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Megan
Hillen is a planning supervisor at Intouch Solutions.
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In
the world of pharma marketing, we use a similar model. We call it the patient
journey.
The
traditional patient journey follows a patient through a funnel to a certain
prescription through an AIDA-like approach. The stages most often consist of
diagnosis, drug cycling and consideration, drug initiation, adherence and
retention.
However,
in an attempt to simplify the experience we lose out on incredibly rich
emotional, behavioral and cultural factors that are inherent to a person
battling a disease. Such factors are most often the keys to innovative
solutions that could improve their lives. Perhaps the fault is in that we think
of patients as consumers before we think of them as humans. Facing a
debilitating battle against your body is a far cry from deciding which
toothpaste to buy and it shouldn't be treated as such.
How exactly does our traditional journey model fall short?
It assumes every patient's journey is linear. No two fingerprints are the same.
And no two patients have the same experience with their condition. We need to
be mindful of the many nuances—such as severity level, health literacy and
access to care—that impact the path and speed at which the journey progresses
per individual.
It assumes that we behave in rational ways. Humans are, by nature, irrational creatures and
surprisingly more so when it comes to personal health. A brand must assume
irrational behavior throughout a patient's journey. Doing so requires analyzing
psychological behaviors and motivations at a rich level. Using fear or
confusion as blanket mind-sets only scratches the surface. Underneath lies the
deeper biases and motivators at play, which unlock real opportunity.
It doesn't account for patients' multichannel, always-on behaviors. Most interactions that are mapped on
a journey focus on a patient's interaction with a doctor. But what about the other
360 days of the year? What about the key patient-to-patient interactions we're
seeing more of online? Our digital world is ripe with touch points outside a
doctor's office that shouldn't be ignored.
How, then, can our industry make better use of the patient journey?
By
using it as a foundational tool rather than the end-all solution. We need to
view the patient journey as a starting place for much deeper analysis.
First, identify the behavior you seek to change and the human
motivations to make it happen. All marketing boils down to behavior change. You can make the patient
journey more actionable if you can clearly articulate the behavior to change
and the motivations required to inspire action.
Next, layer in richer physical, emotional and cultural barriers at each
stage. Lack of
disease education as a barrier may actually be due to an underlying
misconception. For example, patients with Crohn's disease might attribute
symptoms to what they're eating instead of the underlying inflammation in their
gastrointestinal tract. They may also have a hard time explaining their
symptoms to their doctor due to cultural stigma. Such details are more
insightful and actionable than a surface barrier of disease education.
Lastly, take a mindful approach to channel behavior. Now, more than ever, brands are
trying to catch up to our multichannel, always-on consumer. This is especially
true in the social space. How can the patient journey help pharma innovate in
newer channels like social? Say your team is deliberating over a social
strategy for your brand. Layer that social lens onto the patient journey. At
each stage, what is the patient seeking within social spaces? What are they
asking each other, and how are they responding? What are the unspoken needs and
where is the brand relevant to address those needs? Now you have an actionable
social patient journey, rooted in the original journey.
The
innovative power isn't in the journey itself, but in how brands use it.
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The
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The
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