Now more than ever, evidence-based patient support content available via trusted outlets is a critical component for enhancing patient education and engagement. With the emergence of digital health technology, patient platforms are becoming increasingly powerful as they offer the potential to improve the patient experience and streamline the workflows of healthcare providers. Studies indicate that patients are eager for educational resources, with between 84% and 89% of patients expressing a desire for content within their patient platforms, and many planning to use these resources frequently.
Patient education is paramount in empowering individuals to take an active role in their health and treatment decisions. Well-informed patients are better equipped to manage their conditions, adhere to treatment plans, and engage in meaningful discussions with their healthcare providers. This is especially critical in complex therapeutic areas where understanding the intricacies of the disease and its treatment options can significantly impact outcomes. Unfortunately, current healthcare systems and patient platforms are not adequately addressing the needs of patients, with 46% saying they did not have access to reliable information during their early-stage diagnosis and treatment.
Recognizing this need, brands are investing heavily in developing patient resources tailored to these therapeutic areas. However, despite these significant investments, a crucial question remains: Are these resources truly making an impact? Are they effectively engaging patients and providing the support needed, or are they simply adding to the noise?
We will delve into the effectiveness of current patient support content, exploring the challenges of engagement, the role of AI in personalizing and enhancing content, and the types of content that resonate most with patients and caregivers. By examining these factors, we aim to uncover how brands can ensure their investments in patient resources translate into meaningful, impactful support.
Challenges Brands Face with Providing Patient Resources and Content
Lack of Patient Engagement
One of the significant challenges brands face is the lack of patient engagement with the resources provided. Often, patient resources are pushed out without effective engagement strategies, leading to a disconnect between the availability of resources and patient interaction.
For example, data indicates an average of only 47% of patient resources are actually used, highlighting a significant gap between the availability of resources and their actual use. Although many patients report wanting educational resources and believe they would use them frequently, this does not translate into high levels of engagement with the provided content. This discrepancy suggests that simply offering resources is not enough; brands must develop and implement strategies to actively engage patients and encourage consistent use of educational materials.
Insufficient Support for Caregivers
Another critical challenge is the insufficient support provided for caregivers. Caregivers play a vital role in the treatment process, often acting as the primary source of support and care for patients with complex conditions like those in neurology and oncology. Despite their significant role, current patient resources often fail to address the unique needs and challenges faced by caregivers. A notable 78% of caregivers have indicated that they want educational resources. However, the available resources frequently overlook the specific information and support caregivers need in order to perform their roles effectively. This oversight can lead to caregivers feeling overwhelmed and underprepared, ultimately affecting the quality of care they can provide.
“We’ve often seen brands direct their focus primarily around patients when drafting out their content and engagement strategies. It isn’t until they see low content engagement numbers that they start to consider that maybe caregivers should be their primary focus.
When it comes to engagement and education, it is imperative to fold caregivers into the mix. Caregivers typically need as much education and support as patients do, especially those who are stepping into the role of a caregiver for the first time,” states Valerie Stachurski, RxPx’s General Manager of Content and Marketing.
Addressing the needs of caregivers is essential for a holistic approach to patient support, ensuring that both patients and their caregivers are well-informed and adequately supported throughout the treatment journey.
Bridging the Gap
To bridge the gap between resource availability and actual engagement, brands must rethink their approach to patient and caregiver support. For example, studies have shown that only 28.8% of patient platforms send relevant educational resources based on a patient’s medical information. Without personalized and curated content, it is understandable why engagement is so low.
Creating relevant and high-quality content is only one part, while employing innovative strategies to ensure these resources are effectively utilized is the other. Personalization, interactive content, and ongoing feedback mechanisms can help in making patient support content more engaging and impactful, ultimately improving the overall healthcare experience for both patients and caregivers.
How RxPx and AI Enhance Patient Support Content and Engagement
Personalization and Tailoring
AI is revolutionizing patient support content by enabling highly personalized and tailored experiences. AI can analyze vast amounts of patient data to create content that is specifically relevant to individual needs. For instance, RxPx employs AI to map individual user and community needs to patient platform tools, and community data mining mechanisms to understand patient needs and where they require additional support. By leveraging AI, we can deliver care with empathy, compassion, and understanding through scalable personalization, addressing unique patient needs effectively.
Predictive Analytics
AI-driven predictive analytics play a crucial role in anticipating patient needs and preferences, allowing for more relevant and timely content delivery. Predictive models can analyze historical data patterns to forecast what information a patient might need next, thereby improving engagement.
For example, our Intelligent Content Recommendation Engine uses predictive modeling to provide data-driven content recommendations. This tool assists overworked healthcare providers in offering trusted educational content, thereby ensuring that patients receive the most relevant information at the right time. In our Oncology case study, we learned that providing personalized educational content and insights to address patient concerns resulted with 70% of patients digesting at least 4 educational health programs.
Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
We have seen the implementation of AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants significantly enhance patient engagement. These interactive and responsive AI systems provide real-time support, answer questions, and guide patients through their treatment journey. RxPx’s AI Cognitive Behavior Triage Assistant and AI Nurse Assistant are prime examples of how AI can be used to offer immediate support. These tools not only help in managing symptoms and side effects but also ensure patients feel supported throughout their treatment, increasing their overall engagement with the provided resources.
A Scalable Personal Touch
Platforms such as RxPx’s patient platform incorporate the presence of a real-life community manager who is there to foster discussion and engagement, while highlighting the availability of educational resources. RxPx Community Managers have a deep understanding of the patient experience, as they are either Nurses, Pharmacy Students, certified Counsellors, or even peers that have been through treatment for the same disease. Whenever a new article or resource is uploaded into the platform, the community manager will post it in the main feed, invite patients to review the material and ask engaging questions to start a thoughtful discussion. We spoke with RxPx’s General Manager of Marketing, Valerie Stachurski, about how this can transform the patient experience.
“Incorporating humans into the patient education mix while leveraging digital tools is an excellent way to gauge whether your content is truly making an impact. While backend analytics provide precise data on content consumption, interactions between Community Managers and patients regarding a specific piece of content can be invaluable to determine the true impact of each piece,” Stachurski says. “For example, a patient can say to the Community Manager something such as ‘I wish this piece had more detail about preparing for my appointments.’ Our Community Managers and content teams have regular interactions around how content is being received in our platforms at a patient or caregiver level.”
Types of Effective Content
We developed a content strategy mapped to each stage of the sickle cell patient journey in an effort to increase both patient acquisition and engagement within a digital patient community. As a result of creating personalized content that met each individual where they were, engagement increased from once a week to three times a week.
Attaching specific engagement dashboards to in-platform content enabled us to discover that there was an increase of patients completing tailored programs that support their patient journey. And while executing a personalized and well curated content program within the patient platform sees valuable results, it’s just as essential to understand how to use different types of content effectively.
Dynamic content refers to regularly updated and adaptable content formats that respond to patient interactions and changing needs. This type of content keeps patients engaged by offering fresh and relevant information continuously. Examples of dynamic content in patient support include interactive infographics, videos, and real-time updates on treatment options. RxPx utilizes generative AI to create new and unique content that adheres to medical, legal, and regulatory requirements, ensuring that patients always have access to the latest information. Influencer content, particularly from within the patient community, can significantly enhance the reach and impact of patient support resources. By sharing experiences and insights, influencers can create a sense of relatability and trust among patients.
At RxPx, we encourage the integration of patient testimonials and stories into our support platforms, helping patients feel connected and supported by their community. This approach not only fosters engagement but also empowers patients by showing them that they are not alone in their journey. For example, our Stronger Together app hosts a variety of patient communities that were developed to provide patients with a peer support network. Within these communities, patients can create valuable connections, receive coaching from HCPs, engage in evidence-based programs and more. The best part is if one patient finds a program or piece of content useful, they are likely to share with the community about their experience or findings, positively influencing other patients within the community.
How to Track your Content
Collecting and analyzing patient interaction data is crucial for measuring the performance of content and patient engagement. Tools and techniques such as AI-driven analytics provide valuable insights into how patients interact with content, what they find useful, and areas where improvements are needed. RxPx uses our AI toolkit to gather and analyze data, helping to refine and enhance patient support strategies continually. These insights ensure that the content remains relevant and effective, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Implementing feedback loops is essential for gathering insights directly from patients and caregivers. By incorporating their feedback, brands can adjust content strategies to better meet the needs of their audience.
RxPx integrates feedback mechanisms within our platforms, allowing patients and caregivers to share their experiences and suggestions. This direct feedback is used to continuously improve and tailor the support content provided.
Create Patient Support Content with RxPx
In an era where patient support content is paramount for enhancing education and engagement, it’s crucial to ensure these resources truly make an impact. Despite significant investments by brands, challenges such as lack of patient engagement and insufficient support for caregivers persist. However, RxPx offers innovative solutions that leverage AI for personalization, predictive analytics, and real-time support, and are paving the way for more effective patient and caregiver engagement.
RxPx’s AI-driven tools and tailored content strategies are designed to meet the unique needs of patients in complex therapeutic areas. RxPx ensures that patients and caregivers receive the most relevant and timely information, significantly improving their healthcare journey.
If you’re ready to see how RxPx can revolutionize your patient support content and engagement, we invite you to sign up for a demo. Discover how our AI toolkit can help you deliver personalized, empathetic, and impactful patient support. Transform your patient engagement strategy today with RxPx. Book your discovery call now and start making a real impact on patient support.