it will take a while to digest all that has been discussed.

For those unable to be at the hearing or watch the webcast, some of the presentations and testimonies made can be found over at Health Central. You can also follow the flow of information from the two-day meeting on Twitter at #FDASM. I’ve also been noticing some interesting posts on the events over the past two days from Mark Senak over at Eye on FDA.

Between suggestions for different regulatory approaches, thoughts around how technology can be used to spread information and discussions about who is responsible for what, one theme kept recurring –that through responsible engagement, companies can help address and even correct misinformation about their products online. This ultimately could help patients and physicians make informed health decisions.

Hearing this theme come up again and again made me smile. You see, when the hearing was announced, it set off a flurry of meetings and discussions with people from throughout Johnson & Johnson – from legal, regulatory, public affairs and marketing — to determine whether we would participate in the meetings and, if so, what we would say.

Though there was a lot of back and forth, one thing was clear to us – that the Internet and social media play an enormously important role in public health and health literacy and that through responsible behaviors and actions companies can – and should – help address confusing or inaccurate information online. We wanted to advocate for flexibility in the regulatory approach to online content so that companies can participate more fully, and in so doing add their voices to the online conversation with the benefit of helping to advance health literacy by providing accurate and credible product information in real time. By speaking at the hearing, we felt we could share some of our ideas about how companies like Johnson & Johnson could engage responsibly in this space.

And so yesterday, Liz Forminard from Johnson & Johnson’s legal department and Philomena McArthur from regulatory affairs for our pharmaceuticals group, stood before the FDA’s panel and provided some thoughts on behalf of the company.

What did they say?

Well, the transcript will be captured in the docket, but I thought I’d highlight a few things they touched on:

• Companies should not be held responsible for policing the whole of the Internet.
• There should be some flexibility in regulatory approaches online, and for more opportunities to take advantage of technological resources to get people accurate, credible and current information where and when they need it.
• Having clarity in regulatory approach to social media is critical to enable participation from healthcare companies that provide a valuable source of product information

There was, of course, much more said – but I think the key to all of this will be an ongoing dialog between companies, patients and the regulator to develop workable – and flexible — approaches that will enable companies to be part of this conversation.

You have to watch out for my colleague Rob Halper when he has a camera in his hand. During last week’s BlogWorld conference in Las Vegas, Rob was roaming the halls, looking for a chance to capture the event on film. Luckily he had a chance to interview Kim McAllister from Emergiblog who, along with Dr. Val Jones, organized the day. Check it out:

Last week, I was in Las Vegas to attend BlogWorld where Johnson & Johnson was one of two corporate sponsors of the event’s first-ever track on MedBlogging. Kim McAllister, one of the organizers of the Medblogging track, has a great synopsis over at Emergiblog, and together with Dr. Val Jones , pulled together a thoughtful series of panels throughout the day that drew some of the high rollers in medical and healthcare blogging from throughout North America — and even one, Bongi, who came all the way from South Africa!

As is often the case with these kinds of gatherings, it was great to finally put faces to names – and to see that the online personalities that they project through their blogs was a pretty dang close match to who they are in real life.

I had a chance to say a few things as part of a panel, alongside Paul Levy of Running a Hospital fame, who joined us virtually and Bob Stern from our co-sponsor, the medical news site MedPage Today, during our panel on “The Value of Blogs To Hospitals, Industry, and News Organizations.” Thanks to masterful moderating by Professor Gary Schwitzer whose Health News Review does its best to encourage responsible healthcare reporting, we covered a fair amount of ground — moving from how we each got involved, to covering some of the complexities associated with rolling the dice to make our blogs and sites a reality.

Though much was discussed throughout the day, one theme just kept coming up again and again — and that was what could all of us do to help ensure the accuracy of healthcare information that is available online. According to a recent report by Pew Internet & American Life, 61% of Americans go online for health information and of those, a majority access user-generated-health information when making decisions about their healthcare needs. But, unfortunately, much of what is spread online is misleading or in some cases completely unsupported by scientific or medical knowledge, a fact that Dr. Val Jones made clear during the panel she hosted.

As I sped back East after the conference, a couple of thoughts kept rattling around in my brain concerning what we all can do to try to encourage the spread of useful, scientific information:

1) While the online world is often a great source for medical information, there is a lot of misleading information out there.
2) There is more that medical professionals and others who have some scientific knowledge and information can do to provide clarity around confusing and often conflicting information about different medical conditions.
3) Companies that likewise have data and information should also be part of these discussions in some way.

Now, given it was just a one-day meeting, no real solutions were agreed upon. But based on the conversations that I had with some of the folks there, there seemed to be a consensus that we should all meet again, perhaps at a similar event, to discuss more that we can all do together. Suggestions for locations and approaches are welcome!

I’m sure there are other accounts of the MedBlogger track that I’ve failed to include, but below are a few that provide a nice synopsis:

KevinMD: Scenes from BlogWorld Expo 2009 and the Future of Medical Social Media
Dr. Anonymous: BlogWorld 09 HIPAA and Blogging

Oh and special thanks for making this event great also goes to Dr. Ramona Bates who create a quilt that everyone in attendance signed!

