Words just weren’t getting it done. No matter how much a patient would tell their doctor about their suffering, doctors still were reluctant to test for NTM infection—they just didn’t consider it a priority.

Our idea was simple. Connect real NTM patients with artists from around the world who could bring the impact of NTM to life with vivid imagery that could cut through the clutter and stick in the minds of pulmonologists—and prove the old maxim that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Because every patient’s story is unique, we partnered with a diverse range of visual artists from around the world including Irma Gruenholz, Brosmind, John Hendrix, Adam Oehlers and Red Nose Studio.

Launched in October 2015, at our art gallery at the C.H.E.S.T. pulmonary congress, this campaign targeted pulmonologists across a broad spectrum of media, including print ads in respiratory journals, banner ads on healthcare related websites, in-office posters—all driving to a comprehensive and informative website.

The centerpiece was our campaign film, which featured the story of a patient named Betsy who had suffered with NTM for years, and the artist halfway around the world who brought her story to life.

Each month a new piece of artwork, from a new patient and artist collaboration, is featured in our campaign. The plan is to continue this into 2018, never repeating any of the artwork, and continuing to expand execution styles.

We’ve reached pulmonologists across the country, who care for thousands of potential NTM patients. Prior to experiencing the campaign these doctors didn’t consider NTM to be a priority, with only 16% saying they would consider testing for NTM when susceptible patients displayed symptoms.

However, after just a few short months of engaging with “A Thousand Words about NTM”, over 62% pulmonologist surveyed now pledge to test patients at the first sign of NTM.

This far and away exceeded our expectations and it’s having a real impact on the lives of hundreds of long suffering patients who are finally getting the treatment they need.