Endo tries to strike a chord—over coffee—with new Dupuytren's contracture video series

In a series of unscripted videos, known as Coffee & Cords, patients share details about living with Dupuytren's contracture, a progressive hand condition that forms a collagen rope-like cord that pulls fingers toward the palm.

Developed by Endo, the series is aimed at educating patients about the symptoms of the disease, plus treatment options for those with a diagnosis—affecting an estimated 14 million U.S. residents, according to the company's Oct. 5th press release.

The discussions feature five patients and take place as a casual conversation in a coffee shop. The camera angles make sure to frequently zoom into the speakers’ hands to show the curvature in their fingers and how they grasp their coffee mugs. 

Topics covered in the videos include a tabletop test for those suspecting they may have Dupuytren's contracture, effects of the finger-contracting condition, how to find a hand specialist and the treatment options on the market.

“Dealing with a health condition like DC can feel lonely. The Coffee & Cords series is patient-to-patient support, in unscripted video form,” Dayna Sracic, senior director of consumer marketing at Endo said in an interview.

“We want people who have or believe they may have Dupuytren’s contracture to see themselves in these videos, to know that others like them are navigating the confusing and often conflicting information regarding the treatment of the condition and to understand the treatment options including FDA-approved nonsurgical Xiaflex,” Sracic noted. Xiaflex was approved for Dupuytren's in 2010 and went on to score a regulatory nod in Peyronie's disease as well in 2013.

The videos range in length from one to four minutes and are posted on Endo’s Xiaflex website. Later this year, the videos will be used in digital and social advertising. The website also includes the biographies of the five featured patients: those who have not undergone any treatment, versus surgery or the use of Xiaflex.

Endo will be monitoring responses from these videos and using that information to shape the next step in the company’s social and digital advertising, Sracic said.

Videos will be edited to the appropriate lengths for the various channels of delivery—shorter, snackable videos that get to the heart of the various conversations quickly—while directing people to the website to watch the full videos. Plus, Endo is evaluating additional videos not already posted on the site to learn more about the treatment journey.

Endo thought it was important to share authentic patient journeys for this campaign.

“We have heard in market research that DC patients often receive conflicting information, and ultimately each patient—their health behaviors and history and their contracture(s)—is unique. Therefore, they don’t all choose the same path when it comes to health decisions, so we wanted the video series to display relatable, authentic experiences,” Sracic said.

While the target audience for the campaign is patients, Endo hopes that if hand specialists see these videos, it can further conversations between patients and physicians in every stage of the process.

“These videos are meant to empathize with patients, and hand specialists may be able to see a different side of the condition journey through these videos,” Sracic said.