How to Provide Value that Benefits Patients (and Your Brand)

Published April 8th, 2022 | 2 Minute Read

With patient-centricity, holistic health and treating the whole person as omnipresent topics of industry conversation, it’s evident that pharma plays a role in providing value for patients beyond the development of medications or therapies. 

A survey from Accenture found that patients want and expect more – with 76% believing pharma companies have a responsibility to provide information and services that help patients manage their own health. However, the report notes that “success and return on investment in patient services require understanding what patients truly value in services, why they value them and how they want to receive them for different therapeutic areas and health needs.” 

Identifying the Right Opportunities to Provide Value 

To meet expectations and provide the value patients are seeking, ask for their input. Health Union’s condition-specific online health communities make it possible to understand what patients value by therapeutic area, as well as by individual condition. 

A 2021 audience quality intercept survey conducted across 32 of Health Union’s communities confirmed that 83% of site visitors are patients, 3% are caregivers and 15% fall into the “other” category, which consists of people experiencing symptoms, people who clicked on an article of interest, and/or healthcare providers. When asked what types of content or support sponsored by a pharma company would be most valuable, the top four responses overall were: 

• Health or disease education (36%)
• Financial assistance (e.g., copay assistance, savings card) (32%) 
• Product information (e.g., injection training, what to expect) (27%) 
• Clinical trial opportunities (26%) 

While there are commonalities across the board, the top three most valuable resources for patients vary by therapeutic area and specific condition:

Utilizing Social Health to Meet Patient Expectations 

Social health – the dynamic, real-time actions people take to find meaningful connections and share information throughout the health journey – can be leveraged as an impactful tool to provide value by meeting patients where they are. In a 2021 survey of 2,371 patients, Health Union found that 95% of people living with chronic conditions use online social resources for health reasons. The survey revealed that patients utilize social health most often in the following situations: 

1. While understanding test results (74%)
2. When finding or learning about a new medication or treatment (74%)
3. At the time of diagnosis (72%)
4. When experiencing new or different symptoms (69%)
5. When starting or switching medication or treatment (65%)