The golden ticket to lead to improved patient engagement

Patient engagement early and consistently throughout their treatment plan can provide pharmaceutical and biotech companies with invaluable insights into how their products are used in real-world settings, far beyond clinical trials.

The most recent and comprehensive survey on patient engagement was conducted by Accenture in 2020, gathering insights from 4,000 patients across the United States and Europe. 76% of respondents believe that pharma companies have a responsibility to offer engagement services that complement their medications, while less than 20% of patients were aware of such services.

On top of that, less engaged patients are 3x more likely to have unmet medical needs and 2x as likely to delay getting care.

Delivering improved patient outcomes

NEJM Catalyst Insights Council members reported that healthcare professionals believe just 34% of their patients are highly engaged, while 70% recognise patient engagement as a top priority according to Medical Economics, highlighting that HCPs are now seeking pharma partners who can offer robust insights into patient engagement that delivers actionable insights into how treatments affect patients outside of controlled clinical settings.

This article will outline how fostering meaningful patient engagement can lead to improved patient outcomes, enhanced market positioning, and a competitive advantage for pharma companies. By recognising the relationship between patient engagement, effective treatment and commercial success, pharma and biotech firms can arm themselves with the insights needed to inform go-to launch strategies.

The relationship between patient engagement and success for pharma and biotechs

By actively involving patients in their care and treatment plans, companies can gather critical real-world data (RWD) that offers valuable insights into diverse patient experiences and outcomes, enabling businesses to make informed decisions about brand strategy, resource allocation and cost management while also boosting patient loyalty and brand reputation.

Large-scale patient engagement uncovers patterns in behaviours, symptoms, triggers, and barriers that affect health outcomes, such as non-adherence to treatment plans or lifestyle modifications. This data allows companies to create tailored treatment plans, improving patient experience while also supporting post-launch commercial success.

A survey of 3,200 patients and HCPs globally conducted by the Boston Consulting Group, found that 50% of HCPs are more likely to prescribe medications from pharma and biotech companies that are more patient-centric, demonstrating the commercial advantage of prioritising patient engagement for tailored treatments and improved patient outcomes.

Yet, 20-30% of patients abandon their prescription and never start the prescribed therapy, and 50% of those who do, start to drop off by 12 months. A big reason for this is that patient engagement has been an afterthought. Pharma continues to rank as one of the lowest NPS industries, at 5.2 out of 100 on average.

Ways patient engagement can improve patient experience and commercial success

1. Improved brand loyalty and reputation

When people feel genuinely supported throughout their journey, especially through patient support programmes, they are far more likely to engage actively with their treatment. The high level of care offered by support programmes not only fosters brand loyalty but builds trust, as both patients and HCPs come to recognise a pharmaceutical company’s commitment. And, when that company is seen as an invested partner, their reputation is enhanced.

Patient engagement with their support is key to the collection of real-world data from which valuable insights can be gained, including those related to treatment initiation, adherence, discontinuation and switching. From these insights, pharma and biotech researchers can then develop tools and approaches to create an enhanced, personalised patient experience. In turn, this loop of continuous feedback and improvement creates loyalty and trust among users and healthcare providers.

The predictive modelling and data collected allow providers to tailor dosages, frequency and duration of treatments to maximise efficacy and minimise side effects to ensure treatments align with patient needs. When patients are satisfied and actively engaged with a medication, healthcare professionals are more inclined to prescribe it, fostering increased trust and loyalty from the HCP perspective.

Effectively engaging patients helps bridge the information gap among all key stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem – pharma companies, patients, HCPs and payors alike. This leads to an improved understanding of patients’ conditions, clearer expectations for treatment, and an enhanced overall experience, ultimately contributing to a better quality of life and well-being for patients.

A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), underscores the significant impact of patient engagement on various health outcomes, including improved treatment adherence, reduced hospitalisations and adverse events and enhanced patient satisfaction. This was because patients who actively participated in their care were able to monitor their medication more effectively.

A tailored and communicative patient experience is also likely to improve patient retention rates and brand reputation, which in turn will drive new patient acquisition through positive reviews.

2. Strategic market insights

Real-world data empowers pharma and biotech companies to make strategic decisions that enhance patient engagement, expand market potential and meet regulatory requirements. By leveraging these insights, companies can optimise resource allocation and improve both patient and business outcomes.

Real-world data can identify where patients struggle with treatment adherence and develop targeted strategies to address these gaps. By supporting patients with clear guidance on how to take their medication, what to expect and whom to contact with concerns, companies help improve overall patient engagement. These programmes also generate valuable insights into underserved demographics or regions, enabling companies to tailor treatments and communication to meet specific needs.

