Today’s patients are far more engaged than the previous era of “doctor knows best." Their voices are amplified through digital, social and popular media, from news programs to Facebook posts, blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, and documentaries. Powered by the technology they use in their daily lives, the patient community is connecting with not only their HCPs, but with scientists, regulators, and disease experts; designing clinically meaningful endpoints; engaging and educating online communities; and improving disease awareness and diagnosis. Patients are empowered and unafraid to tell the community — and the world — what they see, feel, and need.
The “patient-as-consumer" culture empowers patients to consider all their options. As expected, accelerating product development and participating in clinical trials is paramount, but the community is now co-designing patient support programs and shaping the product lifecycle post-launch. And, like all modern consumers, they expect outcomes to be personalized, delivered on their terms, powered by technology, and of high value.
The next generation of patient services can no longer depend on the one-size-fits-all model. Manufacturers can achieve greater value by advancing beyond the traditional model to building a patient program that focuses on the unique needs of each patient. We believe Patient Services 2.0 requires organizations to fundamentally rethink, reimagine, and revamp the current model by focusing on these three key imperatives for success.
1. Ensure Access First But Invest In The Patient Experience Always
As the life-sciences industry focuses more and more on specialty drugs and therapies, it is imperative that manufacturers move to a patient-centered care model that delivers value enabled by innovative technologies and measured by actionable data. Couple that with transformative medicines requiring transformative approaches to achieve therapeutic success, manufacturers and their partners are up against unprecedented challenges at every turn.
Patient services now require a downstream approach from manufacturer to patient with multiple touchpoints along the way. If all of us can get real-time updates for a pizza that we order, why can’t a patient who is getting a life-saving medicine be able to get similar information on a timely basis? It’s because of the fragmented healthcare ecosystem and lack of integration in the current landscape. As new therapies become “made to order," the patient is both the beginning and the end of the journey. It’s imperative that Patient Services 2.0 seamlessly yields a best-in-class experience brought forward by patient education and one-on-one interactions; timely communication and resolution of access, affordability, and adherence; and at-home product delivery and nursing care. This one ecosystem of integrated services will not only keep patients informed and empowered along their journey, but it will generate positive outcomes to demonstrate real-world evidence of therapeutic success.
2. Integrated Patient Services Enabled by Digital, Data and Analytics
Commercial success in this new era of engagement will be awarded to the “revolutionists" who break free from the status quo model and adopt patient services that incorporate:
A secure, compliant, and fully configured patient CRM
Deeper, actionable insights into the patient journey and their real-life challenges by correlating the right data (i.e., EHR, claims. and patient reported outcomes)
Chatbot integrations and analytics to streamline patient communications and offer a self-service option for the more “informed patient"
Digitization of key processes like benefit investigation and verification, financial affordability to accelerate access, and patient adherence
Digital communication strategies with the right touchpoints at the right time
Tools to maximize value across the life cycle
Eversana recently helped a client with a first-to-market orphan drug. The therapy was for a complex disease with adherence challenges and our client needed to establish and maintain leading market share in an increasingly competitive segment. With an integrated commercial platform, we created a single access point for all onboarding and patient support, established dedicated patient service coordinators and coordinated care for each patient, including wraparound education and support, and home care. Our client saw great results, including 95.3% patient compliance, 94.5% patient loyalty, and 96% patient satisfaction. We established accountability as single service provider, shared financial risk, and delivered leading market share (even with three other products in market).
3. Enabling an Ecosystem for Disruptive Innovations
Is innovation best realized internally or outside the four walls? Every company constantly struggles with this question. With rapid advancements in science resulting in new therapies like CAR T-cell therapy, Immuno-Oncology, Gene therapy and Digital Therapeutics, combined with advancements in areas like AI, automation and sensors, there’s a new innovation coming up every day through new companies, academic organizations and other large product and services providers. It is important for the industry to embrace this innovation by bringing like-minded partners together into an ecosystem to achieve the common goal (i.e., improving the quality of patient lives).
It’s a fact that the industry will continue to evolve and we need to ensure that our work supports and enhances our progress in providing quality service and care to patients. We can do this by integrating strategies and bringing together groups that span the development pathway to the commercialization cycle to better address manufacturer, healthcare provider, patient, and payer needs. We need to embrace innovation because it is one of the forces moving us forward, changing the way we think, and, ultimately, the way we deliver healthcare to patients in need.
We are focused on all the above imperatives to build the next-generation patient services care model to improve the patient experience and help manufacturers bring therapies to the market faster, with the ultimate goal of improving patient lives and patient access. “We’ve [invested millions] in the last two years in the kind of technology and digital transformation that’s needed for the next generation of patient-centered, value-based services," says Jim Lang, CEO of Eversana. “We are committed to revolutionizing the industry in this exciting new era."(PV)
Eversana is the leading independent provider of global services to the life-science industry. The company’s integrated solutions are rooted in the patient experience and span all stages of the product lifecycle to deliver long-term, sustainable value for patients, prescribers, channel partners, and payers. The company serves more than 500 organizations, including innovative start-ups and established pharma companies, to advance life science solutions for a healthier world.
For more information, visit eversana.com
