We asked our panel to give us the latest on adherence programs customized to the patient:<\/p>\n
alyson.connor@micromass.com<\/a> <\/div>\n\n alex@healthmonitor.com<\/a> <\/div>\n\n cdowd@pskw.com <\/a> <\/div>\n\n julie.manganella@catalinamarketing.com<\/a> <\/div>\n\n mmartin@trialcard.com<\/a> <\/div>\n\n
\nWhat makes a great program? We recently did an independent study of patient support programs in 13 chronic disease categories. We based our evaluation on six evidence-based principles that are key to creating a highly effective patient-centered adherence program. Most seem like common sense, but when you look at programs in-market, most don\u2019t address even half of these. Too often adherence programs only address functional barriers to adherence such as cost or forgetting to take medication. To truly affect long-term adherence, especially with chronic conditions, programs must go beyond and address underlying psychosocial barriers. It\u2019s also not enough to do really well in just one or two areas. Brands must consider the totality of patient needs and deliver a program that speaks to them across all of the following considerations: 1. Incorporating good health education principles 2. Addressing treatment attitudes 3. Addressing illness perceptions 4. Facilitating healthy patient\u2013provider communication 5. Connecting patients to social support resources around both access to care and medication 6. Integrating patient programs into the brand\u2019s broader marketing efforts and objectives \u201cPatient-centric\u201d is definitely not ready for prime time. A surprising finding of our research is that more than half of major brands for chronic diseases don\u2019t even have a patient support program. It also showed that few programs are truly patient-centric across all six measures of effectiveness, although several set best-in-class standards in one or two particular areas. Cymbalta\u2019s Promise Program succeeds in providing content and tools to help patients understand their condition and track their progress more objectively. This program scored a perfect 100 percent rating for its effectiveness in addressing illness perceptions. Rebif\u2019s MS Lifelines provides comprehensive support services through a virtual support tool and \u201cPatient Ambassadors\u201d\u2014current patients acting as mentors. MS Lifelines illustrates how brands can go beyond functional barriers (cost, side effects, etc.) to address psychosocial barriers. This program does a better job than most at maximizing the potential of the adherence program by integrating it into the brand\u2019s broader patient and professional marketing efforts.<\/p>\nAlex Dong
\nVP, Marketing, Technology and New Products Development
\nHealth Monitor Network<\/h3>\n
\nA great patient-centered adherence program enables behavioral changes. Facilitating an effective dialogue between the healthcare providers, the patient, and caregivers is critical to success. Collecting, integrating, and acting on a large amount of patient data requires the effective collaboration of business and IT. At the core, you need solid technology infrastructure and business rules capable of handling data from multiple sources, providing insights into patients\u2019 needs and motivations, and delivering programs that can change patient behavior through health education. How do you ensure message diversity? Segmentation! Marketers must not only put patients at the center of every decision but also must understand what decision to make for each type of patient. Steps traditionally taken when marketing to doctors must now be done for patients. And patients differ in their needs, motivations and beliefs, so they should be addressed accordingly. Once segmentation is completed, it is essential to put together a direct patient education program that will shift patient beliefs and behaviors. The delivery medium decision should be based on how the patient wants to communicate\u2014via physician, office, online, print, mobile, live, television, tele-support, etc. The key point is that the dialog is based on patient education, moving toward action, and ultimately adherence. Is \u201cpatient-centric\u201d ready for prime time? I think we are moving in that direction. Traditionally, the primary customers\/decision-makers were the physicians (prescribers). Changes in the healthcare system are pushing more of the financial responsibilities onto the patients. Patients now are playing a more significant role in making the ultimate \u201cpurchase\u201d decision. The more successful marketers understand patients are becoming more active in managing their health and have access to a large amount of information. Prescribing decisions may not ultimately be clinical in nature; they may be financial, behavioral or emotional. Realizing the final decision is now collaboration between doctor and patient; learning how to facilitate that dialog is key to success.<\/p>\nChris Dowd
\nSVP, Market and Product Development
\nPSKW<\/h3>\n
