New breed of informed patients put pressure on primary healthcare providers
Research highlights significant implications for doctors and pharmaceutical companies.
24 juni 2003
Informed patients are placing increasing pressure on physicians according to new research from Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. Almost one-third of doctors surveyed have been asked by patients to prescribe drugs about which they themselves have insufficient knowledge or which are unsuitable for the patient’s condition.
The survey – “Prescriptions for the Smart & Lean Pharmaceutical Company*” conducted in association with INSEAD business school – also finds that one in three people are now demanding specific branded treatments from their doctors and that, although 69% of respondents were happy with the level of information received from their doctor, 66% of people regularly conduct their own additional research on conditions and medicines to ensure they get the best possible treatments.
One-quarter of the people surveyed felt that they do not receive enough information from their primary healthcare provider (compared with just 2% who feel their doctor gives them too much information). The media and the internet are popular sources for consumers seeking additional information, which typically includes further background on medicines and treatments, much of which often transcends geographical boundaries.
The quality of information on illnesses and treatments may also need improving, with 43% of people claiming that the advice available from all sources is “confusing”.
One-third of respondents want to have more direct interaction with pharmaceutical companies, as a general source of extra information and a way of learning about new medicines and treatments.
Meeting this need for greater information amongst consumers is a key challenge, which can be addressed by pharma companies providing physicians with better support, as well as forging closer links with consumers, by the use of channels such as call centres and interactive web sites where legal and regulatory guidelines allow.
Alasdair Mackintosh, Head of Global Life Sciences Marketing & Sales Practice at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young commented: “By demonstrating their ability and desire to seek information from sources other than their physician, informed patients are putting immense pressure on doctors. Pharma companies need to develop a more collaborative relationship with physicians to help ease this load, for example, by increasing the number of channels for communicating with doctors and enabling them to access specific information via self-service channels. Companies also need to provide a more personalised service, with interactions built around the needs of individual physicians.
“In addition, in those countries where direct contact with consumers is permitted, companies need to create a closer relationship that is, again, based on the needs of the customer. it is not simply a question of providing more information or of bombarding people who are happy with the current situation, but rather of making information available for those people who are seeking additional details, in a personalised, targeted and interactive way.”
Pharmaceutical companies and physicians
The survey finds that the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and physicians is showing signs of strain. Concern about transparency is high with 65% of doctors worried that pharmaceutical companies were not keeping them informed about the messages they send to patients.
Many physicians commented on the marketing bias in the information presented to them by sales representatives and asked for evidence-based scientific information, including head-to-head comparisons as well as risks and side effects. Doctors want to develop an open, honest, responsive and above all human partnership with the pharmaceutical company, rather than being ‘sold to’.
Further areas for improvement cited were sales reps who don’t provide any additional value, with 38% of physicians having consciously decided to make less time for sales reps than they did two years ago. However, 57% of respondents claimed they would make more time for visits, if reps provided a value-added service, such as educational materials for patients and practice management support (administration, systems, staff training).
Paul Nannetti, Life Sciences Global Sector Leader at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young commented: “Companies need to dramatically transform their approach and put the customer at the heart of everything they do, whether that customer is the physician, the patient or the payer. Future smart and lean pharmacompanies will differentiate themselves by using deep knowledge of all customer groups to provide tailored product and service packages; they will interact with customers in ways that cater to their preferences; and will possess the flexibility to react in a constantly evolving market.”
The research identifies five major prescriptions for pharmaceutical companies:
| 1. Reinvent product portfolios through services that increase the value added to customers by addressing patients’ information needs and helping physicians interact more effectively with payers. | |
| 2. Respond more quickly to changes in markets and customer demands by conducting frequent reviews to assess customer responsiveness and adopting a flexible response strategy | |
| 3. Pioneer a new approach to channel mix and resource allocation to achieve both customer satisfaction and value/return for the company. | |
| 4. Create a customer-focused culture that provides fast, quality service and delivers targeted messages through the customer’s channel of preference | |
| 5. Connect organisations internally and externally by using technology and analytics to integrate information regarding customer needs from call centres, Web channels and other key sources. |
Notes for editors
* The Cap Gemini Ernst & Young global survey, conducted in association with INSEAD business school, was conducted from January to May 2003 among more than 5,500 individuals – 4042 consumers, 1421 physicians, 76 pharmaceutical executives and 33 payer organizations across 15 countries, including North America, France, UK and Germany.
NB: Only 8 responses were received from UK physicians, making the physician survey findings unrepresentative for the UK alone