Living with Food Allergies: Maria’s Story

In the ImmunoDiagnostics Division (IDD) of Thermo Fisher Scientific, our central goal was educating healthcare providers and patients about the value of in-vitro allergy testing (also known as specific IgE blood testing).

I felt strongly that videos showing the positive impact of in-vitro allergy testing on patients would help accomplish that goal. To that end, myself and two co-workers pitched a patient stories video series, showing the human side of living with severe allergies. Maria’s Story was the first in that series.

As part of the production, I…

• Made a pitch deck with options for creative direction and the positive potential outcomes of the videos. (Spoiler: It was approved.)

• Screened patient participants, interviewing them and having the documentation reviewed by our clinical affairs team for accuracy and compliance.

• Once participants were selected, I helped shape their stories into clear narratives using interview questions, which were approved by both clinical affairs and the participants.

• Produced the video shoots against a budget, including sourcing locations, crew, equipment, travel, and so on.

• Managed the shoots on-location, acting as line producer, director, and interviewer.

Results

• Videos received some of our highest engagement on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and the Allergy Insider blog.

• The assets are evergreen, and therefore they’re used in many ways, including distribution to healthcare providers’ offices (these videos may be playing in a waiting room near you), use at conferences, speaking engagements, and sales meetings.

• International IDD divisions were inspired to create original patient story videos in their local languages, including in Germany and France.