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and a sense of commitment from their treatment. And they have to have hope and belief in themselves. What all of those things have in common is they rely on clear, open, and honest communication.
A Guide Should Primarily Be a Person, Not a PDF
Being confronted with a serious health condition is an uphill battle, a journey through uncharted territory or rough waters, a heavy lift—pick your metaphor. In any case, having a map is good but it can’t substitute an actual guide, a human with experience and knowledge about the path forward. In other words: We should rethink the definition of a doctor discussion guide. A guide should primarily be a person, not a PDF.
Making pharmaceutical engagement personal is more difficult than creating a PDF but over the last two decades patient engagement agencies have successfully built infrastructures and procedures to provide industry with the means needed to build
meaningful relationships with their patients. By bringing real people—real patients with a real diagnosis—into the conversation, we’re able to understand what patients are looking for, what resonates, and what makes those doctor-patient conversations happen in a productive fashion.
An Offer to Interact Directly with the Brand
A doctor discussion guide that’s powered by patients can match specific communication preferences within the community. From an executional point of view, it doesn’t matter if those live interactions happen via SMS, email, phone, video chat, or in-person—these decisions should be guided by a patient- friendly strategy, which may vary from one disease category to the next and may need temporary adjustments, such as when the option of in-person meetings is unavailable due to a global pandemic.
Another element that may need to be adjusted based on a brand’s strategy is the mix between patient mentors (who
can share firsthand insight) and health educators (who are trained professionals who work with, know, and understand patients). What matters most is regardless of the case, there is a human element, an offer for the patient and caregiver to directly engage with the brand.
Measure those interactions, and you’ll have a much clearer idea of what is actually happening during those critical doctor appointments, whether they’re happening in-person or virtual. You’ll know patients are prepared and will have productive conversations, asking the right questions, voicing their own thoughts, and guiding the discussion with their doctor.
“We should rethink the definition of a doctor discussion guide. A guide should primarily be a person, not a PDF.”
about the author
Philip Storer
SVP, Snow Digital Snow Companies
As a digital leader in pharma, Phil’s passion is
to meet and exceed the expectations set by leading
healthcare consumer brands for patients in their online healthcare experience. He can be reached at pstorer@snow-companies.com.
September 2020 / pm360 magazine 27
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