Page 4 – Phreesia Network Solutions

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3 ways to improve patient engagement before and after diagnosis

By Phreesia Network Solutions

The process of finding a specialist and getting on therapy is complex and difficult for many patients. Hear from industry experts about how to support patients early in their care journey.

The road from initial symptoms to effective treatment is long and fraught for many patients. With some conditions—particularly rare diseases—just getting a diagnosis can be a multi-year struggle. Every week without treatment can increase a patient’s risk for complications, creating a need for interventions and tools that can streamline the process of connecting patients to the right physicians and efficiently getting on therapy.

Phreesia and The DHC Group recently hosted a webinar to discuss some of the issues patients face at the start of their care journey. As Tara Sheehy, Director of Client Experience at Phreesia, explained, there is a big opportunity for companies to give patients the tools and education they need to “really take control and champion for their own health and have those meaningful, shared decision-making conversations with their doctors.”

The data reinforces the hurdles patients often confront in scheduling a doctor’s appointment and getting on treatment. A 2023 survey from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners found that more than a quarter of patients (26%) typically wait two months or more for an appointment. And specialty care delays are worse: Wait times for cardiology appointments in metropolitan markets increased by 26% from 2017 to 2022, and wait times for orthopedic surgeries were longer still, at 48%.

There also is an opportunity to help patients who want or need to switch providers. Approximately 1 in 5 patients who take medications seek a new doctor every year for various reasons, Sheehy said, and pharma companies can play a role in ensuring patients’ continuity of care when they change providers. Here, we look at three ways to support patients early in their care journey.

1. Use digital tools to close care gaps

Finding the right care requires linking the right doctor with the right patient at the right moment for the right health issue, which can be a lot for a patient to navigate. However, digital tools can help make finding a doctor and getting a diagnosis more seamless.

As an example, Claudia Kanaszyc, Associate Director at Amgen, shared how her team helps patients with thyroid eye disease get diagnosed. The condition’s symptoms—itchy, red, watery eyes—often lead patients to believe that allergies are the cause. But if a patient goes to an optometrist or an allergist for treatment, their correct diagnosis could be delayed. To avoid that issue, Amgen has created educational tools to help steer those patients to a thyroid eye specialist.

“We’ve curated a list of doctors who we know are educated on this specific disease state,” Kanaszyc explained. “Whether it’s working with referrals or educating patients through different digital tactics and digital tools, we’re always driving them there, so we can shorten that time to treatment and provide optimal outcomes.”

Sheehy noted that digital, quiz-style symptom trackers also can help speed diagnosis. Patients input their symptoms into the tracker, and an algorithm generates relevant questions to ask their doctor, as well as specialists to consider.

“It’s a really meaningful tool to help facilitate that discussion and let the patient take a proactive role in going to see the right doctor at the right time for the right problem,” Sheehy said.

At Octapharma, Eric Marrero, the company’s Director of Brand Marketing and Communications, is using hubs to get patients the information they need. Through the comprehensive program, which also includes financial assistance and community engagement, patients and caregivers can connect one-on-one with educators to learn about Octapharma’s infusion process and other aspects of their care.

2. Continually gather patient insights to improve services

Anthony Scatamacchia, SVP, Innovation, Patient Services at EVERSANA, emphasized the value of taking a close look at the patient experience before rolling out new programs or tools.

“We are very focused on spending time upfront understanding what that patient journey is, where their pain points are,” Scatamacchia said. “That will dictate what the product value chain is and what the patient value chain is.” Understanding that value chain informs strategy and the digital tools that physicians and patients will need.

Similarly, Octapharma’s educational initiatives are the result of a seven-month deep dive that investigated how to best help the patients it serves. But that upfront research was just the start. As Marrero explained, it’s a mistake to think that initial insights are going to carry a project through the lifecycle of a product. Success is built on ongoing data collection and adjustments.

Annual market research panels are no longer enough, Sheehy agreed, recommending instead a constant learning and feedback loop. Octapharma is among the companies that have adopted such a model.

“Once patients touch anything within the program, they’ll get a notification asking them, ‘Were you satisfied with that?’ ” Marrero said. “At every given point, we’re trying to get more and more information in order to evolve that program as much as the patients are evolving. That changes as time progresses, so we have to change along with it.”

3. Deploy AI and other technologies thoughtfully

Technology itself also needs to adapt to external changes. Today, that means companies are looking at how artificial intelligence (AI) can support their activities. Scatamacchia’s current explorations reflect concerns that “AI, as a language-learning model, is a cowboy out in the Wild West,” adding that it’s very challenging to use AI with regulatory and compliance processes.

“We’ve seen chatbots struggle going through legal reviews because they want a very regimented set of responses to a very regimented set of questions,” he said. “AI sometimes is not necessarily aligned to that, especially in some of its better use cases.”

While he does see opportunities to use AI and other new technologies early in the care journey, Scatamacchia also advocates sticking with the old ways when they work. He encouraged organizations to be mindful about their technology choices by asking, for example, if an app is the right tool for a given situation or whether a text message could achieve the same goal. Asking such critical questions can stop programs from burdening patients.

And, as always, no matter the technology, messaging matters most when communicating with patients. Sheehy underscored the value of tapping into the entire healthcare system to discover the right messaging strategies to activate a given patient group, noting that all messaging should be approached with empathy and emotion.

Find out how Phreesia and MediFind can help you make care easier every day for patients by supporting and empowering them to be active participants at every stage of their healthcare journey.

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Meet our Chief Privacy Officer: Q&A with Melissa Mitchell

By Nicole Gist

We spoke with Melissa Mitchell, Chief Privacy Officer at Phreesia, about the importance of privacy in our work and how Phreesia protects it every step of the way.

At Phreesia, we believe everyone should be in charge of their health information, and we’ve built our platform of personalized health content on the principles of privacy and consent.