UPDATE:

Here’s another post on the MedBlogging track — this time from Dr. V — Medical Blogosphere Rising.

Last week, I attended a conference that Fordham University and KPMG sponsored to discuss integrity in the global financial markets and the role that enhanced regulation might play in the economic recovery.  More than 150 participants met at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus in the heart of New York City, arguably the capital of “global finance,” and engaged in what turned into a very rich, timely and broad discussion of business ethics.

While Johnson & Johnson is a company known more for our baby powder and shampoo than for a role in shaping financial markets, we are well-recognized for having built an enduring values-based culture over our more than 120-year history.  It was this topic that Dominic Caruso, our chief financial officer, addressed with the audience of business leaders, students and academics.

After telling the history of Our Credo, which Robert Wood Johnson wrote in the early 1940s, Caruso explained the importance of having a “purpose beyond profits” as a company’s foundation.  Caruso said:

“Over the course of our history, we have not been perfect, but we have been fortunate to have built a values-based culture where our employees know they are expected to do the right thing and to put the needs of our patients and customers first … In an industry like health care, where people often place their lives and well-being – or trust the care of their loved ones – to our products, there can be no question, no doubt, about this primary responsibility.”

Though Caruso stressed that Our Credo was a powerful “connective tissue” for our employees around the globe, he explained that it could not stand alone.  Tying into the regulation theme of the conference, he said we must also take a “trust, but verify” approach when it comes to how employees uphold our values-based culture as well as other business compliance issues – and that there needs to vigilance.  As he explained:

“We are not perfect and Our Credo – while a powerful tool – is not sufficient to ensure a corporate-wide culture of integrity.  We, too, must take additional measures to introduce and reinforce this culture with our employees … to hold ourselves accountable for our actions and decisions … and to adhere to regulations and policies that support this values-based culture.”

In concluding, Caruso challenged the audience to identify their higher purpose: “Ask yourself, what it is that your business – or you as an individual – are trying to achieve?  And how committed are you to staying true to that goal in both good and bad times? … In the end, the success of our businesses and financial markets must be anchored to a foundation of integrity, values and a purpose beyond profits.”

From Fikry W. Isaac, MD, MPH, Executive Director, Global Health Services, Johnson & Johnson

I was privileged to participate in the Make Health Happen: Promoting Prevention and Wellness in Rural Communities summit at Montana State University in Bozeman. The summit was organized by Senator Max Baucus to bring together local businesses, public health workers, educators, health care providers, and nonprofit organizations interested in learning how to improve health and wellness in rural  communities. Several companies, including Johnson & Johnson, were invited to participate in the conversation.

With magnificent mountains and wide open spaces serving as an energizing backdrop, Montana was a great location to talk about innovative approaches to health and wellness—a beautiful, adventurous landscape that encourages action.

At the summit, I shared the experiences that the company I work for, Johnson & Johnson, has had in the creation of programs that are designed to help our employees improve their health – and, whenever possible, address the risk factors that lead to disease.  We call this wellness and prevention, and over the past 30 years, we’ve learned a lot about the strategies and programs we can put in place to make this work for our company.  As part of the recent discussions about  initiatives that can be put into place to  improve how we manage health in America, I’m often asked about what it takes to create a successful program – either within a community or a company like Johnson & Johnson – that can help people better manage their health.

Depending on who’s asking, I can get into a great deal of detail, but in general, there are a few things that have to be in place for a program – whether run by a company or by a community — to be successful:

• You have to address the health and wellness of the individual as well as the organization – you can help the individual to become healthy, but it will be difficult for them to maintain a healthy lifestyle in an unhealthy environment
• Leaders need to be committed to making such initiatives a success.  Whether you are the president of your company or the parent of a child, you need to lead by example to create lasting change and a healthy environment.
• Programs should address the full spectrum of health needs, from helping people with a chronic illness to keeping the healthy well. You will realize the most value by preventing the onset of risk factors, like obesity, that lead to costly chronic illnesses.

I’m not suggesting that these strategies are easy. Creating a culture of health – that encourages people to maintain healthy lifestyles — in your business, school, and even in your home requires time and effort. However, even small steps can make a big difference.

It’s back to school time, and many kids may find they can no longer see the blackboard as clearly as they did last year. Children that need vision correction and are active, or even those who just want a new look, may be asking their parents if they can wear contact lenses instead of glasses. 

 

According to a recent survey parents may be the largest barrier to children making the switch to contact lenses. Parents are sometimes concerned that contact lenses may be too difficult for their kids to take care of. Mary Lou French O.D., F.A.A.O., M.Ed. is an eye doctor that specializes in children’s eye care and offered the following tips to parents of children who want to wear contact lenses:

 

I find that parents do not think that their child is mature enough to wear and care for contact lenses. With the current lens modalities available, such as daily lenses and 2 week lenses, the worry about hygiene is minimized. If they want lenses they will listen to the instruction on the care and cleaning of the lenses.

