PoC3 Roundtable 2016
On the heels of the recent PoC3 Summit, the Point of Care Communication Council asked a summarizing question of “The Experts”
“We talk often about the ‘constantly evolving landscape’ of healthcare – what do you think that means in terms the patient experience? As a result, how would you encourage marketers to act as a champion for patient communication at the point of care?”
Neil Keene, Senior Associate Director, Customer Engagement Strategy, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
I believe the patient experience needs to be thought of as a system of multiple interactions as the patient receives care through the POC continuum. The POC landscape is now driven by new digital innovations such as EHR, patient apps and the evolving connectivity available for the patient and physician to collect information for improving the quality of clinical point-of-care service. Marketers need to provide value in the form of patient care and physician engagement to keep up with current innovations and be seen as a champion at point of care.
Lisa R. Chengary, Manager, Digital, Customer Engagement and Marketing Innovation, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Today’s patients are more involved in their healthcare decisions and ask healthcare providers (HCP) to prescribe them a specific prescription treatment option. Patients research online prior to going into the HCP office for their condition and this is why point of care is so important. Providing them the right message at the right time in the right location is key. As marketers having the message served to them at the last possible point before they speak with their healthcare provider could remind them to ask about the treatment option for your product. Surround sound in the office has always been a priority with point of care and we now need to think beyond just the office with more patients being on their mobile devices.
Justin Rubin, SVP Group Creative Director, JUICE Pharma Worldwide
We need to target and execute with precision – no matter how often the patient experience changes this must be the constant. Why? Because health will always be a personal journey – sure millions may suffer from a disease but how does it impact each patient specifically? What are they sacrificing because of their ailment? How is their emotional state impacted? Remember that no matter where or when you are trying to appeal to a patient or caregiver you are essentially having a conversation. Conversations take focus. You need to hear what the other person is saying in order to effectively answer them and meet their needs. With this said, I encourage marketers to speak the true language of the patient at POC, which will change from patient to patient. Otherwise you are talking at them, not to them.
Ari Schaefer, VP Group Account Director, Klick Health
One of the fundamental aspects of the evolution of healthcare is the increasing use of longitudinal data to prevent, diagnose and treat chronic illnesses. Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) can now connect distributed longitudinal health datasets. As more physicians are now employees of networks as opposed to isolated practitioners, health information is increasingly less siloed. With this added complexity, the patient experience, especially at the point of care, will grow equally complex. This lends itself to an opportunity for marketers.
Patients can be bombarded with volumes of data at a time when they are most vulnerable. As the data we collect and share increases, physicians need to develop a new lexicon for sharing data-driven diagnoses and treatment models. User experience will play a role in helping patients gain comfort with the results of not just a single test but a series of integrated health data points. Marketers can provide infographics to help physicians explain complicated concepts and data. Interactive educational tools can aid patients and their caregivers in understanding the integrated data that is helping diagnose and treat their conditions.