We recently sat down with Melissa Mitchell, Phreesia’s Chief Privacy Officer, to discuss the importance of privacy in our work and dive into her background, approach to privacy and goals for the future.

Tell us a bit about your background before you came to Phreesia.

Mitchell: I started my career as a practicing attorney, and eventually made my way into the compliance and privacy world working in hospitals in Chicago, where I live. Then I made the move to health tech. When Amazon started venturing into healthcare, I joined the company first in compliance and then eventually as Chief of Privacy for Amazon Health. Healthcare was a new space for Amazon at the time, and there were data and privacy concerns that came with entering the market. Now in my role at Phreesia, I find that a lot of the patient and client questions we get surrounding data and privacy are similar to the questions I faced at Amazon, so I was able to hit the ground running with an understanding of the questions that people may have.

What made you excited to work at Phreesia?

Mitchell: I have always been passionate about the intersection of data and privacy. I’m excited about the prospect of all the great things we can do with data to help people while also protecting their privacy in a meaningful way.

There are great conveniences and advantages in my life because I have trusted and believed in organizations that use data in a responsible way—with my consent and my understanding of how they are using it. As a result, I’m really invested in transparency and making sure patients understand how our platform works so they can make informed decisions.

One thing I was excited to see at Phreesia is that we have a lot of data showing that patients who receive high-quality, relevant health information at the point of care have better health outcomes, including higher rates of diagnosis and increased preventive screenings. One patient even shared with us that seeing relevant information after check-in actually saved her life. She was shown content related to symptoms she was experiencing, she asked her doctor about a potential treatment, they ran tests, and she ended up having a life-saving operation.

We also have compelling data that shows that a significant number of patients want to see health information that is relevant to them, especially before an interaction with their healthcare provider. I think it’s empowering and incredibly valuable that we offer patients that option.

What is Phreesia’s approach to privacy?

Mitchell: Phreesia’s approach is why I was excited to join the organization. We are driven by protecting patient privacy every step of the way, and we follow the highest industry standards and best practices for securing and protecting user data.

Phreesia is unique because we act as a business associate to our healthcare organization clients, and we’re governed by HIPAA when we’re acting on their behalf—for instance when patients use Phreesia to check in for an appointment.

But for patients who provide optional consent, Phreesia also provides content that is sponsored by life sciences companies, advocacy groups and other organizations—without sharing data with those sponsors. While patients are checking in, we may present them with an optional HIPAA authorization. If they accept, Phreesia may use their data to show them personalized health information after their check-in is complete. During that part of the patient journey, our activities are governed by our privacy policy.

We’re always aiming for transparency when asking for consent so we can really feel confident that patients understand what they are agreeing to. It’s a constant priority to make sure we’re not just obtaining consent but that we’re being clear and transparent.

Tell us how Phreesia prioritizes consent.

Mitchell: Trust and consent are at the heart of everything we do. We’re required by HIPAA to obtain consent to show patients relevant health information. But we’re going further to continually improve how we present that authorization—how clearly it reads, where it is located, etc. Some of the changes we’ve made include adding language at the top clearly stating that the form is optional and making the authorization itself shorter and hopefully easier to digest. And then beyond that authorization, we want the policies that govern our use of patient data to be very clear and understandable, which is why they’re easy to find on our website.

It’s incredibly important that patients trust us. Phreesia has been around for nearly two decades, and being confusing to patients does not align with our mission, vision and values.

I spend a lot of time talking directly to individuals who reach out with questions about our privacy practices—and I’m happy to do it. I enjoy talking with people directly because I think it can really move the needle on helping them understand what we do. We’re going beyond checking the box of being HIPAA-compliant and giving patients additional channels to tell us what they think about Phreesia, how clear our communication on consent is, and express any concerns. This is something we are highlighting now more than ever, and it’s been both exciting and enlightening to hear the feedback and use it to proactively make improvements.

I want to make sure people understand what we do and what we don’t do—for instance, we don’t use trackers or cookies and we don’t ever sell data. What you do on the Phreesia platform won’t follow you around the internet. I want patients to understand that our platform is based on consent and that privacy is our North Star.

What are you looking forward to next?

Mitchell: I’ve been at Phreesia for almost a year, and in that time, we’ve become more proactive in communicating about privacy to our patients and partners. One thing I want people to know is that there is a real person responding to their privacy questions—and that person is usually me. I truly enjoy speaking to people and helping them understand what we do, and I’m excited to do more of it.

We’ve made strides this year, but there will always be more work to be done, and that excites me. The privacy landscape, especially in healthcare, is changing every day. Companies are constantly looking at how to take the changing regulatory space and make it digestible for everyone. It’s an exciting challenge, and I truly enjoy translating what we do into a patient-friendly approach.

Learn how Phreesia can help you safely connect with patients at key moments in their healthcare journey.

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Addressing adherence at the point of care and beyond

By Phreesia Network Solutions

From tailored support to personalized messaging, explore how Phreesia can help patients, providers and brands improve medication adherence—together.

Any number of barriers can preclude patients from filling their prescriptions and taking them as directed, preventing them from successfully starting—and staying on—treatment. In fact, between 20% and 30% of patients don’t fill their prescriptions, but it’s not always easy to understand why.

“Those barriers can vary, depending on which medication we’re talking about and where a patient is in their treatment journey,” explains Monica Garcia, Associate Director of Strategy at Phreesia. “For some patients, the cost of the medication alone can stop them in their tracks. Other patients face logistical issues, such as a lack of transportation to get to a pharmacy, or concerns around the treatment itself, including potential side effects or fear of needles.”

The impact of these barriers cannot be overstated. Poor medication adherence is widespread: 50% of prescriptions for chronic conditions are not taken as directed,¹ and 1 in 3 patients never even fills their prescription.² Straying from a prescribed course of treatment can land patients in the hospital, with nonadherence causing up to 69% of medication-related hospitalizations.³

Becoming better partners

Launched in October 2023, Phreesia’s post-script engagement solution helps healthcare stakeholders start supporting patients the moment a prescription is written for them, whether it’s for a new medication or a refill. Following the conversation the provider and patient have in the office, it reinforces the importance of filling and taking a prescription as directed by addressing patients’ barriers directly.

