Patient Communication ROI Is Major Opportunity for Life Science Brand Teams

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, Apr 06 (MARKET WIRE) --
Patient outreach and education has become one of the most important
channels for drug and device companies to communicate product value. But
many companies struggle with how to accurately track their return on
investment (ROI) for patient communication programs. According to survey
data, only half of brand teams formally measure ROI for patient
communication strategies.

The data, published by Cutting Edge Information,
(http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/patient-communication), underscore the
difficulties associated with measuring ROI. It is often tough for teams
to clearly link their patient education efforts with commercial results.
For example, most teams build patient education campaigns with the goal
of encouraging new prescriptions. When a brand sees an increase in sales,
however, it can be difficult if not impossible to isolate the impact of
patient communications on those improvements.

An inability to show success can lead to declining resources and create a
cycle in which patient communication programs never reach their full
potential.

"Without good measurement and communication of positive results,
under-investing in patient education is a common mistake," said Jason
Richardson, president of Cutting Edge Information. "Life Science
companies have faced a particularly turbulent period in the last several
years, just as Patient Communications has become one of the most
important communication channels. With a relatively new and often
unmeasured strategy, too many companies won't spend on the programs."

The study asked about a wide variety of potential ROI measurements.
However, most brand teams boiled their measurement down to five or fewer
metrics -- many of them qualitative, or "soft," measures that do not
directly link patient education to critical commercial metrics.

Working with scarce resources, brand teams know it is critical to show
clear ROI to management and colleagues. A handful have found ways to make
this connection, and effective patient education vendors provide concrete
ROI as part of their services.

"Many of the groups in our study are frustrated with their metrics or
aren't measuring at all," said Richardson. "We advise every team to put a
formal ROI system in place. It's challenging, but there are tools out
there that make it possible."

For more information on the strategies and key metrics brand teams use to
most effectively measure and communicate Patient Communications ROI,
visit: http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/patient-communication/?download

MEDIA CONTACT: Stephanie Swanson
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