Support Patients. Before Treatment. During Treatment. After Treatment.
Phreesia Life Sciences, a patient intake platform at the point of care, conducted a survey to understand patient perception and usefulness of medication support programs. The patient support programs were defined as services offered by pharma to help patients with medical information, disease education, financial support, connecting patients to advocacy groups, and more.
Phreesia surveyed 4,869 patients who were checking in for doctors’ visits from February 17 to March 2, 2021. Of those surveyed, 69% were on medications and only 3% were currently using patient support programs sponsored by pharma. Yet, pharmaceutical manufacturers are spending more than $5 billion a year on patient support programs. The study found that 59% of patients have little to no knowledge about these support programs, and 61% do not find any value in them.
Furthermore, patients use these programs only during specific times – when they start medications or when they are looking for specific information. The top programs used by patients were to find medication information, disease education, and financial support.
What programs do patients prefer?
The patients who used these programs found them most useful when they started their medication and received the first diagnosis. Patients want more support from pharma –37% want more educational resources, 22% prefer education on taking medication and 18% would like programs on medication adherence.
These numbers conclude that there is a lack of awareness about the patient support programs sponsored by pharma. Pharmaceutical manufacturers have an opportunity to use different strategies to intervene at the right time and reach the right patients with the right educational resources. The study found that 44% of patients would like to learn about support online and 55% would like to learn from their provider. Wouldn’t it be ideal for patients to have a digital portal that they can access from anywhere and anytime that has personalized educational resources to support them throughout their treatment journey?
Navigating Cancer, The Only Patient Companion Digital Platform for Cancer Patients
Navigating Cancer’s digital platform eliminates the barriers of communication between patients, providers, and pharma. It supports patients by providing resources vetted by their provider and it empowers patients to be active participants in their care throughout their treatment journey and beyond. One of the key features of our digital platform is the ability for patients to receive personalized education about their disease, treatment, and financial support. Studies have shown that patients who are more knowledgeable, skilled, and have the confidence necessary to effectively manage their health are more active participants in their care and have better outcomes.
Navigating Cancer Patient Education Program allows patients to:
- Have easy access to the right information
- Receive personalized education about the diagnosis
- Learn about their treatment and medication and how to best manage side effects throughout their treatment journey
- Receive education and resources written by their own clinic
- Review treatment options and have an informed discussion with their provider
A Navigating Cancer survey of over 7,700 cancer patients found that 90% of respondents were more likely to read information about their diagnosis and/or medications when they could access it through a patient portal and over 82% felt more satisfied with their care when they had access to personalized data and resources. In addition to satisfaction, Navigating Cancer found that adherence increased by an average of 14% over six months from initiation of therapy when patients receive adherence education.
Give your patients the support they need and deserve – contact us today to learn more.