While patients are the biggest beneficiaries of improved medication adherence, they don’t exist in a vacuum. Healthcare providers and pharmaceutical brands can both leverage the post-script engagement to better partner with patients on their treatment journey.

Phreesia research shows that 25% of patients do not have a very good understanding of the next steps around their prescription medications, and 29% aren’t sure how to manage their medical condition immediately following a healthcare visit. Those percentages are even higher—32% and 43%, respectively—among patients who have not filled a prescription in the past.

Through an intent-to-fill survey, the post-script engagement measures how likely patients are to fill their prescriptions, garnering insights that enable healthcare providers to tailor their interactions with, and support for, patients. Proactively notifying providers about barriers at the time of prescription can also help address them weeks or months earlier than waiting for the patient to return in a follow-up visit or relying on claims-based data.

“A doctor can see if someone is not filling a prescription, let’s say for cost reasons, or because of side effects, and use that knowledge to inform future conversations with that patient,” Garcia says. “The provider can tailor those conversations to help patients discuss the questions or medication barriers they may have previously been too afraid to bring up.”

Brands also can use these insights to tailor their patient communications. Over time, the post-script engagement won’t just offer insights on the individual patient level but also on an aggregate level, allowing brands to understand the common barriers affecting patients taking specific medications and connect them with resources to address these challenges.

Supporting patients with personalized content

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to address medication adherence, which is why personalization is so important, Garcia says.

The post-script engagement can connect patients with resources tailored to their specific needs, including information about patient-support programs (PSPs) that provide education and financial assistance to patients when they’re prescribed a new treatment.

“PSPs are typically customized to each medication and have robust libraries of resources for patients. For example, they can help patients understand what to expect from a medication or show them how to take that medication,” Garcia says.

Unfortunately, there is little awareness about these programs. Phreesia research shows that more than half of patients have little to no knowledge of PSPs, and only 8% of patients recall ever using them.

In addition to providing support based on a patient’s condition and their medication, PSPs also can connect patients with each other, helping them form better support systems to aid in their adherence journeys. Such programs can be particularly helpful to patients with rare diseases who may struggle to find others with the same condition or who have gone through similar experiences.

By engaging patients just after they’ve received a prescription, the post-script engagement has the potential to make a difference across the healthcare ecosystem. From directly supporting patients in their treatment journey and helping providers tailor their interactions to address nonadherence to providing brands with a critical touchpoint for delivering ongoing support tools and personalized resources, post-script engagement can better help patients start—and stay on—treatment.

Phreesia is committed to making care easier every day. Learn how we can help you reach patients with personalized adherence support and empower them to be active participants in their care.

References:

¹ Viswanathan M, Golin CE, Jones CD, Ashok M, Blalock SJ et al. Interventions to Improve Adherence to Self-administered Medications for Chronic Diseases in the United States. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2012;157:785-795. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-157-11-201212040-00538

² 2022 National Institutes of Health Meta-Analysis

³ Benjamin RM. Medication Adherence: Helping Patients Take Their Medicines As Directed. Public Health Reports. 2012;127(1):2-3. https://doi.org/10.1177/003335491212700102

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3 ways to help patients with rare diseases overcome early challenges

By Jackie Drees

Even after getting diagnosed, challenges for patients living with a rare disease often continue throughout their care journey. Hear from industry experts on how to provide support and address barriers early on.

An estimated 30 million Americans live with a rare disease.¹And while an early diagnosis is essential for connecting them to the specialized care, treatment and support they need, patients with rare conditions typically experience significant delays in securing a diagnosis. In fact, 46% of patients with a rare disease search at least a year for a definitive diagnosis, and 1 in 5 search for more than five years.²

Even after getting diagnosed, challenges for patients living with a rare disease often continue throughout their care journey—such as finding an appropriate specialist for their condition or navigating financial burdens associated with diagnostic tests and treatments, explains Jennifer Roan, Vice President and General Manager–U.S., at PTC Therapeutics. “Addressing these barriers requires a comprehensive approach that involves advocacy, education and collaboration among stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem,” she says.

Here are three ways the industry can help patients with rare conditions address those challenges early in their care journey.

1. Create empathetic, patient-centric content to proactively drive diagnoses

Messaging and creative that improves patients’ understanding of rare-disease signs and symptoms delivers the types of information those with rare conditions value most. Often, many patients and caregivers in the rare disease community struggle with feeling misunderstood, having typically spent years living with ongoing symptoms that have been misdiagnosed.

“By reaching these patients at the beginning of their care research, we can provide them with accurate information, support and resources that can potentially expedite the diagnostic process,” Roan says. “Early intervention not only alleviates suffering but can also affect the progression of the disease and improve the overall prognosis for patients.”

Applying a sensitive, patient-centric approach to messaging is particularly effective in the rare disease community, says Kat Smith, Content Strategy Director at Phreesia. “Content that conveys understanding and empathy throughout the patient’s health journey helps these patients feel seen and supported when they are experiencing uncertainty around their health and have a lot of unanswered questions,” she explains.

In addition, messaging that suggests a patient’s symptoms might be related, or that encourages them to bring up the possibility of a rare disease with their doctor can empower them to have more in-depth exam-room discussions. From there, doctors may then pursue testing options that could bring the patient closer to a diagnosis.

2. Help patients with rare diseases find the right specialists

Once a patient with a rare condition finally obtains a diagnosis, their next challenge is initiating treatment with the right specialist. However, finding a clinician who has experience with their specific condition can be a lengthy and difficult process, which can negatively affect their time to treatment—and ultimately, their health outcomes.

