On the Brink: How Pharma Can Support Healthcare Providers at a Tipping Point
By: Keri Hettel, SVP, Head of Research, Data & Analytics
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly every aspect of our lives, changing the way we work, shop, travel, and more; forcing us to reimagine how we think about the future. While the impact of coronavirus has rippled across every industry, it has spun healthcare on its head and will forever change both the practice and business of medicine.
COVID-19 has brought the healthcare industry to a tipping point by accelerating shifts that were slowly building for years, including telemedicine, managed care, and a decline of in-office rep visits. Healthcare is changing before our eyes and HCPs—and the patients they serve—are struggling to keep up.
While the crisis drags on, the practice of medicine hasn’t stopped, but the pandemic has raised questions about what the future will hold—what will the new office visit look like? How will the private practice business model be forced to shift? How will physicians learn and keep up with new information as congresses go remote? These questions, among many others, are questions pharmaceutical companies will need to understand in order to connect and engage with healthcare providers in a meaningful way both now and into the future.
In May, Razorfish Health launched HCPulse, a quarterly survey of physicians from across therapeutic areas including primary care, pediatrics, oncology, and rheumatology. This in-depth, proprietary research, tracks HCP responses over time—an essential differentiator as we live in a time of rapid change. Our initial findings have revealed physicians need more support than ever—both practically and emotionally. Our RFH Physician Confidence Score aggregates responses to understand HCP confidence levels across three areas—financial, operational, and personal – to uncover what is truly driving physician behavior changes. Not surprisingly, physician confidence is low with community practitioners hit especially hard.
Leveraging the survey data, we’ve identified the opportunity gaps that exist, leaving room for pharma to connect and authentically engage with HCPs. In one example, research demonstrated that pharma has over-indexed on email communications and there is white space for the industry to provide HCPs with self-guided learning materials and both virtual and physical calls.
In an era where we are both more virtually and digitally connected than ever and increasingly isolated, HCPs want to hear from pharma. Physicians are looking for three key things: shifted content to address the new normal, support for their patients and practice and real-world evidence for their patient base related to COVID. There is a desire to work together and learn from one another as healthcare rapidly evolves.
“I don’t want to see any change in [pharma’s] market presence, I want to see continued support of the community.”
At this watershed moment, there is tremendous opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry to come alongside HCPs to redefine the practice of medicine for the next generation. By identifying areas of low confidence and opportunity gaps—with regular updates as the pandemic unfolds—we can pinpoint where, when, and how we can best support physicians and the patients they serve.
To learn more about HCPulse contact Keri Hettel at keri.hettel@razorfishhealth.com.