The COVID-19 has proven to be a changing point in the way doctors engage with patients and the way pharma companies communicate with the doctors. Early, traditional methods such as in-clinic visits, emails, etc were used. Technological change in the medical sector was long due, which was not only bought by COVID-19 but also led to a boost of virtualization of healthcare. Doctor engagement is changing and evolving, in-clinic visits are now replaced by online chat and video conferencing, home-based care, and much more. 

New Era of doctor engagement with patients

Patients just want quality care most of the time. With falling primary care visits, emergency department and urgent care visit rates suggest that safety is more important than an established relationship. There are certainly some patients and several providers who appreciate the interaction with the in-person patient-provider, but the goal is to get treatment. Of course, patients will provide both if an existing provider provides a treatment that is just as easy as on-demand telemedicine solutions. The largest challenge with caring for your own patients through telemedicine is communication and organizational change. In a way similar to in-person visits, we suggest that the office workers learn to arrange telemedicine visits. The visit should be scheduled and the patient should receive reminders of the appointment and be greeted by virtual front-desk workers for the visit. Having office staff do a “test visit” with the patient the day before is especially important when starting the program. If using a conventional telemedicine platform, patients may need to register in advance, entering their up-to-date records, prescriptions, allergies, and pharmacy information.

New Era of doctor engagement with pharma 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for pharmaceutical firms to speed up their path towards digital transformation on a wide scale. In the next period of physician participation, pharmaceutical companies need to proactively predict and react to external factors or the risk of being left behind. The core essence of the relationship between doctors and pharma companies is a crucial factor that needs to improve. It is important to go beyond only sharing product information to the outreach of pharma companies. With digital disruptors raising the bar on experience, the aspirations of physicians have also changed. Today, for a smooth, reliable, intuitive, and streamlined consumer experience, pharma companies need to re-evaluate their digital interaction.