Identifying the right disease expert is critical for ensuring that patients living with rare conditions receive their best possible treatment plan. Specialists who are familiar with the latest research and developments related to a patient’s rare disease can help get that patient on a treatment plan that will give them their best chance for successful outcomes. However, the rarer the disease, the more niche its physician and research communities tend to be, which can make the search for a specialist even more difficult, says Alicia Cowley, MD, Clinical Content Director at Phreesia.

“It’s really important for brands and providers to help patients understand that rare diseases are different than most common conditions, and to then guide them toward appropriate subspecialists for tailored treatment plans, as opposed to a care plan that a more generalist-type of specialist may be able to provide,” she explains.

Digital tools can play an expediting role in linking patients with providers who have expertise in their rare condition. By accelerating their connection to the right care from the right specialist, digital tools can help patients living with rare diseases get the right perspective on treatment more quickly and avoid inefficiencies or unintentional missteps that might result from working with providers who have little experience with their condition.

Roan adds, “By proactively engaging with patients during this critical phase, we can bridge gaps in care and facilitate timely access to appropriate treatments, ultimately improving outcomes.”

3. Deliver tailored support and resources

Living with a rare disease is not only isolating, it also can be confusing and expensive. With the high cost and complex administration regimens of many rare disease treatments, it’s important to meet patients with tailored financial assistance, educational materials and community support resources to help them overcome adherence barriers.

Direct medical costs for patients with rare diseases are three to five times higher than costs for patients with non-rare diseases.³ While many patients may experience relief once they’ve been diagnosed, the financial burden of rare disease treatment options—especially if their insurance doesn’t cover them—can quickly become overwhelming, Cowley explains.

“On the one hand, the patient is relieved to know that there are treatment options available, but then the heartbreak sets in, realizing that insurance might not cover it,” she says. These are the moments when providing patient support programs (PSPs), co-pay assistance or access to compassionate use programs for investigational therapies are paramount for helping patients with rare diseases continue their treatment journey.

Industry stakeholders can also provide support by partnering with patient advocacy organizations and healthcare providers to establish new PSPs, facilitate peer-to-peer connections and advocate for policy changes to improve access to rare disease treatments, says Roan.

“By combining innovative and transformative therapies with patient-centered support initiatives, biotech/pharma can contribute to a more holistic and inclusive approach to rare disease care from the earliest stages of the patient journey,” she says.

Find out how Phreesia can help you make care easier every day for patients with a rare disease by empowering them to be active participants at every stage of their healthcare journey.

References:

¹ Kaufmann P, Pariser AR, Austin C. From scientific discovery to treatments for rare diseases—the view from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences—Office of Rare Diseases Research. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2018;(13):196. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-018-0936-x

² The search for a specialist. https://networksolutions.phreesia.com/infographics/the-search-for-a-specialist/

³ Tisdale A, Cutillo CM, Nathan R, Russo P, Laraway B et al. The IDeaS initiative: pilot study to assess the impact of rare diseases on patients and healthcare systems. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2021;(16):429. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-021-02061-3

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Women don’t feel adequately represented in healthcare media. Here’s how to help change that

By Jackie Drees

Womanhood is multi-faceted, yet in healthcare media, the representation of women and those who identify as women has remained static—and many feel underrepresented, according to a study conducted by WPP and SeeHer. How can the industry help change that?

Womanhood is dynamic and multi-faceted, yet in healthcare media, the representation of women and those who identify as women has remained static—and many feel underrepresented, according to a study conducted by WPP and SeeHer.

Nearly half (47%) of the women and nonbinary individuals who participated in the study said they believe that media shies away from talking about women’s health issues.¹ That finding indicates not only a severe gap in addressing women’s healthcare needs, but also missed opportunities to engage with and help improve the long-term health outcomes of female-identifying patient populations.

The study’s results suggest that communications about women’s health can—and should—better represent their needs across areas ranging from weight and mental health to reproductive care. Indeed, there are several distinct opportunities for the industry to begin making improvements, notes Jordan Osborne, Lead Client Experience Manager at Phreesia. 

“Women have many kinds of shared experiences, but we are far from a homogenous group,” Osborne says. “Brands must approach women as individuals with their own unique beliefs, thoughts and experiences if they want their campaigns to connect with and empower women across the board.”

Here are four ways to improve the representation of women in healthcare media and reach them with authentic messaging that speaks to their unique needs and experiences.

1. Understand research disparities in women’s health

Until the 1990s, women in the U.S. were not typically included in clinical research.² While their participation in clinical trials has since increased, women’s health conditions still represent only 1% of healthcare research outside of oncology.³That disparity is particularly marked in cardiology studies, Osborne says. Early cardiovascular-disease research focused primarily on men’s physiological symptoms, leaving the different symptoms that often present in women off the radar. As a result, women are 50% more likely than men to be misdiagnosed following a heart attack and more likely than men to die from one.⁴

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and yet we are still basing care and treatment decisions on outdated studies that excluded more than half of the population,” Osborne says. “Life sciences companies have an opportunity to evolve not only how they are conducting their research, but also the way they communicate new learnings, outcomes and information to both healthcare providers and their key patient populations.”

2. Rethink segmentation

Most brands currently segment messaging to women based on their demographics, but WPP’s study revealed that the physical aspects of womanhood are less important to women than their self-perception and personal beliefs. Study participants said the most significant parts of their identities relate to their personality traits (34%), beliefs and values/culture (19%), roles and titles (13%), sexual orientation and relationship status (11%), followed by physical traits (9%) and interests (5%).

“Women are often portrayed based on their relation to other people—as mothers, daughters, friends, caregivers—however, it’s very important not to flatten their experiences into those roles,” Osborne says. “Of course, brands can lean on those shared experiences to help build a connection, but it’s equally important to include the unique and specific stories that make them who they are into representation.”

