Beth Schneider and Heather Lapidus Glassner
Research Directors
MyHealthTeams
Uncovering Unmet Patient Needs
MyHealthTeams’ 35 condition-specific patient social networks provide more than 2.2 million registered members with trusted information, authentic connection, relevant resources, and emotional support. Tens of millions of organic conversations between diagnosed patients facing the same challenges provide an unmatched view into the real-world experience of living with a chronic disease. Beth Schneider and Heather Lapidus Glassner lead the effort to analyze the unprecedented amount of structured and unstructured data that results from those conversations, and they develop surveys using patient-centric language to dive deeper into particular topics of interest and quantify the impact of living with a chronic health condition.
As the directors of the MyHealthTeams Research Group, their findings inform ongoing product development that helps tune the MyHealthTeams experience to best suit member needs. Their research also serves as a foundation for MyHealthTeams’ work with dozens of biopharmaceutical industry leaders and innovators, including nine of the top 10 global brands.
For example, a MyHealthTeams’ study found that many patients on a specific MS treatment were having a number of side effects and were sharing their “rituals” for mitigating them. The pharmaceutical partner tested these crowdsourced rituals in a short-term clinical trial and found them to be effective. Beth and Heather regularly partner with pharmaceutical companies to present findings at conferences and publish in scientific journals, such as a recent article on endometriosis-related pain published in the Journal of Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Disorders.
On an ongoing basis, Beth and Heather conduct studies to shine a light on what patients really want from their doctors—which consistently centers on information, listening, and empathy (not new treatments). For example, 22% of members living with heart disease or diabetes report they most want more information on recommended lifestyle changes and specific tips for diet and exercise. Among those living with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and psoriasis, key determinants of patient satisfaction with doctors include listening to understand, addressing mental health impacts such as anxiety and depression, and developing a long-term plan.
Thanks to Beth and Heather’s research, MyHealthTeams and its pharma partners are able to anticipate and address patient priorities across the engagement cycle.
