Enabling Two-Way HCP Engagement

Jun 30, 2022 | Alexandre Raynaud

If you engage with healthcare professionals (HCPs), you know how essential it is to put yourself in their shoes to understand their communication preferences. After all, the most successful relationships are built on consent and meaningful interactions. That’s why pharma companies need to rethink their approach and respond to HCPs on demand to stay connected in a new, compliant way.

With the rise of omnichannel engagement, companies have been experimenting with a mix of in-person and virtual channels to interact with prescribers, including portals, webinars, and apps. But the reality is that with each pharma company managing its own set of touchpoints, it’s becoming more complex for HCPs to access personalized information at the right moment.

A recent report shows 87% of HCPs want all virtual or a mix of virtual and in-person meetings with reps even after the pandemic ends. Given these changes in HCP communication preferences and needs, it’s time for pharma to adopt a more personalized approach to interacting with doctors.

Flexible two-way communication

Shifting your engagement with HCPs from traditional one-way communication to a flexible two-way communication channel is becoming increasingly important. Whether it’s requesting samples, asking product questions, or scheduling meetings, HCPs need to get the information they need when they need it. There is no one-size-fits-all approach for engaging with doctors, but flexibility and personalization of communication are top factors in doctor satisfaction with pharma.

Fortunately, digital solutions that meet strict life sciences regulatory compliance requirements can help ease the transition to working in a hybrid world where two-way communication is becoming the norm. When HCPs can connect with the pharma industry via a single application, it eliminates the need to navigate each different company’s websites, apps, and phone numbers.

On-demand engagement

Frequently, HCPs want to discover product information, find an existing contact, or make new industry connections. For example, a doctor may know a rep but want to reach out and connect with a medical science liaison (MSL). It’s helpful for HCPs, pharma reps, and MSLs to have opportunities to chat about potential treatments.

The same is true when doctors are looking for specific brand and support information. It’s helpful to have a single tool where they can reach out, and you can respond to their requests for patient resources, content, or samples. As you learn about content HCPs have viewed within the brand pages, you can understand their interests and preferences. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure you can provide valuable information and meet doctors’ needs.

Digital engagement adds value

For field teams, staying connected with busy, hard-to-reach HCPs can be challenging in-between meetings. Many reps and HCPs find virtual meetings a highly effective option for periodic meetings because they allow more time to deliver in-depth information and engage in meaningful conversations. In fact, according to our latest Veeva Pulse data, the average virtual meeting duration across companies globally is 17 minutes—much longer than a typical face-to-face visit. And it’s why more and more companies are turning to hybrid engagement.

For example, a top 20 global pharmaceutical company is standardizing on Veeva CRM Engage to drive more valued interactions between its global field organization and HCPs. The solution helped them host more than one million remote meetings in 12 months.

Are you ready for two-way engagement?

As you consider the best path for your commercial teams, here are a few questions to consider when it comes to communicating with and supporting HCPs:

1. Can HCPs easily find your product information when they need it?
2. Can HCPs easily request samples and materials?
3. Are your field teams able to stay connected with HCPs between in-person meetings in a compliant way?
4. Can HCPs initiate contact with you and other reps to schedule meetings at their convenience?

Read our ebook, The New Rules of HCP Engagement, to learn more about how you can meet the needs of HCPs.