3. Leverage an omnichannel messaging approach

It’s crucial to embrace an omnichannel approach that delivers relevant messaging to women at the right moments in their healthcare journey, since their needs vary widely based on their day-to-day roles. For example, brands may tailor their point-of-care messaging for the “substantial proportion” of women who lean on their obstetrician/gynecologist for primary care and do not visit a traditional primary-care provider regularly.⁵ Additionally, a significant number of women face greater time constraints because they work two jobs: one in the labor market and the other managing their home and family responsibilities.

“We have to think about the different aspects of a healthcare journey and the fact that no two journeys are identical,” Osborne says. “It’s important to have an omnichannel strategy that delivers the right message at the right place, while also intercepting women during the right time—whether they are actively thinking about their healthcare, or to inspire action when they are deprioritizing it.”

4. Develop authentic content

Brands also have an opportunity to break taboos around women’s health and to deliver the authentic content that women prefer, the report found. Among women’s health concerns, the women in the WPP study said that reproductive health is the least likely topic to be addressed in media and advertising. More than half (52%) of surveyed women reported that miscarriage is not depicted in content, and 45% reported that periods are not accurately portrayed.

To feel authentic, content should also be inclusive and represent women from all backgrounds. “Brands can drive connection by involving women from diverse and underserved communities in creative development from conception through execution,” Osborne says. That means taking the time to interview women about their different experiences and validating messaging with real people to make sure it resonates, she adds. It also means leading with a diverse approach to media planning rather than including D&I as an afterthought.

“These steps can go a long way toward ensuring our messaging reflects our audience’s unique needs and resonates with their individual beliefs and shared experiences,” Osborne says.

Find out how Phreesia can help you better connect with patients and deliver relevant health content that meets their needs.

References:

¹ “Health On Her Terms,” WPP and SeeHer, November 2022.

²Zucker I, Prendergast BJ. Sex differences in pharmacokinetics predict adverse drug reactions in women. Biol Sex Diff. 2020;11(32). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13293-020-00308-5

^{3, 4}“Unlocking opportunities in women’s healthcare,” McKinsey & Company, Feb. 14, 2022.

⁵Mazzoni S et al. Patient Perspectives of Obstetrician-Gynecologists as Primary Care Providers. J Reprod Med. 2017;62(1-2):3-8.

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3 strategies for meeting cancer patients with the right content in the right moment

By Phreesia Network Solutions

Despite a wealth of available disease information online, many cancer patients still have critical gaps in their knowledge of their condition. Hear from industry experts on how to reach patients with the tools they need to navigate their cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Cancer patients face a modern problem. The internet is awash with disease information, yet many oncology patients have critical gaps in their knowledge of their condition. Exposed to a torrent of information of varying quality from pre-diagnosis onward, patients can struggle to identify and retain what they need to know to take an active role in their care and decision-making. So how can the industry help?

On a recent webinar, Phreesia and Fierce Pharma convened experts to discuss ways to connect cancer patients to education and support. Jenny Kite, Director, Patient Partnerships, Astellas, summed up the knowledge problem patients face. “All this information is out there, but it’s like a junk drawer. It’s in there, but good luck finding it,” Kite said.

Kite and her fellow panelists are working to help cancer patients find the content and resources they need to navigate their condition. Here, we look at three techniques they have successfully deployed.

1. Engage, then act

Engaging with patients is critical to understanding the type of education and support they need to manage their disease, and the panelists provided concrete examples of how they capture and act on patient feedback.

Laurie Meyers, Executive Director of Engagement and Experience Design, Genentech, said that while it sounds easy, really listening to patients and their care partners is something that takes time. Meyers shared examples of the key questions Genentech asks when it surveys patients about its support programs.

“The two questions that we dig into are, ‘How easy is it for you to be able to navigate these programs?’ and ‘How satisfied are you?’ I think those two questions are super important,” Meyers said. The answers show whether programs are actually working for patients.

Kite added that Astellas has patients, advocacy groups and caregivers work alongside its internal teams to co-create content and understand the needs of the community. The external stakeholders are sometimes even part of regular team meetings, giving them a platform that has led to changes at Astellas. “I’ve seen just a ton of innovation in the last couple years, in some cases really flipping programs on their head and saying, ‘Hey, you’re doing this totally wrong. Let’s do this other way,’” Kite said.

2. Consider where patients are in their journey

As cancer treatments get more precise and personalized, general content that isn’t tailored to patients and where they are on their cancer journey holds less value. For each cancer type, and at each juncture, patients occupy distinct headspaces and have particular support and education needs. Understanding those needs—and delivering content tailored to them—can help overcome overload and give patients what will help them most at that time.

Alexandra Beneville, VP, Content Strategy, Phreesia, said companies should avoid throwing everything at patients at the same time. Instead, “match the moment to the content and to the need,” Beneville said. A patient who is waiting to meet their physician will value different content than a patient who is researching advocacy groups at home.

Nick Lucente, Executive Director of Oncology Patient Marketing, Bayer, discussed how his team is putting that thinking into practice.

“Part of that is working with different teams, like our nurse education team, for example, and making sure they’re working to match content in that moment depending on where patients are in their own journey,” Lucente said.

3. Partner with the advocate community

But, as Meyers put it, “as a pharma organization, we cannot move the needle on these things alone.” The solution the panelists proposed is to work with patient advocacy groups. Meyers cited Genentech’s work on liver cancer as an example of the power of collaboration.

“This is an area where our advocacy teams have been able to partner with advocacy groups that we know are able to reach patients. The way that they’re able to help with education is moving that needle in a way that the partnership helps. We can’t do that alone,” Meyers said.

Kite discussed how alliances with advocacy groups succeed at Astellas. “They have proven that they’re really good at connecting at the right time with the right patient in a way that the patient can understand,” she said. Now, she’s working to connect patients and caregivers to the advocacy community sooner in their diagnosis and empower nurses and nurse navigators to deliver relevant information in a meaningful way.

