Recap: How Synching HCP+DTC Marketing Enables Shared Decision Making

As a former clinician, I incorporated Shared Decision Making (SDM) into my workflow. Today, I am still passionate about optimizing the patient-clinician interaction to improve care. SDM is a collaborative process in which patients and clinicians work together, making healthcare decisions informed by evidence, the care team's knowledge and experience, and the patient's values, goals, preferences, and circumstances. SDM embraces the role of family and caregivers, and aims to deliver person-centered, equitable care. As a result, it increases patient engagement with their treatment plan and improves both the patient and clinician experience. SDM has also been shown to improve the healthcare experience and trust of racial, gender, and sexual minorities that may face numerous barriers in accessing supportive, effective healthcare. 

With the strong focus on building knowledgeable, empowered, and satisfied patients and clinicians, SDM naturally aligns with the goals of pharma brands and marketers – as well as the positive experience that we all want whenever we engage with the medical system. But too many patients don’t have the knowledge they need to feel confident when meeting with their HCPs, and HCPs themselves may struggle to stay on top of increasing patient loads and rapidly expanding medical research. And that’s where we, as marketers, can play a critical role.  

If we revisit our approach to brand marketing, and focus on increasing HCP and DTC alignment, we can help cultivate the very environment we all want to experience when we go to the doctor. And, as a bonus, it also helps us improve both patient outcomes and brand commercial performance. Let’s talk through an example. 

Meet Matt and Dr. Smith 

Meet “Matt” – he’s a 42-year old man that was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes four years ago, who also suffers from hypertension and peripheral arterial disease. He currently takes metformin, lisinopril, and cilostazol, and works from home as a computer engineer. In the evenings, his family typically get together to watch their favorite shows on Netflix. 

His treating PCP is “Dr. Smith.” She’s been in practice for 25 years, with a team of 2 nurse practitioners and 3 physician assistants in her clinic. She’s also heavily involved in research on SGLT2 inhibitors for diabetes management, and is part of the speaker bureaus at several different pharma companies. Outside of her practice, she’s a committed DIY-er, and constantly on social media looking for her next project inspiration. 

Matt has recently been experiencing some hyperglycemic episodes, which has him concerned, so he books an appointment with Dr. Smith for a few weeks out (her next available time). Given Dr. Smith’s long history with SGLT2s, it’s highly likely she would consider them as a next step in Matt’s care – but prior to his appointment, the following occurs: 

• Matt starts to see brand information online about GLP-1s while he’s working on his computer throughout the day.  

• In the evenings, he and his family also see GLP-1 ads while they are streaming the latest episode of a TV series.  

• A few days ahead of his visit, he’s curious, so he clicks through a web ad to explore the brand, then does some research on his own about diabetes treatment and GLP-1s. 

• Dr. Smith is catching up on the latest journal articles regarding diabetes management and learns about the favorable positioning of GLP-1 inhibitors in the ADA guidelines.  

• As she’s scrolling through her social media account, she starts to see ads that highlight the commercial coverage available for a prominent GLP-1, which surprises her, as she always believed they were an expensive, uncovered, drug class.  

• Finally, when she’s pulling up Matt’s chart in the EHR the morning of his visit, she sees a notification of a copay card available for that GLP-1. 

So, what happens during the appointment?  

• Dr. Smith reviews Matt’s latest bloodwork and BMI, and confirms that he’s likely to need to change his diabetes management plan.  

• Matt mentions that he’s been doing some research on GLP-1s and asks whether they could be a good next step.  

• Rather than explaining a GLP-1 might not be covered by his insurance, and therefore too expensive, Dr. Smith remembers that there is a copay available for a common GLP-1 brand. Instead, she talks with Matt about the pros and cons about the different types of treatments available.  

• Matt asks questions about each type of treatment, clarifying some of the points he didn’t fully understand in his research. 

• Dr. Smith and Matt both agree that a GLP-1 is the best option, and she writes him a prescription for a GLP-1, and gives it to him along with the copay card.  
  

"If we leverage all the data and technology available to brand marketing, and focus on increasing HCP and DTC alignment, we can help cultivate the very environment we all want to experience when we go to the doctor. And, as a bonus, it also helps us improve both patient outcomes and brand commercial performance."

Michael Palladino, VP of Clinical Solutions, DAAP Technology

Two Key Criteria, and the Technology to Achieve Them 

I think the case above really highlights how marketing can facilitate SDM between patients and clinicians—helping both parties to come to care conversations with the information they need to make a joint treatment decision. And SDM is most likely to occur when two key criteria are met: 

1. Patients and their providers are targeted when a brand is well-suited to that patient’s medical needs 

2.Patient and providers simultaneously receive relevant, appropriate brand information in the lead-up to their next medical appointment, so both parties are well-informed about their potential treatment options. 

As pharma marketing grows more technology-enabled, data-driven, and patient-centric, many of us are already laying the foundation for a synchronized, omnichannel HCP+DTC approach that supports SDM. For example, more brands are investing in dynamic, AI-driven targeting approaches that link marketing to care milestones. 

Taking the next step just requires adjusting how you plan and prioritize marketing programs – aligning both information streams to patients’ journeys and focusing on the care windows that create conversion opportunities. So, like the GLP-1 brand above, you can introduce relevant information, to specific audiences, when it can help improve patient care and outcomes.