10 Innovative Trends To Engage Healthcare Professionals
As the healthcare segment is evolving over the period of time, innovative ways are emerging at the forefront not just for enhanced patient experiences but also to engage healthcare professionals-
1) Creative solutions to deepen interaction
Post COVID-19, it has been quite challenging to meet the physicians face to face. Hence, pharma companies are now exploring new-age channels that allow them to continue educating and engaging customers while respecting their individual interests and preferences. This includes sharing information through virtual calls, mobile apps, social media, and digital content that doctors can further share with their patients.
2) Integrated multichannel campaigns with customer journey
The pandemic paved the way for a surge in telehealth adoption. As a result, HCPs are now well versed with technology. Even doctors leverage the power of technology and online solutions to communicate with their patients. The reps no longer have to pay unannounced visits and wait to meet the doctors. The HCPs are able to request online samples, chat with a scientific liaison in a virtual conference, read a news article or research without interrupting their time with patients. The credit for this goes to technological innovations that the sector is gradually embracing.
The integrated multi-channel engagement approach helps the pharma companies to create a seamless experience for their HCPs with automated emailers and SMSs and ensure that they are involved throughout the journey. Industry estimates suggest that HCPs with established rep ties will be more attentive and engaged in reading emails. They will also attend more virtual meetings and spend all the more time in such e-meets as compared to their peers.
3) Targeting HCP through different devices
Another effective HCP marketing strategy is to tap them across devices. Industry research suggests that nearly 63% of HCPs are now ‘triple screen’ users (computer, smartphone, or tablet). Additionally, various recent Healthcasts’ reports demonstrate that physician use of smartphones and tablets to access information about new drugs has increased 133% over the last 5 years. Hence, it is encouraged to provide solutions that support multiple devices.
4) Data and Insights that help personalization
In some countries, there has been an exponential increase in remote detailing tools or platforms used to meet the physicians instead of the face-to-face meeting. To deliver superior experiences, some remote detailing solutions are even able to gauge the emotions of the physicians based on Artificial Intelligence. They further share alerts and real-time updates to medical reps and guide them on the mood-setting. These platforms also help the medical reps to filter and pull up information from cloud in real-time based on the conversation exchange. The entire communication experiences are delightful and promote better bonds as well as trustworthy connections between the HCPs and Medical reps.
5) Empowering KOLs to become Digital enabled KOLs
A majority of people consider the information coming ‘a person like me’ to be credible. Hence, working with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) is a healthcare digital marketing trend that everyone should pay attention to.
Because of the current digital trends, KOLs need to possess the requisite skills and knowledge to promote them online and build their brand through various online platforms. This is a completely different ball game altogether and once you build your popularity online or form a fan base online; then you can have growing popularity locally, regionally, and globally too.
6) Wearable sensors can make your brand a bigger player in treatment plans
Pharma can be a valuable part of patient engagement and treatment. Pharma marketers can play an important role in helping HCPs monitor their patients' conditions in between office visits using sensors and other hardware, and potentially detect indicators of an undiagnosed disease state.
7) AR/VR gives you more engaging ways to educate HCPs
Pharma marketers can harness immersive technologies for various purposes. The experiential technology provides successful indications that pharma marketers may use AR/VR to improve training and educate HCPs about their brands, resulting in increased engagement.
Visitors attending a pharma event booth spent an average of 10 minutes interacting with the content and brand when it employed AR and VR to convey scientific knowledge during a medical convention, up from only two minutes when no AR/VR was used.
8) Fascinating storytelling through videos and podcasts
Storytelling is yet another effective way to ensure that your messages resonate and stick around for long with the consumers. In fact, research by cognitive Psychologist, Jerome Bruner highlights this trend that information that is delivered as a story can be up to 22x more memorable than just facts. Hence, promoting brands through YouTube channel and podcasts are gaining popularity.
9) Online community building
We’re all now comfortable using Zoom and Teams. But even then, there are certain instances when we want to explain a point in detail, we find ourselves scribbling out the idea on paper and holding it up to the webcam in the middle of a meeting. We need the right tools to enable spontaneity and collaboration, similar to the role of a whiteboard when we were face-to-face.
10) Conveying the message using interactive games
Games are a tried, tested, and true way of grabbing people’s full attention and interest. They layer in motivators and mechanics and help ensure that the content stays memorable. Using interactive games or surveys help get better traction with the HCPs during in-clinic discussions. However, the game needs to be short and rewarding.
