NDUSTRY INSIGHT
The Changing Face of the Healthcare Consumer
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By Stacey Piluri
Marketing Communications Specialist
McKesson Patient Relationship Solutions |
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As a strategic thought leader, McKesson Patient Relationship Solutions (MPRS) is continually speaking with industry experts and following healthcare commentary in order to identify emerging trends in the industry. While positive changes have been made in the adherence market, there are still opportunities for improvement. Adherence is a costly problem (estimated $290 billion), with both human and economic costs. Unnecessary hospital admissions, physician visits, and lab tests will continue to contribute to the rising cost of adherence while the industry reacts to an aging population of baby boomers and other key population shifts. Adherence is a complex and often misunderstood challenge but one thing is certain, healthcare as a whole is moving toward a more patient-centered approach with a strong emphasis on collaboration across stakeholders.
As part of this evolution, the healthcare consumer has changed considerably. An aging and overweight population has shifted the industry focus from acute care to chronic disease management. This year, America’s 50 and older population will reach 100 million. Two-thirds of American adults are considered clinically obese in addition to one-third of our children. These numbers are staggering.
Beyond disease states, patient population is also changing culturally which is challenging what we know, or think we knew, about health behaviors and attitudes. Hispanics suffer disproportionately from chronic conditions including diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and obesity. A recent study by Global Advertising Strategies found that 20% of Hispanics and African Americans – who top the charts in chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease – don’t comply with their drug regimens. The study also notes that less than 5% of consumer advertising budgets are devoted to what amounts to 40% of the population. The growing Hispanic population is looking for culturally relevant communications. It is important that manufacturers look to understand and engage effectively with these populations going forward.
Through lack of adherence, conditions are worsening. Patients are experiencing premature disability, lower quality of life, and sometimes even death. The bottom line is pharmaceutical manufacturers have to leverage, or acknowledge, other patient resources. Twitter and Healthline are offering personal perspectives and experiences; YouTube is enabling users to share videos on health topics. Online resources are becoming more credible with 65% of consumers viewing ‘patients living with the condition’ as a credible source. For instance, PatientsLikeMe, a health data-sharing platform where patients can share and learn from real-world, outcome-based health data, has nearly 135,000 members interacting across 1000+ conditions.
With the proliferation of digital resources and channels, patients are going online from their computers and mobile devices to access health information. MPRS’ research has shown that 55% of patients rely entirely on their physician to make treatment decisions, indicating that almost half are looking elsewhere. Online information can be useful for patients before AND after their physician visit. In a study conducted by Edelman, it was found that 91% of patients approach their physicians to validate information they found online, while 68% turn to other sources to validate information received from their doctor. These adherence resources are everywhere and manufacturers must use care to ensure their messaging has the relevant content that individual stakeholders crave.
The challenge many manufacturers face today is a lack of an overarching adherence strategy. Different brands try individual tactics, often discontinuing as budgets, priorities, and personnel shift. At MPRS, we see an opportunity to better integrate programs and expand them across the organization. The way forward is through integrated tactics which produce a more powerful adherence campaign.
The right adherence mix will require enlisting new adherence advocates – pharmacists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners – and leveraging technology to build patient-centric content. Manufacturers should have a plan for using technology to address adherence and help providers connect the dots from adherence to outcomes to incentives. Looking to industry research, listening to stakeholders, and a commitment to long term adherence campaigns, manufacturers will be able to better serve their patient population. Applying a behavioral-based approach with more personal, one-to-one conversations will result in more meaningful patient interactions and increased engagement. Only through this integrated approach and a solid technological foundation will your brand and its patients’ health continue to flourish.
For more information on trends shaping the future of adherence, view the MPRS
whitepaper
here.
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McKesson Patient Relationship Solutions is a unique division of McKesson Corporation created specifically to help pharmaceutical manufacturers build and expand their relationships with patients. Our core competency is delivering market leading acquisition and adherence solutions such as co-pay discounts, free trial offers, behavioral coaching, contact center services and pharmacy outreach.
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