Uniting pharma companies and patient organizations

02 September 2019

Accenture Life Sciences

Patients prefer patient organizations over pharma companies when it comes to services. While that may not be surprising on its own, it is evidence of an increasing trend of patient reliance on organizations for emotional, financial and even educational support, according to a new report from Accenture Life Sciences.

In brief

Accenture asked 4,000 patients in the US, UK, Germany and France about their experiences with services from patient organizations and pharma companies.
Patients prefer services from patient organizations over those from pharma companies.
Patients feel that patient organizations have a much better understanding of their emotional, financial and other needs than pharma companies do.
Patients want pharmaceutical companies to coordinate with organizations to provide better care.

The role of patient services is evolving

Over the last several years, we have been exploring the role of patient services in the care continuum. In our latest survey, we researched how patients view and use services from patient organizations in comparison to those from pharma and other healthcare entities. We also asked them what their greatest challenges were and if and how greater collaboration could improve their healthcare experience.

Patients prefer services by patient organizations

Across all types of services surveyed (including information on clinical trials), we found that patients prefer services from patient organizations over those from pharma companies. This calls for a serious look at how pharma companies approach their service strategy. There is tremendous opportunity to increase pharma company’s understanding of patients and increase their engagement with them by coordinating with influential organizations.

Understanding your patients

54% of patients said that they feel an emotional impact every day because of their condition. This rises to 72% for patients in the United States.

However, only half the patients feel that they get what they need to stay positive in managing their condition— and even fewer feel they receive the necessary support to address their lifestyle and emotional needs. This was the number one factor deterring from them having the best experience in managing their condition.

ONLY 47% of patients said that pharma companies understand their emotional, financial and other needs related to their condition.

OVER 50% of patients have greater trust in and better experiences with patient organizations.

64% are willing to share their health data with patient organizations to get better care.

Taking the lead in patient engagement

Patients are engaging earlier and more frequently with patient organizations, both in-person and through digital channels. From understanding ways to manage their condition to searching for therapy information to seeking emotional support, patients rely more heavily on patient organizations than they do pharma.

52% of patients engage with patient organizations monthly compared to 35% for pharma companies.

72% of patients call or talk to someone at patient organizations on the phone.

58% of patients attend in-person events hosted by patient organizations.

So what does this mean for pharma companies?

By focusing on closer collaboration with leading patient organizations, pharmaceutical companies can:

Gain a deeper understanding of your patients

37% of patients said pharma companies will better understand their needs through collaboration with patient organizations, leading to engagement:

Earlier
In a more personalized way
More frequently

Coordinate to deliver seamless patient experiences

84% of patients think pharma companies should work more closely with patient organizations, creating more cohesive patient experiences that considers:

Collaborating with 1-2 influential patient groups
Working together to fill gaps in patient treatment in unbiased way

Deliver entirely new patient experiences

Join up with a patient organization to seek ways to rethink the care experience.

Approach the relationship from a patient and outcome first basis.
Consider new partnerships that use data, analytics and insights to create care experiences that better meet the needs of patients.

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