It’s a simple question, regardless of what product or service you provide, are you getting your message out to patients and meeting your goals?
Perhaps you’re struggling to grow your social media following, the number of patients downloading your app has slowed, or are having difficulty figuring out creative ways to recruit for a clinical trial. On the other hand, you may be hearing that you should incorporate the patient perspective into a project, but don’t know where to begin. It’s daunting to jump head first into a new initiative involving patients without much guidance.
So where do you begin? And what are the best steps to take when engaging with patient communities on your products?
1. Find the right patients/advocacy organizations. This is much easier said than done. Whether you’re looking to target a specific disease community, or addressing a shared symptom across multiple conditions, finding knowledgable, connected and engaged patients is hard work. Proper vetting and due diligence in this area can be tough, especially if you’re unfamiliar with a particular disease space.
2. Form partnerships that are beneficial to both sides. Patient insights are valuable, and patients/advocacy organizations should be compensated like any other consultant your company hires for work.
3. Have a contract. Clearly defined expectations establishing objectives, deadlines, compensation, confidentiality and length of engagement are critical. Too often, patients and corporations are not memorializing their agreements, which results in missed opportunities.
4. Set benchmarks to measure progress. Some projects require learning as you go. Work with your team and patients to set up progress checks along the way. If you find you’re not meeting important milestones, readjust your execution. In many cases, you will need patient and participant feedback to see how you’re doing.
Patient engagement is so much more than just sharing photos and links on social media channels. Unfortunately, most healthcare companies miss the mark, and hire folks who fail to fulfill a full cycle of communication. Depending on your goals, your engagement strategies will differ.
If you’re looking to elevate your patient engagement and interaction, let’s chat!