Maggie Helmig
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Patient education materials may not be doing their job. Surveys show they have done little to improve patients' understanding
of their treatment regimens or to enhance the patient-physician interaction. In fact, half of all patients leave the doctor's
office confused about their treatment plan, and only 15 percent fully understand what doctors tell them, according to the
Center for Health Policy and Research. The familiar brochures, tent-cards, checklists, posters, and newsletters—mainstays
of physicians' offices and waiting rooms—serve as important resources for patients. But they often don't speak to patients
in a language they can understand. Full of jargon and promotional talk, they leave patients feeling uninformed and disempowered
when they should do just the opposite—stimulate a dialogue with doctors about available treatments and encourage patients
to take an active approach to their healthcare. While these direct-to-patient (DTP)materials represent an important opportunity
for pharma marketers, they desperately need a makeover.
Integrate the Message
Connect Physicians
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For marketers, the doctor's office or waiting room represents an ideal setting to reach patients. It is there that patients
are focused on their health and well being, and can immediately act on information they receive. If prompted by the right
communication tools, patients can use these materials to open a dialogue with their doctor about a product they just learned
about, and would have otherwise never considered. Therefore, a successful DTP campaign benefits from patient involvement and
physician buy-in.
Materials That Dispel Myths
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A recent campaign for a contraceptive exemplifies how patient materials can bring consumers and doctors together. The campaign
incorporates questions that patients can immediately relate to—focusing on whether the contraceptive they currently use represents
the best choice given their hectic lives—into office posters, brochures, and a physician questionnaire for use during office
visit. The poster prompted patients to ask themselves whether their method gave them the ease, convenience, and freedom they
craved. It hit a nerve with today's time-crunched women, prompting them to re-think an important health issue at the right
time and place—while waiting to see their physician. Meanwhile, marketers had filled in physicians on the latest data about
patients and contraceptive use. The program armed physicians with an office screener to help assess whether a patient was
a good candidate for the product; it also prepared them to answer typical patient questions. As a result, the company reported
strong sales and high levels of patient satisfaction with the product.
When Patient Materials Go Wrong
Creating effective patient materials can be challenging. Often developed from a traditional advertising perspective, materials
tend to sell and push, rather than support and guide patients. As a result, they often don't reflect what patients want to
know. They assume that patients understand pharma phrases and medical terminology, asking questions that patients aren't likely
to ask, and omitting information that patients may consider crucial. For example, phrases like "adverse events" and "presenting
symptoms" can be jarring and foreign-sounding. Despite more talk about health literacy, pharma materials have yet to embrace
this concept. Instead, they incorrectly assume that more educated patients find it easier to comprehend medical information.
But, unlike marketers and healthcare professionals, consumers—regardless of education levels—aren't steeped in health information
and jargon.
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