Engagement of HCPs - What's Next?

A recent report by Veeva says that 70% of healthcare providers would become digital natives by 2021. Thus, the pandemic-induced push to adopt digital technologies and even the digital-native HCPs is likely to become ubiquitous.

In 2020 and 2021, the HCP-Patient relationship has been shifted drastically due to the pandemic. As a result, HCPs adjusted how to provide patient care, resulting in a significant uptick in virtual patient consultations.

This virtual transformation also created a massive challenge and new opportunities for Pharmaceutical companies to engage with HCPs to collaborate on new treatments or programs.

Empowering Digital Engagement in the Pharma Industry

Over the last couple of years, there have been unprecedented challenges in the pharma industry - from uneven growth to social distancing norms to overworked staff. The frequently changing government norms and economic strain have brought a deep level of change in how companies look ahead. Pharma companies are definitely up against fresh challenges by embracing digital technologies to support business continuity better.

In the following infographic, we have summarized the advantages of a hybrid engagement model for HCP-Pharma engagement (face to face & virtual) along with some of the best practices to inculcate into the existing processes.

The Landscape for A Future-fit HCP Engagement

There's no question that virtual engagement has become significantly important for pharma companies over the time of pandemic. However, adopting the new innovations and technologies will require companies to do more than just simply embracing. Instead, pharma reps need to consider how these key digital channels can be intermingled to fit different environments and HCPs. For instance, a combination of the best digital engagement will help in driving better customer satisfaction while driving sales growth.

Flexibility will be the key theme for the future of HCP engagement. This will require understanding the HCP preferences to provide a great experience. For example, before opting for a technical solution, take time to analyze it completely so you know what the experience for HCPs will be to avoid an unpleasant interaction. If an HCP must get the app before joining a meeting, it can create a frustrating experience.

Providing a relevant and seamless HCP journey needs a great deal of change. A well-formulated digital roadmap will ensure the right processes are implemented to help the companies in expanding. As we are going to enter 2022, your digital strategy should provide a strong foundation for accelerated innovation which also means breaking through the silos of digital engagement. Internal barriers such as lack of content creation and integration, inefficient coordination between channels, and poor view of the customer - these must be addressed to achieve digital success.

Embracing the Changing Digital Journey for Pharma & HCPs

Over these two years, HCP engagement has brought a new era to the pharmaceutical industry. By leveraging the top digital tools and approach that enables a better digital experience, supports the distribution of personalized content across the HCP journey, and provides a unique way of knowing and learning from important engagement insights, pharma companies and reps will be able to learn and optimize their virtual engagements. This will allow the industry to bring the best healthcare outcomes for the community. Contact our digital experts.