Beyond patient engagement, this data-driven approach aids in market expansion. Addressing unmet needs and gathering real-world evidence of treatment benefits can reveal opportunities for indication expansions. Regulatory bodies, including the FDA and EMA, increasingly value patient insights in their decision-making and may require longitudinal data from these programs to support ongoing market access through post-approval safety studies.

Ultimately, investing in patient engagement and real-world data collection empowers pharma and biotech companies to enhance patient outcomes while creating a strong foundation for strategic market growth.

3. Financial gains

Patient engagement plays a critical role in improving adherence to prescribed treatments, benefiting both patient health and the financial stability of healthcare systems and pharmaceutical companies. When patients follow their medication regimens, they experience better health outcomes, which reduces the need for additional medical interventions and lowers healthcare costs overall. Enhanced patient adherence can directly impact commercial revenue for pharma companies by helping patients stay on treatment longer.

Adherence is supported through education, reminders and digital tools that keep patients informed and confident in their treatment. These measures help to reduce discontinuation rates, sustaining both patient engagement and revenue.

Improved adherence also brings substantial cost savings for health systems, with non-adherence estimated to cost the EU approximately €125bn each year. By enhancing treatment effectiveness, adherence reduces the need for further interventions, decreasing overall healthcare costs.

Additionally, engaged patients provide valuable real-world data that enables pharma companies to identify adherence barriers, such as forgetfulness or side effects. This data informs the creation of tailored adherence programs, improving health outcomes, reducing hospitalisations and achieving cost savings. Emphasising adherence allows pharma companies to retain patients longer, grow revenue and realise substantial savings, as seen in the NHS, where non-adherence costs are estimated at £500m annually.

4. Market and brand differentiation

In what is an incredibly competitive drug market, patient engagement strategies can be leveraged by pharmaceutical companies to set their products apart and achieve that all-important market differentiation. In fact, with over 70% of physicians citing patient engagement as a top priority within their organisations, healthcare providers are increasingly seeking to partner with pharmaceutical and biotech companies that demonstrate a strong commitment to engaging and supporting patients when making purchasing decisions.

Over 7,000 new drugs are currently in development worldwide, many with similar profiles and treatment efficacy rates. In such a saturated market, patient engagement is becoming a crucial differentiator for both patients and HCPs when evaluating treatment options.

In recent years, AstraZeneca successfully differentiated Enhertu, a HER2-targeted therapy, through the implementation of patient engagement initiatives in a very competitive market.

AstraZeneca incorporated patient feedback into the design of clinical trials which ensured the drug addressed patient concerns and treatment preferences directly. The company also launched targeted educational programmes that clarified the benefits of Enhertu and provided patients with essential resources for managing their condition, as well as establishing support networks to offer practical and emotional assistance to patients on Enhertu, which improved adherence and overall treatment satisfaction.

These patient engagement strategies not only helped Enhertu to improve patient outcomes, but also demonstrated how focusing on patient engagement can enhance product positioning and capture a significant market share.

A better understanding of patient priorities will also guide more effective marketing efforts, ultimately supporting brand differentiation and recognition.

How pharma companies can begin engaging their patients

While engaging patients can be challenging, doing so will directly benefit them and their treatment journey, which, as a by-product, will also support business goals.

Patient engagement can be optimised by utilising tailored digital tools that empower patients to self-manage their health more effectively. This may be in the form of self-management tools like symptom and medication adherence tracking, standardised questionnaires completed by patients, with examples including the SF-36, EQ-5D and PROMIS scales, but could also be collected by providing patients with wearable devices and mobile apps that can help patients track their physical activity, sleep patterns, heart rate and other health-related data.

Sciensus Digital+ solution

For pharma and biotechs looking to provide a truly holistic patient experience, more comprehensive patient support programs can be implemented, such as Sciensus Digital+, which elevates care by combining advanced patient apps and digital platforms with a human element. In addition to the self-management and tracking tools mentioned above, this provides tailored educational content about conditions and drug regimens, as well as wellbeing visits from nurses and a 24-hour call centre for any questions patients may have about their medication.

Tools like these ensure that real-world data is captured efficiently and patient support is personalised, which can lead to improved treatment outcomes and commercial success.

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Patient engagement: the golden ticket to drive effective treatments and commercial success

Delivering improved patient outcomes

The relationship between patient engagement and success for pharma and biotechs