Optimum patient support: How should information be prepared?

Everyone involved benefits from an informed and competent patient — including the doctor. Pharmaceutical communication can decisively drive this process forward by providing well-prepared, channel-specific technical information. Nicolai Nobis, Director Digital at Brandpepper, reveals what is important when it comes to patient support.

Patients increasingly expect comprehensive and easy-to-understand information about their illness and the opportunity to actively participate in treatment. Various measures can support this need, such as providing information, exchanging information with other patients and communicating directly with the treatment provider. This development is changing the doctor-patient relationship, because well-informed patients make it easier to talk about diagnosis and treatment. However, the situation also poses challenges for doctors, as skepticism towards them as authorities is increasing.

Qualified Self: providing access to information

Pharmaceutical companies can contribute to expanding the patient's level of knowledge and relieving the burden on the doctor. This trend is called “Qualified Self.” The idea behind this is that pharmaceutical companies and HCPs make it easier for patients to access health information. An example: The search-engine-optimized disease awareness website for patients picks up those affected during their own research and provides them with service-oriented content that has been professionally tested. This prevents false information.

“Shared decision making” also plays a decisive role. Patients have a say in their treatment. Communication must adapt to this. All of this must not result in HCPs being excluded from communication. Instead, they should be prepared for the new type of patient in order to be able to continue to guarantee high-quality care.

Good information for successful patient support

Information — whether in print or digital — should be prepared in a patient-friendly way. It depends on these aspects:

1. Target group-specific information: The information provided should address the needs of the target group. What is the level of knowledge of interested parties? Are they the people affected or relatives? At what point in the patient journey are they and what are the most urgent questions for them now? In addition to professional and informative information, this could also include local and regional institutions and points of contact. Events such as bar camps and patient conferences can also be an exciting option.
2. Reliability: The information provided must be accurate and free from commercial interests or personal opinions. Scientific studies increase credibility. Making sources transparent enables patients to assess for themselves how reliable and trustworthy they are.
3. Easy to understand information: Information should be at a language level understandable to laymen, keyword accessibility. Cultural characteristics should also be considered. Diagrams and images make it easier to understand.
4. Motivating tone: An informed patient makes decisions about their health. The materials should have a strengthening, motivating tone that prepares for a dialogue with the HCP and promotes compliance.
5. Channel diversity: Not every patient likes to read the information flyer with stock images. Websites, apps, brochures, social media influencers (virtual influencers are also possible!) pharmaceutical companies offer diverse access to the target group. Last but not least, the offer of direct dialogue should be examined: Telephone and chat can increase treatment success and adherence, particularly in the case of prescription therapies. In the end, the target group decides which channel and medium to use.

How does AI help patient support?

Patient support programs that take these criteria into account can comprehensively accompany the patient on their patient journey. Targeted programs increase adherence, which can lead to better patient outcomes. Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve such programs in many ways: By analyzing large amounts of data, AI combined with automation can ensure, among other things, that information and knowledge contributions are individually tailored to each user. AI could even take on the role of a conversation partner in the chat.

By evaluating past interactions, AI can also identify trends and make predictions, e.g. for a non-compliance risk or the occurrence of side effects. In this way, countermeasures could be actively taken and support offered. In any case, when used correctly and in compliance with data protection regulations, AI is an increase in freedom and opportunities.

conclusion

Through good patient support programs, pharmaceutical companies can make a significant contribution to strengthening the patient's “qualified self” — and ultimately relieving the burden on the doctor. It is worthwhile to think carefully about target group needs, tonality and information channels, because the positive effects of such information are a good argument for HCPs to decide to prescribe a specific medication. By integrating AI, personalized and more comprehensive support will be possible in the future.