All participants are paid employees of their organization. Statements of fact, positions taken and opinions expressed are those of the participants individually and, unless expressly stated to the contrary, do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of the their employer.

Find out how Phreesia can help you reach clinically relevant patients to help drive awareness of their condition, treatment and support offerings.

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Meet MediFind: Q&A with Founder Patrick Howie

By Jackie Drees

We spoke with Patrick Howie, Founder of MediFind and Vice President, Product Management at Phreesia, about how MediFind builds on our legacy of engaging with patients while they’re in a healthcare state of mind and activating them at critical moments along the patient journey.

Now available through Phreesia, MediFind uses cutting-edge technology to connect high-intent patients with the right doctors and treatments based on the patient’s condition.

Patrick Howie, Founder of MediFind and Vice President, Product Management at Phreesia, spoke with us about how MediFind builds on Phreesia’s legacy of engaging with patients while they’re in a healthcare state of mind and activating them at critical moments along the patient journey.

See below for a lightly edited summary of our discussion.

Phreesia: Why is MediFind a great fit with Phreesia’s portfolio? How does it advance Phreesia’s mission to activate patients in order to improve their healthcare outcomes?

Patrick Howie: MediFind’s mission has always been to reduce time in the treatment journey for patients. One of our core focuses is helping patients find the right doctor or specialist for their condition. However, we haven’t always had direct relationships with those doctors, so we couldn’t help patients easily connect with them to make appointments.

“Now that MediFind is part of Phreesia, we have access to Phreesia’s provider network and can help close the loop: Patients can look for a doctor, book their appointment and check-in for their visit in a streamlined, user-friendly way.”

Now that MediFind is part of Phreesia, we have access to Phreesia’s provider network and can help close the loop: Patients can look for a doctor, book their appointment and check-in for their visit in a streamlined, user-friendly way. MediFind is also helping to enhance Phreesia’s mission of patient activation and driving better health outcomes by expanding Phreesia’s ability to connect with patients beyond those who have already chosen their doctor, as well as helping more doctors get new patients who may not have found them when searching for care on their own.

Phreesia: What makes MediFind different from other consumer websites that help you find healthcare providers?

Patrick Howie: The biggest difference by far is the way we’ve thought about patients, particularly those who are looking for a doctor. There are clearly other websites offering to help patients find a doctor, but they almost always exclusively prioritize patients who are searching for a specialist, without regard to the patient’s specific condition. If you have a challenging condition or a rare disease, and you already know or suspect what your problem is, MediFind believes the next step is to bring in an expert to address your issue. However, not every doctor is an expert in every condition or disease. Our rankings are based on a variety of data sources such as the number of articles a doctor has published in medical journals, prescribing and referral patterns, as well as the number of patients a doctor sees for a given condition. Our database is not based on user reviews, and doctors do not pay to be included.

Our Doctor Finder starts with all the specific conditions and diseases that a patient might have and shares the best doctors in the world so the patient can see what care is available to them. Generally, if you talk with patients who have an issue finding the right specialist, it could take days, weeks, months or maybe even years for them to get connected with experts, which can have a negative impact on their health. MediFind’s ability to cut that time short is by far our biggest distinction and why we’ve been able to grow so rapidly compared with these incumbent sites that have been around for 20 years.

Phreesia: How has MediFind joining Phreesia expanded the number of patients we can reach?

Patrick Howie: Phreesia’s patient base comprises patients whose providers use Phreesia’s technology, whereas MediFind’s patient pool is broader. Now, as part of Phreesia, MediFind opens the aperture to any patient who is not satisfied with their current provider or who needs to find another doctor, which may be necessary for various reasons, such as receiving a new diagnosis or because their doctor has retired. Phreesia is perfectly positioned right at the point of care, and MediFind is a great extension for engagement as our patient base is individuals seeking to get to the point of care.

Phreesia: Why is it so important to connect with patients across every stage of their care journey?

Patrick Howie: MediFind is designed to match the patient journey, which realistically is very episodic. Finding a doctor is the number one most important action, but the reality of the patient journey is that you frequently find multiple doctors, whether you want to get a second opinion or have side effects that require another specialist to help manage.

Patients typically don’t think about their health until they have to, so when they come to MediFind, they’re looking for a solution to solve their problem. They’re constantly going through the journey of considering what their condition could be, so we built a symptom checker for patients to assess factors such as which type of doctor they should see, and we have a clinical trial finder to help patients who may be much further along in their journey find a novel treatment. Now, with the ability to integrate with Phreesia, we can engage these individuals who are actively seeking out critical health information and effectively guide them to action.

Phreesia: How can MediFind help life sciences companies connect with patients during critical moments of their healthcare journey?

Patrick Howie: MediFind is the only digital platform that empowers brands to engage with patients when they’re actively searching for the best doctors and treatments. Our platform reaches more patients in the moment they are actively searching for care than any other website, which is why we’re the No. 1 organic Google search result for patients seeking the best doctors across the thousands of health conditions that we cover. This closely aligns MediFind with Phreesia’s reach, as both platforms are rooted in interacting with patients when they are in a healthcare state of mind.

With MediFind, brands can reach high-intent patients who are much more likely to listen to messaging at the moment in their healthcare journey when it feels personal to them and the care they are searching for, versus seeing brand messaging on TV, social media or a different consumer website during a more general time in their life.

Learn how MediFind and Phreesia can connect you with highly engaged patients and help them find better care, faster.

BLOG POST

4 ways to stay nimble amid digital disruption

By Phreesia Network Solutions

The digital landscape is rapidly transforming. Hear from industry experts about how to pivot quickly to stay best positioned for success.

The digital landscape is rapidly transforming. Tactics and platforms that have long been cornerstones of digital patient engagement are being shaken by major changes, forcing teams to rethink their strategies monthly. Amid this upheaval, brands that deploy a range of tactics—and can switch quickly between those tactics based on results and the evolution of the digital world—are best-positioned to succeed.

