A cross-cultural lens on going digital: The physician viewpoint
A cross-cultural lens on going digital: The physician viewpoint
— U.S. and EU HCPs share their perspective on the future of digital engagement
By Dan Rizzo, global head of commercial business consulting at Veeva
As meetings with pharmaceutical sales reps migrate online and more patients visit with their healthcare providers via video, digital has set a new norm within life sciences. The sudden shift toward virtual engagement last year laid the groundwork for more efficient exchanges. And it’s now driving reps to continue engaging with healthcare professionals (HCPs) remotely, even as in-person access returns beyond the pandemic.
On both sides of the pond, digital interactions are changing the nature of HCP relationships and enabling more personalized, blended engagement models. To stay ahead of the curve, reps need to integrate digital channels with in-person exchanges, such as remote meetings, events, and email, and reimagine a more meaningful HCP experience that aligns with their preference.
Recently, Veeva brought together HCPs from the UK, Italy, Spain, and the United States to discuss the accelerated turn to digital brought on by COVID-19. Here are their key takeaways from this past year and guidance on how companies can break through the noise in a digital age.
Driving more effective interactions worldwide
Despite setbacks from COVID-19, the rise of virtual platforms is helping HCPs continue to deliver crucial medicines to patients while simultaneously gaining efficiencies in their hectic work schedules.
“Digital platforms have made meetings more productive between my team and the reps,” said Dr. Andrew Moore of the United States. “Information is presented in a short, nuts-and-bolts discussion directly on the screen in front of me and I can dedicate more time to reps when I’m not overbooked or interrupted.”
More information is shared faster, both in rep meetings and across teams. Doctors Dolores Corbacho of Spain, Ernesto Rossi of Italy, and Joe Geraghty of the UK all noted that reps have been essential in providing online training courses, open access to journals, and quick updates on the latest scientific research. This was critical at the start of the pandemic and is still helping HCPs stay better informed on newer treatments and therapies.
Digital’s impact reaches beyond simple information exchange with reps. With real-time translation during virtual meetings, HCPs can express themselves in their native language and have richer discussions across sectors and cultures. “This helps when meeting with other HCPs from different countries because we can get our point across faster and collaborate more easily,” said Dr. Corbacho. Since reps are key in facilitating these global peer-to-peer conversations through virtual conferences and online events, they also build stronger partnerships between reps and HCPs.
Embracing a hybrid future
With quicker access to in-depth information and greater exposure to new perspectives, HCP engagement becomes more productive using digital. It also brings a new set of opportunities for more meaningful relationships.
Nearly nine in 10 HCPs in the United States say they want either all virtual or a mix of virtual and in-person engagement. Similarly, in Europe, 71 percent of HCPs favor a blend of digital and face-to-face engagement. “COVID-19 has shown us that a mix of digital and in-person is possible,” said Dr. Corbacho. “Reactivating onsite visits while maintaining flexible, remote exchanges will be the future of industry relationships.”
Field teams need to adapt to this new mix—as it’s their relationships that will be the difference between sustaining digital engagement or losing it. The key, according to Dr. Nigel Guest of the UK, lies in finding new ways of interacting and tailoring specific communication strategies to HCPs’ different preferences.
Optimizing engagement moving forward
To strengthen relationships in this hybrid reality, reps need to ask themselves critically: What do HCPs want from these different interactions? How can I add real value based on HCPs’ unique needs? And where and when do they prefer to have these conversations? Here are HCPs’ thoughts on how companies everywhere can improve their engagement game plan.
• Personalize the digital experience
A first step that’s critical to reps’ success is to personalize each interaction, no matter which channel. As Dr. Moore noted, it’s more important than ever for reps to balance the convenience of online engagement with the social benefits of being in-person.
“It catches my attention when reps introduce conversations with a greater level of humanity, by checking in on how our day was or what activities we are working on before introducing technical topics,” agreed Dr. Rossi. “This transforms the relationship and makes me more inclined to meet with them again.”
This sentiment extends to email interactions as well. HCPs are 12 times more likely to engage with a personalized email they receive from a rep than a headquarters-sent email. Dr. Geraghty noted that the ability to create genuine connections with HCPs through email, video meetings, and online events will be fundamental to succeeding with hybrid engagement. By making a lasting impression on HCPs, these experiences can transform the rep relationship into a valuable, long-term partnership.
• Understand channel preferences
Commercial teams also need to recognize HCPs’ varied channel preferences. Using data and artificial intelligence, reps can leverage insights to better understand HCPs’ unique needs and behavior patterns.
Nearly 70 percent of HCPs consider themselves ‘digital natives’, most of which seek information from readily accessible social media platforms. Twitter, for instance, is now a popular research and engagement tool among HCPs. In fact, one Mayo Clinic oncologist has more than 38,000 followers and is considered a ‘digital influencer.’
“Twitter is very useful because you can quickly skim through a large quantity of information and connect with a wider team of professionals,” said Dr. Geraghty. “It’s easy to follow up with people and if we learn about a new drug or trial, we can share it instantly with colleagues in different practices.”
However, not all HCPs find these social vehicles easy to navigate. Dr. Guest and Dr. Corbacho noted that experienced colleagues are sometimes less tech-savvy with digital platforms than their younger counterparts. Therefore, reps need to support different channels for more relevant engagement across the generational chasm.
• Experiment with new formats
Understanding which digital channels HCPs prefer is only the start. The future of hybrid engagement will require life sciences companies to integrate these platforms for a more powerful, and personalized, channel mix.
Whether listening to a podcast on their way to work or checking their phone before a meeting, there are various ways people use and engage with technology. Especially given the evolving digital footprint among HCPs, Dr. Corbacho noted that leveraging these differences will be pivotal to transforming engagement for the better.
“The holy grail is being multichannel—using all the devices in our reach,” she said. This will give HCPs more flexibility in how and when they decide to engage with companies and reps. Ultimately, the goal should be to make it easier for HCPs to get the information they need, through the right combination of channels. It’s also critical to provide HCPs with a simple way for them to raise their hand to initiate the dialogue, allowing for a push and pull relationship. This will ultimately make it more efficient for them to get the right treatments in the hands of patients.
Preparing for a new wave of digital
HCPs aren’t going back to a world without digital interactions. Their expectations for engaging with reps using new technologies will only increase. So, how can commercial teams adapt to this new reality? It’s time they go beyond the digital basics.
Through social platforms, email, video meetings, digital content, events, and in-person visits, reps can leverage the full digital landscape to sustain genuine connections and reach HCPs when and where they need. This will build deeper industry relationships, increase information exchange across all types of borders, and help reps and HCPs foster better outcomes for patients.
