Pharma has expanded the scope of patient solutions in the marketplace, but most of these solutions remain product focused and not on better health outcomes. The emphasis is currently on product messaging or tools to make access to products more convenient and easier for the patient. Sure, these solutions can enhance the product experience (better health outcomes), but do they really add any real value for the patient?

Patients may not tell the truth because being honest would suggest their condition is getting worse and their current treatment is failing. Providers often use close-ended questions that don’t uncover illness perceptions that are critical for patients to be successful in their treatment. Many patients are overwhelmed and scared. As a coping mechanism, some patients choose to be in denial instead of talking to the provider about their dissatisfaction. In response, providers often make assumptions about what patients want and are willing to do.

The lack of productive dialogue and the reluctance to treat earlier in the treatment can hinder patient engagement and treatment choice. Ultimately these factors may prevent patients from completely buying into the treatment being presented or committing to reaching better health outcomes.

To ensure genuine human engagement is delivered, without it affecting digital journeys, the foundational element of any effective digital transformation strategy should be building a cohesive eco-system of agile leading-edge technologies. When such an ecosystem is underpinned by a wealth of critical data, the benefits can be extensive. Whether that is patient information, scientific statistics or behavioral insights, it all needs to be harnessed to deliver a more relevant and personalized service.

It is critical that pharmaceutical reps and marketing teams gain a deeper understanding of their client’s needs than ever before. While reps are likely to increase the volume of interaction with HCPs during the pandemic, the communications will be less relevant as their needs have changed.