A drug’s ability to reach the market is essential; however, pharma manufacturers have struggled to meet the increased pressure to demonstrate the value of their drugs, particularly in therapeutic areas over-populated with treatment options. Data surrounding the success and efficacy of a drug are rarely sufficient to convince stakeholders that the drug is worth the investment. Payers have displayed a need for a more humanistic approach, and against this backdrop, manufacturers need to reconsider their engagement strategies.
Drawing upon the findings of our most recent biannual survey in which the ICON Market Access team surveyed healthcare decision-makers from 56 payer organizations and 45 institutional providers, we have compiled some of the key elements of what your engagement strategies should entail.
Decision-makers Rely on Traditional and On-demand Sources
The starting point when deciding how best to engage with decision-makers is getting clarity on which sources of product information they are using. Not surprisingly, our survey shows healthcare decision-makers go to the internet first with 90% turning to search engines as a source of information.
However, the same healthcare decision-makers also follow some of the more traditional avenues—direct mail, email, and adverts continue to be important sources of information. It seems the decision-makers’ role or area of remit may influence where they look for information. For example, pharmacy and medical directors tend to depend on manufacturers’ websites, print journals, and professional association online journals. Those in patient-focused roles, however, are more likely to leverage webinars for information.
In general, healthcare decision-makers have responded positively to on-demand resources and tools. The use of podcasts has risen 15% since 2019, and the use of webinars has increased by 38%. The implication is that search engine optimization tactics and alignment between on-demand and traditional sources of information are important components of effective engagement with stakeholders.
When to Meet with Decision-makers
Meeting with healthcare decision-makers has been the core of a stakeholder engagement strategy for a long time. Generally, healthcare decision-makers are interested in meeting approximately every three to six months. In doing so, they are confident they have up-to-date information and are able to maintain good working relationships with pharma.
The optimal frequency for meeting with healthcare decision-makers can vary depending on the lifecycle of the product. For example, for a mature product a more extended time between in-person meetings is preferred. Decision-makers are confident they already understand the product and its indication(s), so more frequent meetings are perceived as unnecessary and, at times, intrusive.
However, more frequent meetings are useful for new products. Stakeholders at all levels have a high interest in learning more about new products, and meetings are more likely to be prioritized. The best practice recommended by healthcare decision-makers is to have one or more meetings within the six months before the product is launched and another meeting within the six months following the launch of a new product.
Both Virtual and In-person Meetings Rate Highly
The results of our survey show that both in-person and hybrid meeting formats have roles to play. In fact, 57% of healthcare decision-makers indicated that they want virtual meetings to continue or even increase in frequency. Meanwhile, nearly all healthcare decision-makers surveyed said that in-person meetings are desired, hinting toward a more hybrid model of engagement with pharma manufacturers. The survey findings even suggest healthcare decision-makers now have a greater appreciation of in-person meetings—more than a third of them indicated that they now prefer in-person meetings even though they had been averse to them in the past.
In addition to the format of meetings, careful consideration should also be given to who attends the meeting from a manufacturer. It is clear that all healthcare decision-makers, payers, and institutional customers alike are interested in scheduling meetings with a broad range of subject matter experts who have a wide array of experience, including those who work in financials, contracting, health equity, and population health. This growing need for a broader range of input is challenging pharma to bring a multidisciplinary approach to the engagement. As a result, the pharmaceutical representative is becoming more of a coach with a bench of experts they can bring in as needed.
The Critical Information Decision-makers Want
When forming engagement strategies for healthcare decision-makers, another important question is: How do we distribute critical information? The first step is to define what is critical for healthcare decision-makers. What is essential to a manufacturer or a representative is likely to be different from what healthcare decision-makers think or need.
For example, therapies targeted to smaller populations, personalized medical approaches, and treatments for rare diseases are all areas that healthcare decision-makers are likely to be focused on. Additionally, healthcare decision-makers are often tasked to research these areas on their own or assign it to someone in their organization. This triggers a search for online, on-demand information, and traditional resources, as already discussed. Therefore, it is important to leverage a breadth of approaches for engagement and dissemination of information so that it is easily accessible.
Unsurprisingly, digital formats are growing in usefulness. During in-person meetings, interactive and digital tools are being used more and more, and their perceived usefulness among healthcare decision-makers has almost doubled since 2019. Healthcare decision-makers also make use of digital formats that can be accessed on their own, such as customized mobile apps and other immersive technologies. Mobile apps and similar tools open opportunities to engage healthcare decision-makers anywhere, anytime, and are perceived as an effective resource that helps the stakeholders digest more information.
That said, traditional tools are still important. Leave-behind materials and packets are one of the core ways that pharma manufacturers support healthcare decision-makers. They also continue to be highly valued and used by healthcare decision-makers because they offer an easily accessible source of information at the point of immediate need. Leave-behind materials drive more personal conversations between pharmaceutical representatives and decision-makers. Furthermore, they provide convenience and a concise summary to access key points when needed and add to the credibility of communication.
Conclusion—The Future Is Hybrid
Three principles lead to effective engagement with decision-makers:
- Understand healthcare decision-makers’ needs and preferences before engaging
- Deploy an appropriate mix of informational tools and critical content
- Consider the evolving environment from technological advancements to the influence and priorities of traditional and new decision-makers
Much like many other aspects of the industry, the impact of more digital tools is leading to new and innovative ways of doing things. Engagement strategies with payers are no different. Manufacturers will need to strike the correct balance—the decision-makers have indicated their preferences, and the future is hybrid.
