A multi-platform approach: the future of patient services

Andy Graves and Dr Clare Moloney of IQVIA discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital patient services and how future deployment alongside traditional methods could offer the best of both approaches. They outline how the momentum developed in the utilisation of digital solutions during this period can be built on to create meaningful patient services.

All stakeholders in the delivery of patient services had to react quickly in response to the pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, the overall industry trend had been building towards creating patient-centric, personalised initiatives providing care-management support to individuals across therapeutic indications, states Andy Graves, product and strategy director, patient support and adherence practice at IQVIA.

With the onset of the pandemic, when the need to augment traditional care models became urgent, it was necessary to launch digital-enabled services to support people to manage health conditions safely from their own homes. The challenge facing all stakeholders will now be how to leverage learnings from the rapid rollout of remote engagement, determine the most impactful elements and create a robust evidence base for future service evolution and scale-up.

A key philosophy for developing these patient support services going forward will centre on the idea that one size does not fit all and how to successfully engage with the person living with a health condition on an individual basis. To achieve this, the industry is listening closely to patient associations and communities to learn what services suit particular groups and also how best to support family members and care partners, as often they form an integral part of care, but have different needs to the patients themselves.

• Read the full article in pharmaphorum's Deep Dive digital magazine