Patient Education is Vital, patients are exerting more influence than ever on their treatment decisions. And while medicines and therapies are essential in delivering an improved health outcome, patients also are clear about needing complementary services to help them better manage their health and individual outcomes. An Accenture survey of 2,000 patients in the United States found that select patient services are highly valued and yet severely underserved, underutilized or nonexistent. On the positive side, those that receive them like them and greatly value them. Those that don’t receive them want to—and expect pharmaceutical companies to provide them either directly or through their healthcare providers. Further, patients are perfectly happy receiving these services via digital channels or enabled by them, as they are spending multiple hours a day online already.
Pharma companies can help educate patients
Health illiteracy doesn’t have to be a problem if pharma companies and health care providers take measures to educate their patients. With the omnichannel presence of many people today, medical professionals have various methods for which to share information, according to Medical Marketing & Media. Social media and websites offer ways for patients to find facts and reach out to other professionals with questions and for advice. Approximately 50 percent of WEGO Health’s survey responders believed that pharma companies’ patient engagement will improve in the near future.
There are plenty of ways that these businesses can improve their pharmaceutical marketing. The first is to write information that will be easily understood, Medical Marketing & Media suggested. Industry terminology can interfere with translation because patients won’t understand what words mean. Language that is specific to cultures or specific groups of people should also be avoided, as it could affect comprehension. Pharma companies should write in a language that the majority of patients will understand to ensure that people know what they’re doing by taking a medication or using a medical device.
Education tools must utilize multiple sources
Education should go beyond patient-provider conversations within the doctor’s office. When patients consult multiple sources, they receive a broader view of their healthcare and treatment options.
Providing options is a key aspect of patient engagement and education.
“It can happen in a simple conversation in the office, which I think is a great place to start,” Siegel explained. “It’s offering patients to get more information from specialty to societies.”
According to the American Medical Association, providers should direct patients to outside information regarding their treatment. Like Siegel, AMA states that outside specialty societies can help connect patients with reliable sources and serve as a reliable source in itself.
One study investigated the effectiveness of a patient education hub which aggregated multiple sources. Focusing on optimal aging, this tool provided users with evidence summaries, web resource ratings, and informative blog posts.
Through qualitative surveying, the researchers determined areas in which the resource portals excelled and where they did not. The portal benefits included information credibility, applicability, browsing function, design, and accessibility. The pitfalls largely centered on the registration process and the technical usability of the tool.
HCPs need patient education materials
Patient education materials are one of the first things physicians are looking for from sales reps. Physicians need brochures, posters even videos they can show to their patients to help them better understand and manage their condition.
Good patients education material will provide your reps access to physicians and help them achieve permanent relationships. Providing patient materials will help your sales rep reach physicians more often and give them additional opportunities to inform them about your brand. Therefore Patient Education is Vital.
Side effects
Another reason why people drop of their treatment is the inability to cope with side effects. Better patient education can help patients deal with uncomfortable side effects. First, they’ll know what to expect which will help them prepare for what’s to come.
But the effects of good patient education don’t end there.
Pharma and physicians should also make sure to teach patients how to manage negative side effects to make sure that they minimize the damage to their overall health.
