July 2, 2023

Why Better Understanding Patient Behaviors Can Build Brand Loyalty and Trust

 

Changing market 

Consumers are changing. Their expectations are higher, and it is becoming ever more difficult for brands to stand out amongst the noise of competitors. With 80% of consumers now saying they would be more likely to make a purchase from a brand that personalize their experience, businesses must adapt to fit in with the raised expectations of consumers. In the past few years, we have seen a wave in digitalization and events such as COVID-19 have fundamentally changed how companies interact with and cater to the needs of consumers. Advances in technology have provided us with increased capabilities when it comes to responding to this need for change and the healthcare sector must pay attention to how other industries are evolving.  

But where do you start? 

There has always been a disconnect between healthcare marketers and their target audience of patient and healthcare professionals (HCPs). But with digital transformation provides a unique opportunity to distill how patients and HCPs are truly feeling. However, to understand patient sentiment, we must first look at data and collecting patient insights from reliable and varied sources.  

Our data platform PatientMetRx® is designed to help healthcare ad agencies understand what Patient and HCPs are saying about their prescription medicines by isolating those healthcare insights at a medicine level. We do this by liberating, structuring, and evaluating emotions, opinions, and attitudes at scale through advanced Data Science, and next generation Artificial Intelligence including Large Language Models /Drug-GPT™, in our proprietary AI eco-system. This provides you with access to dynamic qualitative intelligence on healthcare voices, giving you the opportunity to truly listen to the voice of Patients and HCPs.

Marketing tactics that support personalized healthcare for patients

 

Post-care engagement 

There are many touch points which can be used in this regard, whether it be sending patients reminders to take their medication, remotely monitoring their symptoms or scheduling future follow up appointments to name a few. Doing so builds and maintains relationships with patients after initially receiving treatment. In the past this type of personalized care would have been time-consuming, however much of it can now be automated. 

Out of hours care models 

It is not always a realistic option to be able to provide patients with care whenever they need it. Technology now allows for more flexibility meaning patients always have an option to turn to, with care models such as live chat bots and patient portals being made available. This ensures not only that patients receive information and advice from trustworthy sources and can get connected to a health professional as soon as possible to make sure that appropriate action is taken to prevent their health from deteriorating further, but also allows for data analysts to look for trends and patterns, ultimately leading to better outcomes for patients.  

Hybrid Options 

Since COVID-19, if a healthcare provider is not able to offer flexible appointment arrangements, then there is a good chance that they are going to be experiencing high patient turnover rates compared to competitors. Patients have been offered higher levels of flexibility when it comes to their healthcare and therefore have come to expect this during treatment. When offered the addition of virtual healthcare services, patient feel their healthcare journeys are receiving increased flexibility around their circumstances and are more reassured as they know that they can contact a professional about their treatment. 

It is important for healthcare marketers to remember that each patient is unique, having their own preferences about how they receive their treatment, as well as the how they communicate.  

References 

Gandolf, S., 2022. 11 Marketing Strategies That Support Personalized Healthcare | Healthcare Success. [online] Healthcare Success. Available at: <https://healthcaresuccess.com/blog/healthcare-marketing/11-marketing-strategies-that-support-personalized-healthcare.html> [Accessed 4 August 2022]. 

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