\nThe key to a great program? Keep it simple. Remember that patients are consumers first; they struggle to remember to take their medicine in the same way they struggle to remember to save a little money out of each paycheck; they know they should, and they want to, but other things get in the way. So, provide multiple entry points and modes of interaction. Communicate with each participant using his or her preferred mode. Tie incentives to adherence behaviors. Collecting and integrating information is at the heart of every good adherence program. In our case, because our adherence programs tie adherence behaviors to valuable co-pay offers, patients respond positively; this linking process creates a great collection tool. Acting on information is tougher. Many creative solutions we brainstorm with clients are later shot down in med\/reg review. So, we often rely on straightforward but proven systems: ask how patients want to be contacted, and help drive adherence using digital and mobile tactics. Message diversity starts at opt-in, when patients choose how they want to be contacted. Messaging includes refill reminders, surveys, video messages, event reminders, links, HCP visit reminders, etc. Messages roll out based on the product\u2019s typical patient lifecycle. For example, a recent program had multiple sets of messages based on when patients first filled the Rx, after two weeks on therapy, time for a refill, and after refills. Individual refill behavior automatically triggers messaging. I think patient-centric is moving into prime time. For example, we have developed a desktop\/mobile startup package that leads patients through a series of questions during registration. The application delivers Time Release Messages based on each patient\u2019s situation and preferences. This application has a patented feature called Auto Updating, which allows the marketer to change the Time Release Message at any time. The marketer can consider even weather, news events, or stage of disease when deciding what patient message is most appropriate. (Time Release Messages and Auto Updating are trademarks of PSKW)<\/p>\nJulie Manganella
\nSVP, Marketing & Creative Services,
\nCatalina<\/h3>\n
\nA truly great patient-centered adherence program stems from relevant insights that acknowledge how patients feel and address their emotions through compelling messages. To be effective, it\u2019s important to understand patient behavior as well as emotional drivers and triggers. Our approach is committed to analyzing de-identified health consumer data and insights. We have conducted qualitative and quantitative patient research across numerous chronic conditions to understand drivers and barriers of patient behavior related to taking prescription medication. Marrying this primary research with privacy-protected data housed within our robust patient-level longitudinal database helps us understand the \u201cwhys\u201d behind the \u201cwhats\u201d (i.e., why patients do\/do not comply with prescribed therapy regimens). It\u2019s this level of understanding and holistic view of the health consumer journey that allows us to develop more customized messages and ultimately deliver measurably healthier outcomes. To create a dynamic patient experience our research has shown that information needs to change and evolve throughout the health consumer journey. What is of interest to a new patient on therapy is not the same for someone who has been on medication for six months. While both might have concerns with side effects, for example, emotional factors may impact their adherence in totally different ways. We recommend that brand messages acknowledge the different mindset and behavior patterns throughout the treatment continuum \u2014this is what leads to a truly dynamic patient experience. Patients are certainly ready [for patient-centricity in prime time]. What drives success is a consumer-centric strategy and message. While there are some great examples within pharma, overall, the industry has to do a better job. We firmly believe in and are committed to patient-centricity\u2014for us, the health consumer is at the core of everything we do. (Health Consumer Journey is a Catalina trademark)<\/p>\nMatthew B. Martin
\nProduct Manager, Patient Programs
\nTrialCard<\/h3>\n
\n919.845.0774 x261
\nThe single solution to patient adherence is\u2026there is not one solution. Consequently, brands must use a variety of adherence-support initiatives to keep an already-acquired patient adherent. Identification of the best solution can vary from \u201cjust ask\u201d to a series of tailored tools that reward adherence. Successful adherence initiatives utilize several tools simultaneously to establish the brand-to-patient relationship. Once this dialog becomes a relationship, adherence quickly follows. Successful ongoing patient-centered relationships start with an initial conversation between the patient and the brand. This typically is through a patient-initiated program opt-in via phone or brand website and gives a brand the opportunity to let the patient decide how he or she would like to interact. Brands with successful communication plans allow a variety of vehicle choices including mail, reminder calls, email, and even text messages. Giving the patient a choice of vehicles may result in a 40% greater opt-in for ongoing communications. If a brand \u201cjust asks\u201d patients about communication preferences, it not only allows the greatest communication opportunities but also makes the patient feel more in control of the discussion and therefore willing to participate in the dialog. As another adherence-support vehicle, brands that quickly identify and proactively engage patients who are non-adherent are able to assist this potentially lost patient in course-correcting back onto therapy. For example, brands already using a copay card as an adherence-support vehicle may consider offering increased instant savings when the savings offer is used within 5-10 days of the refill window to further encourage refill compliance. These reward-based solutions result in around a 20% greater patient adherence and put the brand\u2019s adherence message into the patient\u2019s decision cycle by rewarding the patient behavior. Although these are only two of many solutions available, a multi-tool approach to adherence messaging supports a dialog with patients as well as rewards adherent behavior. Effectively using varied, integrated initiatives better ensures that brands are able to have an effective two-way relationship with patients rather than a more one-way \u201cdirect to\u201d communication channel.<\/p>\nRoss Quinn
\nManaging Partner, Director of Customer Integration
\nConcentric Pharma Advertising<\/h3>\n