Where health is concerned, men lack the take-charge attitude that women have. A recent report by The Commonwealth Fund in New York shows how passive and out of touch men are
with the healthcare system.
The survey, conducted in 1998, found that 24% of men surveyed had not visited a physician the previous year. And one out of four men said that if he were concerned about his
health he would wait as long as possible before consulting a physician.
While this apathetic attitude has not gone unnoticed by the healthcare industry, many targeted men's health programs and campaigns have missed the mark. The recent closing of
two men's health centers last year offers particular insight into how difficult it is to reach this market.
The Garage, a trendy male health center in Seattle that opened November 1998, tried to attract men to the clinic by appealing to their love of cars. Its comprehensive
healthcare services were cleverly marketed as "tune ups" (check ups), "spark plug" (Viagra) and "body work" (complementary care). The clinic lasted six months. The Male Health
Center in Dallas, which evolved into the The Male Health Institute at the Baylor Health Center in Irving, Texas, lasted 10 years before it closed in May.
So where did these seemingly well-targeted clinics go wrong? Oddly enough, they didn't speak to women and focused exclusively on men, says Tracie Snitker, manager of government
relations for The Men's Health Network, an advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. For health messages to resonate with men, campaigns need to use a two-pronged approach -- one
that specifically targets men and one that appeals to the women in their lives, i.e. wives, girlfriends, sisters and mothers. Women are often responsible for convincing men to
seek healthcare services, says Snitker.
Although comprehensive men's health clinics haven't fared well, hospitals and health plans should not be discouraged from developing men's health educational programs. A few
hospitals, like St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, the Jefferson Health System in Bryn Mawr, Pa., and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., have dedicated areas on their Web
sites for men's health information. The Web is an ideal vehicle for reaching men, says Snitker, because it's anonymous and allows men to investigate health information whenever
they want. A few hospitals, like St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, the Jefferson Health System in Bryn Mawr, Pa., and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., have dedicated
areas on their Web sites for men's health.
The bottom line is that the healthcare industry needs to make men's health
a greater priority, says David Sandman, lead author of the Commonwealth study.
"We need an appropriate emphasis on men's health, similar to women's health,
that convinces men to see a physician even when they're feeling healthy."
(The Commonwealth Fund, David Sandman, 212/606-3845; The Men's Health Network,
Tracie Snitker, 202/543-6461)