At Digital Pharma East 2023, Phreesia’s Director of Analytics, Amy Patel, spoke to leaders from Alkermes, IPG Health, Blueprint Medicines and UCB about how the industry is responding to the tumult. Patel set the scene. “We’ve seen so many digital disruptions lately, including chaos at Twitter/X, changes and challenges around privacy and tracking concerns on major social media platforms, new channels, new things to do within those channels,” she said.

These shifts have required a response from the industry. Here, we look at four essential tips for staying nimble amid digital disruption.

1. Stay up to date

Lisa Frankina, Director of Digital Marketing for VIVITROL® at Alkermes, shared how she and her team are adapting to the fact that “social media platforms are just a moving target,” explaining that they keep up with platform updates, compliance and more by checking for changes at least once a month. At UCB, Grace Rodriguez, Head of DTC Portfolio Marketing, iPVU, said her company forges close ties with agencies to keep up to date on all things digital.

“In pharma, very politely, we’re almost always a half step behind, because it just takes us that little bit longer to get things through or get them approved or get an understanding of how it impacts us,” Rodriguez explained.

In addition to paying close attention to what she sees in the media, as a member of a smaller company, Natalie Wills, Associate Director of Marketing with Blueprint Medicines, said she also watches what other players in the industry are doing.

2. Monitor what works

Brands that switch to a more flexible approach can best support their efforts by sharpening their focus on measurable outcomes and return on investment. Jack Vance, Managing Director of Data and Activation at SOLVE(D), An IPG Health Company, explained why campaign-measurement data is essential for effective decision-making in today’s environment.

“Defining success early allows us to be more nimble,” Vance said. “If you can get aligned with your clients on how you are going to evaluate every one of these platforms, it takes away some of the subjectivity around what’s working and what’s not. We’re all in agreement that we need to reach the right patients or the right HCPs. If a platform is not doing that anymore, we’re going to pull it off the media plan.”

The panelists agreed on the importance of constantly evaluating what is working and being ready to act, either by optimizing an initiative or dropping it altogether. “We’ve built more flexibility into our media plans this year than in any year I ever have worked in this space,” Vance affirmed.

At UCB, Rodriguez often allocates more of her budget to the first few months of the year, enabling the team to gather data to inform program optimization later in the year. That analysis can result in ending projects in some cases, so being aware of a program’s cancellation terms is key, she cautioned.

3. Educate leaders on new tactics

Shifting to a more flexible approach requires buy-in from other staff, particularly senior leaders. There can be resistance to spending money outside of traditional channels, but the pace of change demands adaptability and going where the patients are. Rodriguez’s agency experience informs how she works to bring her UCB colleagues on board.

“I literally prep for every leadership meeting and every [medical, legal and regulatory] meeting as if I’m back on the agency side going to present to my client,” she said. ‘How do I bring them along on this journey? Why is it important for them to understand?’ It’s really setting up that story and bringing them along to ensure they understand exactly why we have to be there, and what happens if we’re not.”

Educating fellow stakeholders early on about new and emerging platforms and tactics also ensures that reviews can proceed in a timely manner, allowing brand teams to pivot quickly if necessary. Frankina explained that she’s part of a digital steering committee at Alkermes that creates corporate guidelines for every social-media platform the company currently uses or is considering—and how those guidelines simplify the approvals process.

“You’re much more collaborative, you’re having more productive discussions,” Frankina said. “It’s not about going in and understanding what that functionality is and how that really works, so it’s a much smoother process when it comes to approvals if you’ve got those things prepared, and everybody understands what they’re dealing with.”

4. Build trust with patients

With privacy concerns bringing the era of the third-party cookie to a close, brands are paying more attention to how they can safely and consensually collect information themselves. “If you want to be able to talk to the right people, collecting your own data and understanding who the people are who are consuming your content or using your product is a really great way to hedge that,” Vance recommended.

That growing focus on first-party data also is changing how brands engage with patients. “We’re going to where patients are searching for information, and then trying to get them to our website so they can learn more,” Wills explained. “We’re building a meaningful relationship with them, so that as they go from consideration to treatment to adherence, we now own that relationship, and I’m not relying on trying to find them again.”

Critically, the pathway sketched out by Wills only works if patients see value in sharing their data and provide their consent. Frankina detailed how Alkermes works to build trust with patients, explaining the roles that video and patient testimonials play in forging interpersonal connections.

“You build that trust through your ad units, your storytelling, your patient testimonials, along with providing something of value, and then, at that point, they’re willing to engage,” Frankina said. “From there, you’re able to provide that personalized experience, which then hopefully leads to higher conversion.”

Learn more about how Phreesia can help you connect with key patients amid the changing digital landscape.

BLOG POST

How to optimize content for patient health literacy

By Phreesia Network Solutions

Brands are increasingly paying attention to whether their intended audiences can understand and act on the content they deliver.

The factors that inform campaign copy and design choices are changing. Increasingly, brands are paying more attention to a core question: Can my intended audience easily understand and act on this information? The shift reflects recognition of the importance of health literacy in achieving health equity.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines health literacy as the degree to which individuals can find, understand and use information and content to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others. That makes health literacy a social determinant of health; the ability or inability to find, understand and use health information can impact patients’ health outcomes.

A key concept to remember is that “health literacy is a state, not a trait,” explain Holly Ricci and Lindsey Lilly, Senior Copywriters at Phreesia who recently completed the Health Literacy Certificate Program at the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA). This means that health literacy levels can fluctuate depending on patients’ circumstances, independent of their education or reading level. “No matter what you put in front of a patient who just got a cancer diagnosis, it will blur in front of their eyes,” Ricci says.

It’s particularly important to consider the situational nature of health literacy when communicating at the point of care, where patients may be nervous, unwell or in a hurry. “It’s helpful to be as mindful as possible about their mindset, their stress level and their familiarity with the disease,” Lilly said.