 

If your child has an active lifestyle and requires vision correction then contact lenses could be the best choice. Contact lenses improve depth perception and peripheral vision, which is important for sports of all types. Contact lenses do not break, fall off of the face, or need constant adjustment and repair. And they can be worn just for that sport if needed, leaving the glasses at home. 

 

Recent research supports the fact that kids are successful contact lens wearers, and that has also been my experience caring for children’s eyes for the last 32 years!

 

Additionally, contact lenses may offer kids benefits beyond vision correction. According to the ACHIEVE study, contact lenses offer both girls and boys greater freedom in sports and other physical activities and may boost confidence in academic performance as well. For girls in particular, the switch from glasses to contact lenses can have a significant impact on improving self-esteem. To see one girl’s view of all this, check out the video that was just uploaded to the corporate website.

 

Hearing from Dr. French got me to thinking about eye health and kids. Now as you may know, I’m a big fan of Safe Kids, and I found they offer more information about children’s eye health and safety that parents should check out.

Update: This is a great piece about how one mother determined whether her daughter was ready to wear contact lenses.  

 

From Peg Achenbach, O.D., Senior Director Professional & Medical Affairs, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

Across the world, there is a common misperception that seeing well translates to good eye health. However, even people with perfect vision can be affected by serious eye diseases.

According to a new survey from The Vision Care Institute, Global Attitudes and Perceptions About Vision Care, many adults and children do not visit an eye care professional for a comprehensive exam. Additionally, one-in-three parents/caregivers have never taken their child under 18 years of age for any type of vision assessment. The findings reveal that adults in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the Unites States report high rates of comprehensive eye exams, while lower rates are reported in China, Singapore, Japan, and Russia.

Given the importance of comprehensive eye exams, I was very concerned by these findings. A comprehensive eye exam is different than a vision screening, which is a type of screening that children may receive at school or may be part of a driver’s test to detect vision deficiencies. A comprehensive eye examination, on the other hand, is conducted in an optometrist or ophthalmologist’s office. Eye care professionals check for vision correction needs in addition to determining overall eye health. Regular comprehensive eye exams may help to identify other health concerns, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Caring for your eyes and improving your vision can help to improve your quality of life. For more information about key findings from the study, and to learn more about eye health for adults and children, visit the The Vision Care Institute.

Marc recently wrote about the progress Johnson & Johnson has made in engaging with people in the social media realm (such as the Kilmer House blog, the Johnson & Johnson health channel on You Tube, and the Twitter account) and lessons learned along the way. As Marc says:

“As a company that sells not only consumer products, but also prescription medicines and medical devices, there were numerous legal and regulatory hurdles that needed to be taken into account. But we realized early on that it is only by jumping in that you can learn— and we are learning every day.”

Many of our operating companies have also found ways to get involved in social media initiatives. When I found out that DePuy Mitek is using Twitter to reach golf players and fans with health and fitness updates, I had to check it out. I was also interested on a personal level, because my husband loves to golf, but I don’t know much about helping him stay in good shape for his game beyond slipping sunscreen in his bag when he heads outside.

DePuy Mitek is the official mobile health and fitness provider of the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, which means they provide players with on-site rehabilitative and preventive care and educate fans. From their unique position at the tour, they are using Twitter to inform attendees about events, such as opportunities to have a photo taken with a replica of the Charles Schwab Cup or the FedEx Cup. They share with their followers on Twitter the same tips they give to on-site pros and fans: techniques to improve your swing, how to find the right golf shoes, and other info to keep your body and your game in prime form.

For those of you who don’t golf but stay active in other ways, they also tweet about maintaining joint health, preventing and treating knee pain, and how to detect the early symptoms of osteoarthritis (which I’ve learned from a recent tweet is the number one cause of disability in the US).

You can follow on Twitter at NSM_GolfTour

Read Marc’s article on social media here

You may have noticed your physician using a PDA or smartphone during your last visit to the doctor’s office. According to a report by Manhattan Research, this trend is on the rise in 2009, with approximately 64 percent of U.S. physicians using a PDA or smartphone to stay connected while on-the-go.

Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc observed this increase in the number of health care professionals using mobile technologies and created the BLACKBAG™ iPhone Application, which gives physicians access to the latest medical information at their fingertips. Within the first two months of launching the app, BLACKBAG was downloaded by approximately 24,000 users.

The idea behind the BLACKBAG app was to provide physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other health care professionals with easy access to resources and tools to help them stay informed; an electronic version of a doctor’s “black bag.” The app contains unbranded content across a number of medical areas and specialties. Health care professionals can subscribe to customized news feeds to receive breaking medical news, and access to journal summaries, conference coverage, videos and podcasts related to their areas of interest.

Here are a few screen shots from the BLACKBAG app:

UPDATE: Since posting, there have been a few reviews of the app – here, here, here and here that are worth checking out.