Embracing Patient-Centricity: The Evolution of Pharma Towards a Patient-First Model
👉 From nice-to-have to a must-have
The shift towards a patient-centric model for Pharma has become increasingly evident in recent years.
It began with communication projects, where Pharma forged partnerships with patient associations.
For example, through donations (although this approach is now considered less suitable as Pharma aims to meticulously track ROI for all actions, including patient-centered initiatives), funding for a website, offering a booth space at a conference, or the execution of an awareness campaign.
These collaborations aimed to bolster patient associations development and establish a proactive presence centered around patients. This marked the inception of "beyond-the-pill" strategies.
Pharma also launched specific “Patient” departments.
For instance, in December 2022, Novartis promoted Eden Wells to the position of Chief Patient Officer. Around the same time, Novo Nordisk welcomed Ify Osunkwo as the Chief Patient Officer for Rare Diseases. A similar trend was observed at Vertex which appointed Amit Sachdev as Chief Patient Officer and Chief of Staff, underscoring the pivotal role of patients within the company's strategic framework.
This evolution reflects a growing understanding that the ultimate success of our industry lies not only in the development of innovative drugs but also in prioritizing the needs, preferences, and overall well-being of patients.
This patient-centric paradigm shift is redefining the way Pharma operate, collaborate with all stakeholders, and innovate. Leading to a more personalized, efficient, and ethical healthcare landscape.
This patient-first model focuses on putting the patient's needs, preferences, and experiences at the forefront of decision-making for drug development and commercialization, as well as service delivery.
The Changing Landscape
Historically, Pharma has primarily centered on developing drugs and treatments with little direct engagement with the end-users – the patients.
However, as the healthcare ecosystem becomes more interconnected and information more accessible, patients are no longer considered a passive recipients of medical interventions.
Patients are demanding more control over their health decisions and seeking to be treated as partners in their care pathway. This changing dynamic has urged Pharma to pivot their strategies.
Understanding Patient-Centricity
At its core, patient-centricity refers to a holistic approach where patients' needs, preferences, and experiences are placed at the forefront of every decision-making process within Pharma.
This involves recognizing that patients are unique individuals with varying backgrounds, medical histories, and preferences.
Pharma are now integrating patient insights into all stages of drug development, from early research and clinical trials to post-marketing activities.
Nevertheless, a significant gap persists, and patients are yet to be fully integrated into every decision made by Pharma. This is primarily attributed to the absence of a streamlined solution to help Pharma gain a holistic view in real time of the patient perspective.
Key Drivers of Patient-Centricity
Empowerment Through Information: The rise of digital technologies and online platforms has empowered patients with a wealth of information about their health conditions, treatment options, and potential outcomes. This has fueled a desire for more personalized and tailored medical solutions.
Regulatory Changes: Regulatory bodies have increasingly acknowledged the importance of patient input in drug development and approval processes. Initiatives like the FDA's Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) program have encouraged the integration of patient perspectives in decision-making.
Value-Based Healthcare: The shift towards value-based healthcare models, where reimbursement is tied to patient outcomes, has incentivized Pharma to prioritize therapies that improve patients' quality of life rather than just treating symptoms.
Benefits of Patient-Centric Pharma
Improved Drug Development: By involving patients early in the drug development process, Pharma can ensure that the therapies being developed align with real-world patient needs, increasing the chances of successful outcomes.
Enhanced Adherence: Understanding patients' preferences and needs can lead to the creation of treatments that are easier to adhere to, ultimately improving treatment outcomes.
Patient Engagement and Loyalty: Patient-centric initiatives build trust and rapport between pharmaceutical companies and patients, fostering stronger patient-company relationships and brand loyalty.
Better Health Outcomes: Patient-centric approaches result in treatments that are more aligned with patients' lifestyles, leading to improved adherence, better symptom management, and overall improved health outcomes.
Ethical Considerations: Patient-centricity aligns with ethical principles by respecting patients' autonomy and putting their well-being first, ensuring that the medical industry operates in a responsible and transparent manner.
Challenges and Future Outlook
While the transition towards a patient-centric model is promising, it is not without challenges.
Pharma must navigate data privacy concerns, ethical dilemmas, and the complexities of integrating patient feedback into decision-making processes.
But it’s promising…
For instance, when you consider Pharma medical/marketing budget (which is around 2/3% of total revenue), a very small proportion is actually dedicated to patient initiatives. But this proportion has nearly tripled in 10 years!
Moreover, shifting organizational culture and redefining traditional business models require significant effort and investment.
In the future, as technology continues to advance, patient-centricity is likely to become even more sophisticated.
The convergence of AI, data analytics, and wearable technology heralds a transformative era in which a profound comprehension of individual patient requisites becomes attainable, paving the way for exceptionally tailored treatments.
The practice of conducting retrospective research solely through EMR/EHR datasets is not sufficient in this advanced landscape. The new paradigm is hybrid studies, where Pharma can harness both retrospective and prospective data, thereby unraveling deeper insights.
The traditional approach of exclusively relying on healthcare professionals (HCPs) to conduct studies no longer remains the optimal way of gathering patient insights. The HCP perspective often diverges from that of the patient.
Hence, Pharma is progressively embarking on numerous direct-to-patient studies each year. These studies are poised to account for an estimated 10-20% of all market research sponsored by Pharma. Forecasts indicate that this trend will increase, gradually making direct-to-patient studies the predominant facet of market research within the forthcoming years.
Collaboration between pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, regulators, patients and technology providers will be crucial in fostering a holistic patient-centric ecosystem.
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