Given the great strain on our healthcare system due to COVID-19, the Industry has been forced to re-evaluate how we reach and engage HCPs for promotional and educational purposes. There is a fine balance to strike when building a new HCP strategy, so how do we know if we are going about it in the “right” way?
Through our HCP Sentiment Series developed in partnership with Industry, we’ve gathered intel from thousands of our physician members to hear first hand how they are being affected by the pandemic, and what they need from Industry during these challenging times.
You may have seen us present some of the findings during recent events – but if you missed it, here’s a quick recap.
MM&M Convene COVID-19: Communicating in the Coronavirus Era
Our very own Erin Fitzgerald, SVP of Marketing, joined MM&M’s virtual “Communicating in the Coronavirus Era” event on May 14th where she shared key study findings to help inform strategy moving forward. Some highlights:
- U.S. physicians expressed greater interest in patient support information, status of drug supplies and samples from manufacturers.
- Physicians put access to education as their top priority – especially during times of crisis, medical professionals are looking for ways to learn quickly about available therapeutics and how they work to be able to stay knowledgeable and offer the best care to their patients.
- Physicians list email as their top choice for communication from pharma, followed closely by medical journals and virtual calls/presentations.
The panel also discussed how COVID-19 has forced a digital transformation, shared perspectives from industry leaders around how pharma should approach their message delivery and tone during and after COVID-19, the importance of value-based communication and, as Erin says, “bringing humanity back to the forefront of healthcare and communication.” Watch the full webcast to learn more here.
Pharma Impact Virtual Event: Physicians’ Weigh In – The Future of Medtech & Pharma HCP Engagement
Sermo’s SVP of Commercial Development in the Americas, Michael Joachim, presented at Informa’s Pharma Impact on May 14 – a major conference focused on cross-enterprise collaboration and innovation in marketing. In his presentation “Physicians Weigh In: The Future of Medtech & Pharma HCP Engagement ,” Michael discussed how the pandemic will impact the future of medtech and how pharma engages with healthcare providers.
Specifically, Michael highlighted data from our HCP sentiment study which revealed that:
- Among types of interactions with MedTech and Pharma, HCPs most expect to accelerate transition to digital training and virtual classes.
- Compared to before the crisis, HCPs expect to have fewer representative meetings after the crisis, though the decline is not expected to be as great in China and among dermatologists and cardiologists.
- Future expectations of representative meetings is a shift to virtual and distance meetings, particularly in the U.S. and Europe.
- All specialists foresee declines in in-person meetings, though level of change varies greatly by specialty.
Michael’s discussion around the trajectory of medical technology and pharmaceutical engagement of healthcare providers helps shed light on the next chapter of healthcare’s evolution and the lasting impact of COVID-19 on the industry. To learn more about how to optimize strategy during these changing times, watch the full presentation here.
Hello, we’re Sermo! With COVID-19 on the forefront of our minds, we must find new ways to engage and support the global HCP community. This exclusive content is powered by physician insights from Sermo’s HCP Sentiment Study, which we field on an ongoing basis using questions submitted by our healthcare partners.
We turn physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1 million HCPs across 150 countries, we provide physicians with a social platform that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on demand access to physicians via a suite of propietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners and the medical community at large.
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To explore our exclusive business solutions, please visit us at sermo.com/business or email us business@sermo.com
