Surveyed Physicians Spell Out Preferences for Data-driven, Omnichannel Content That Delivers Clinical Relevance

OptimizeRx Corp., a leading provider of point-of-care technology solutions helping patients start and stay on therapy, announced the results of a survey of more than 120 primary care and specialist physicians, revealing clear preferences on how and when they prefer to receive information from life science companies, and when they find that information most relevant to patient care encounters.

The survey found that physicians are actively seeking and encountering information across a wide variety of digital and in-person channels; however, they still experience gaps in the amount, type, clinical focus, and timing of brand information they need to make fully informed patient care and prescribing decisions. In addition, they expressed a notable interest in information related to treatment eligibility, affordability, and access.

“Information gaps can have a real impact on the ability of physicians to make informed choices. This survey clearly indicates that life science marketers need to revisit where and when they are engaging healthcare providers (HCPs), as well as how they can best deliver the information HCPs are seeking: personalized, actionable, therapeutic, and care-related content,” said Steve Silvestro, Chief Commercial Officer, OptimizeRx. “It’s no longer about generic or promotional placements on select channels, but an immersive strategy that surrounds physicians with timely, relevant information – aligned to their patients and delivered where they are and when they are making care decisions.”

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For life science manufacturers committed to driving strong brand engagement among HCPs, it’s clear that physicians expect clinical relevance and specificity of access information. Therefore, engagement preferences will vary brand-to-brand based on the unique patient journey and mix of potential prescribers. When further layering channel preference, non-digital engagement, and contextual timing into an HCP engagement strategy, the variables of planning rise exponentially. Data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) solutions are uniquely poised to solve this challenge.

When implemented successfully, AI-directed omnichannel engagement programs transform generic brand marketing into clinically relevant HCP communications, by aligning with the brand’s patient journey, addressing information gaps, allowing physicians to make informed treatment decisions, and fostering a positive brand experience for both HCPs and patients.

Survey Highlights

• Physicians surveyed reported actively using more than 10 types of media and communications, both digital (email, medical journals, electronic health record (EHR) systems, social media, etc.) and in-person (sales rep/medical science liaison visits, conferences, etc.). The most common channels used were:
  • Email – 74% ranked in top three
  • Journal articles – 73% ranked in top three
  • Sales rep visit – 71% ranked in top three
  • EHR systems – 68% ranked in top three
  • Medical conferences – 63% ranked in top three
• 59% of physicians surveyed strongly or very strongly agreed that information is more valuable to physicians when it is closely aligned with the patients they are actively treating.
• 40% of physicians surveyed strongly or very strongly agreed that when information provided by a life science manufacturer is not personalized, they are less likely to engage with it.

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What kinds of information do HCPs want:

Physicians surveyed want more immediate, tangible types of information such as insurance coverage and drug pricing, upcoming clinical trials, safety, and as one doctor wrote, “clinical success stories and quality of life improvements.”

• The top three types of information and the percentage of surveyed physicians who want more of this information:
  • Patient affordability – 48%
  • Prior authorization (PA) process – 43%
  • Patient eligibility – 33%
• Percentage of surveyed physicians who conduct their own research online to stay up to date on the following topics:
  • Clinical results – 57%
  • Eligibility/ideal patient profile – 56%
  • Financial assistance – 48%
  • Formulary status – 43%

Key takeaways for life sciences brands about the best places to focus HCP engagement resources:

• Surveyed physicians reported that the life science manufacturers most effective at engaging them did the following well:
  • Sharing clinical data in a clear and concise manner – 53%
  • Providing clear PA guidance and support – 48%
  • Providing timely, relevant information on newly launched products – 44%
• 54% of surveyed physicians strongly or very strongly agreed that their comfort with adopting a new product is impacted by non-clinical factors like formulary status, prior authorization requirements, or availability of financial assistance programs.
• 49% of surveyed physicians strongly or very strongly agreed that their comfort with adopting a new product is increased when life science manufacturers clearly communicate their product’s therapeutic benefits over existing treatments.

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