Patient Journey and Patient Centricity – II
In Part I, we discussed the patient journey in healthcare. Let us now see the importance of patient journey for a better outcome.
To start with, move away from thinking of ‘my brand’.
Think about the patient.
Somewhere down the line, Pharma India has lost the fine art of brand building.
Move from brand to service to patient experience – a differentiated experience – an experience which a patient loves.
From a pharma brand manager’s perspective, the power of patient journey mapping lies in its ability to help understand and affect a person’s experience as a patient.
Besides, the patient journey mapping is an essential tool that allows doctors to be better.
- Better at delivering care.
- Better at understanding the patient’s wants and needs.
- And better in aligning teams, including pharma brand manager, and to create an outstanding experience for patients.
The thread which runs in a patient journey is the communication of information, which may begin with a trigger event (like frequent urination and thirst) and extend through the patient’s evaluation of care (in a post-discharge survey or to friends on social media).
When there is a breakdown in communication, patients can feel weak, helpless and in danger.
This is the exact point where brand managers can and should contribute to a positive patient experience. In the end, patient experience builds loyalty. Move from brand to service to patient experience – a differentiated experience – an experience which a patient loves and adores.
How can you as a brand manager do that? A few tips.
1. Move from one time static interaction to a live and continuous interaction.
2. Develop a microsite for your brand and make it patient-centric.
3. Your microsite should ensure that it serves the needs of patients, 24X7.
4. Your microsite should possess vital information displayed in a manner in which patients find it easy to access and understand.
5. Have empathy for the patients. Include strategic calls-to-action which will make the patients comfortable.
6. Patient-centric brand microsite’s should help the prospective patients to be just a click away from what they need.
7. This will initiate mapping the patient journey and drive critical first impression to be positive and can also preempt a negative patient experience.
8. Ensure your calls to action are an impeccable experience.
9. Patients should be able to connect to the patient support group or to your organization. In case a patient support group does not exist, you as the brand manager can always initiate.
10. When the patients call, let them experience the ease of access. Ensure there are no long hold times and laborious steps.
11. Negative patient interactions often lead to poor or inconsistent communications.
12. Clearly communicate the next steps to patients. In the intent and experience phase of patient journey mapping, it is vital for you to make patients understand the step that may occur after a certain action. (Intent is the final decision on how to seek treatment, maybe scheduling an appointment with a health-care provider: Experience is the literal experience the patient has with your organization)
13. Have a clear communications protocol to guide patients through the scenario that may come next. This can make them feel important and enhance patients with a positive experience.
14. If you leave patients with a feeling of ‘what’s next?’, it can enhance feelings of uncertainty in the patient’s mind and a negative experience.
In sum, patient journey mapping is overarching. It is immensely beneficial for all – the doctor, the patient and the brand manager.