Focusing on the most important information, arranging it logically and ensuring it is easy to read will result in content that is digestible, accessible and actionable for all patient audiences. Here’s how.

Use simple copy to increase understanding

Using plain language is critical for maximizing health literacy, especially since health conditions and treatments are complicated subjects that are often discussed using technical language and jargon that can be a barrier to understanding. Copy should be simple, and calls to action should be clear and succinct.

“It’s about speaking conversationally. You can start a sentence with a conjunction or a preposition, and you can end a sentence with a preposition. This is not academic writing—it’s talking to people. Use simple verbs and use the present tense, and speak to people directly,” Ricci says.

And what you don’t say can be as important as what you do say. Everyone has a finite capacity to retain messages, and that limit can be low in stressful healthcare settings. Lilly recommends being very strategic with messaging to focus on a key takeaway that may interest a patient rather than bombarding them with more information than they can process.

Design content to help patients retain key messages

Design elements can also help make messaging easier to understand, either by enhancing the copy or mitigating the shortcomings of text that’s been set in stone after medical, legal and regulatory affairs review. Patients are unlikely to read every word, but effective design choices overcome that problem by setting the text out in a way that allows readers to absorb the core message even if they only scan the material.

“You want to be sure that you’re using a clear, legible typeface. You don’t want anything that looks too tight, or too far apart, for that matter. Use a variety of upper and lowercase letters. You don’t want to have everything in all caps,” Lilly says.

Lilly and Ricci recommend breaking the copy up into smaller paragraphs, a practice known as chunking, and structuring the text so the material guides the eye to the key message. Bullet points are an effective way to clearly communicate critical points, with key information immediately visible. If patients have to scroll to read a message, many will never see it.

Other best practices include leaving as much white space as possible and including subheadings, which can help patients get the gist even if they only run their eyes over the material. Adding images and graphics breaks up the content, enhances the messaging and gives brands a chance to use their own iconography.

Tailor content to the intended audience

Health literacy is shaped by cultural perspectives and, as such, decisions about the copy and design must be informed by knowledge of the intended audience. Effective campaigns consider patients’ perspectives and tailor messages to them, resulting in content that the audience can understand and act on.

“It’s speaking to people the way that they want to be spoken to. Taking that diversity into account is a big part of health literacy,” Lilly says. “Speaking to people in a way that’s respectful and mindful of their culture is the best way to improve communication.”

The ability to tailor messages relies on a clear understanding of the intended audience, which for some campaigns may be broad and diverse. In these instances, using illustrations that are culturally generic, rather than photographs of actual people, can help more patients see themselves in an image and reduces the risk that the specificity of an image will prevent people from engaging with the content.

Learn how Phreesia can help you reach the right patients with tailored, digestible and actionable content.

BLOG POST

The future of omnichannel messaging: 3 considerations

By Jackie Drees

The industry continues to evolve in response to changing consumer expectations and technology innovations, with major implications for media planning—including opportunities to take omnichannel campaigns to the next level.

With consumers’ growing demand for convenient and personalized healthcare experiences, brands and media planners have ramped up their adoption of digital tools and strategies that put patients at the center of messaging efforts, such as an omnichannel media approach that integrates messaging across multiple channels. Now, thanks to automation and data advances, the future of omnichannel will become “more dynamic with messaging in the moment,” explains José Ferreira, EVP, Product Strategy and Transformation, CMI Media Group.

Although omnichannel messaging opens the door for reaching patients across channels ranging from television to digital communication at the point of care, Ferreira’s vision of an “omnidynamic strategy” takes the concept one step further to reach patients with the healthcare content they need at specific moments.

“Omnidynamic marries the concept of dynamic creative optimization with the patient journey,” Ferreira says. “It’s automation that supports a better patient experience, or serves the patient more efficiently based off of their needs.”

Using this idea of an omnidynamic approach, brands can tailor content for patients based on where they are in their individual therapeutic journey. Omnidynamic messaging can help equip patients with relevant educational resources that empower them to discuss therapy options with their healthcare provider, choose the right medications and understand the importance of adhering to them—resulting in better health outcomes.

At CMI Media Group’s 2023 Omnidynamic Agility in Media + Creative event, industry leaders discussed up-and-coming healthcare media innovations and important areas for brands to focus on within an omnidynamic strategy. Here are three key takeaways from the conference.

1. Evaluate messaging channels

It’s easy to fall into the routine of leveraging the same channels, tactics and partners to execute messaging each year. But brands now have new opportunities to gather data-driven insights that can help them better understand the channels with which patients will likely engage. Applying a forward-thinking mindset to patient engagement prompts brands to explore more innovative messaging strategies, including an omnidynamic approach. Technology can deepen brands’ understanding of how patients are experiencing messaging and what their exposure to content looks like—vital insights that brands can employ to ensure they deliver the right messages to the right patients at the right time.

2. Meet content demands

The need to produce more content is ever-present in media, especially personalized content that empowers patients to initiate discussions with their doctor and take an active role in their healthcare decisions. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as one method to help support content creation. However, it’s important to stay vigilant about the potential issues that can arise from AI-produced content, including an increase in misinformation. Teaching patients and consumers to think critically about AI content and recognize the misinformation it may provide on a digital platform can encourage them to think twice about the resources they find online—which can be especially helpful in combatting false information about concerns such as vaccine hesitancy.

3. Incorporate the patient voice

To resonate with diverse audiences, it’s vital to incorporate experiences and feedback from patients of various backgrounds and demographics. Brands have an opportunity to connect with patients on many different levels, rather than just showing them a single message broadcast to every patient. Leveraging communication platforms that can solicit patient feedback while weaving their own stories and insights into messaging will resonate with all types of patients, thereby creating a stronger relationship with the brand.

Find out how Phreesia can connect you to the patients you need to reach—wherever and however they seek care.

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