Patient
centricity is an idea that has moved from the periphery to centre stage in pharma
marketing. It is aligned with the NHS principle of shared decision making
("No decision about me without me"), which views patients as
stakeholders in their own health instead of passive bystanders.
While we
have been debating about the role of patients in their transactions with the
health service, the face-to-face relationship between patients and doctors has
been undergoing a transformation. Long gone is the patriarchal attitude of the
medical profession and the deference of patients towards doctors. Patients have
evolved from grateful healthcare recipients who assume that doctor knows best,
to agitators demanding the best medical care that the limited NHS budget can
deliver.
Doctors
confirm that the balance of power has shifted decisively. When we talk to GPs, many
say they feel embattled and even bullied by what used to be categorised as
'heartsink' or problem patients. The patient population has ramped up its
expectations, armed with Google search results and a list of demands. Patient
associations and advocacy groups have become more vocal and influential, and
health is one of the most discussed topics on social media.
There are
signs, however, that a 'third wave' is now emerging, where patients and doctors
meet half way as partners in healthcare. This has been driven by a rise in general
health literacy, aided in part by the internet. It is also tempered by realism:
patients know that the NHS is under-resourced and government promises are
unaffordable. They realise there is not a pill for every ill, so they don't
demand an antibiotic for every infection or expect to walk out with a
prescription after every consultation. Most patients also accept that in chronic
conditions, they are expected to take some responsibility for managing their
own lifestyle and risk factors, even if they don't embrace it.
The latest
edition of Which - the magazine for
consumers - is diagnostic of the new attitude. In a feature titled "Help
your GP to help you", the magazine offers instructions to patients on how they
should behave to get the most out of a consultation. Based on interviews with
15 GPs trained in the ICE methodology (eliciting patients' ideas, concerns and
expectations), it advises people how to prepare for the 10-minute slot they are
likely to get with their doctor.
Key
recommendations include:
- Get to the
point - avoid vague descriptions and irrelevant detail
- Dress for
action - wear loose clothes so you can get your kit off quickly
- Know your
notes - everyone should be their own health information manager (92% of
practices across England provide health records online)
- Doctors are
fallible, underfunded and overstretched - treat them accordingly
The guide provides
a translation of common questions used by GPs, in a neat reversal of the training
offered to GPs to interpret patient-speak. It lists trusted health websites
that GPs recommend to their patients. It even warns patients to avoid the 'doorknob
syndrome' dreaded by GPs ("One more thing before I go..."). Finally
it says patients should not regard the receptionist as a guard dog, but a
bloodhound to help them track down the person most skilled to help.
Of course,
not every patient has access to
Which,
and those who do are probably more proactive and better informed than the general
public. But in recent years, the general patient population has changed from
ill informed to relatively health savvy individuals.
Most pharma
companies now have patient engagement departments and senior people dedicated
to seeing the patient's perspective. But because of restrictions relating to
POMs, our industry faces difficulties in talking to the end user about the
products they consume. We can listen into social media conversations, but many companies
are wary about actively participating due to pharmacovigilance issues.
So how can
we help the new generation of health consumers?
We can
design clinical trials with outcomes that matter to patients, and promote
medicines to HCPs using messages that are important to the end user. We can
also produce apps, instructions on optimising treatment and devices to support
adherence.
Like many
agencies, we have been monitoring patient needs through involvement in CCG
patient engagement initiatives and practice-based Patient Participation Groups.
We have learned that patients have many sources of health information, but lack
the knowledge to discriminate between good, evidence-based advice and the fake
news peddled by vested interests sheltering under the banner of alternative
medicine.
What patients
want most is unbiased education to support informed decision making. We can
therefore provide a service by offering impartial, code-compliant information as
an antidote to the 'alt-med' lobby.
Now that we
have identified the patient as the centre of our universe, pharma companies no
longer need to be satellites, orbiting them but unable to make contact. By
ensuring our communications are based around patients' needs, concerns and
expectations, we can help to restore their trust in the industry, and rebuild
trust with HCPs.
© 2017 Life Healthcare Communications
www.life-healthcare.com