Patient Communication Remains a Struggle for Pharmaceutical Brand Teams

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Drug companies eager to work with end-users find patient communication to be the leading external difficulty for marketing teams, according to a recent study by Cutting Edge Information. Effective patient communication is a global challenge for drug companies, but it proves especially difficult in Europe and Canada.

“Traditionally, patient outreach has depended upon the assumption that consumers can comprehend what the industry and healthcare professionals are saying to them”

Patient communication difficulties also stem from a mismatch of perspectives between companies and end-users that affects each party’s perception and understanding of good health. Companies tend to consider patients healthy or sick based on their medical diagnosis. Often, patients are less concerned with the medical side of the industry and more concerned with a treatment’s immediate impact.

Cutting Edge Information’s study, “Patient Adherence and Compliance: Improving Outcomes through Patient Engagement Programs,” recommends strategies that companies have implemented to focus on adopting better communications strategies. Many of the companies examined in the research have turned inward, embracing patient-centrism as a key strategy toward fostering more effective end-user communication.

“Traditionally, patient outreach has depended upon the assumption that consumers can comprehend what the industry and healthcare professionals are saying to them,” said Michelle Vitko, senior research analyst at Cutting Edge Information. “Unfortunately, this is not always the case.” Specifically, communication issues can easily stem from the overuse of medical jargon throughout the healthcare industry. Everyone from doctors to insurance companies and drug manufacturers has stumbled into this pitfall. But avoiding jargon is one of the easiest changes companies can implement, according to the study.

“Patient Adherence and Compliance: Improving Outcomes through Patient Engagement Programs,” is available at http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/research/marketing/patient-adherence/. This report is designed to guide companies in managing effective patient adherence programs that overcome internal and external challenges. The report includes best practices and case studies, as well as benchmark data on adherence teams’ structures and resources to help brand managers:

Understand patient needs and address real consumers’ wants, needs and fears.
Explore common external and internal challenges that face groups trying to improve patient engagement.
Use benchmark data to monitor critical financial resources and choose appropriate. channels and tools to implement patient communication programs across markets.

For more information about patient communication and adherence strategy, contact Elio Evangelista at 919-403-6583.