Challenging the Status Quo: Paul Simms Sparks Debate on Patient Empowerment and Pharma's Future

Welcome to the second edition of our Cognitant interview series. Today, we're thrilled to have Paul Simms, the founder and CEO of Impatient Health, joining us.? Paul is a renowned figure in the healthcare industry and is often described as the pharma provocateur for rethinking and realising the huge unfulfilled potential of the life sciences industry.

Alex: Paul, could you start by sharing your thoughts on the importance of empowering people in their health journey?

Paul: Absolutely. Patient empowerment isn't just important; it's imperative. However, I believe that pharmaceutical companies struggle to be patient-centric due to competing interests. Arguably, behavioural science is just as important as clinical science when it comes to achieving real outcomes, and even placebos have a measurable effect! But pharmaceutical companies aren’t investing enough in understanding people.

I believe that the only long-term answer is for patients to take control of their health. One day (years, not decades from now) they will create personalised medicines based on their genetic makeup and preferences. Pharma's role will evolve to collate and process patient data for personalised treatments. While current cell & gene therapies cater to a select few, mainstream treatments, accessibility to personalised genetic cures would be groundbreaking.

Alex: What do you believe is the most significant impact that people empowerment can have on improving healthcare outcomes?

Paul: Well, in the near term, it's crucial for people (or patients) to become pivotal decision-makers. This shift not only dramatically aligns medical interventions with patient needs and lifestyles but also holds the potential for profound transformation. We've witnessed remarkable outcomes in the few patients on advanced treatments where this level of engagement has been possible.

Yet there are still enormous hurdles to overcome. Currently, the process of patient engagement within pharma companies is hindered by its sluggishness, costliness and bureaucracy. Engaging patients is often a slow and expensive endeavour. We can’t form real partnerships on that basis.

Moreover, while patients are recruited for clinical trials and occasionally brought on board as advisors during the R&D process, these relationships are often short-lived and lack continuity. There's a concerning lack of follow-through, with little to no feedback provided to patients regarding the impact of their engagement. This disjointed approach not only wastes resources but also misses out on valuable insights that patients could provide throughout the drug development lifecycle.

To address these issues, we need a fundamental shift in how patient engagement is approached. It must be end-to-end, with continuous involvement from the early stages of drug development through to product launch and beyond. Additionally, it should be more agile, focusing on responsiveness rather than simply speeding up processes.

Alex: Can you elaborate on the importance of agility in the context of patient engagement?

Paul: Agility is key to responsive partnerships and real patient engagement. Agility is not about speed, it’s a system for rapid feedback and co-creation of solutions, which is crucial in meeting evolving patient needs. This requires regular and meaningful interactions with patients, fostering a sense of partnership and co-creation. Ultimately, it's about making patients feel like integral members of the team and empowering them to be active partners.

Alex: How can organisations enhance their approach to people engagement, according to your experience?

Paul: Start with empathy and an understanding of behavioural science. Recognise people are not generally logical. Then, instead of merely listening, inspire them with innovative, provocative solutions based on what you have learnt from their needs and requirements.?

Customer leadership is about inspiring patients rather than simply listening to them. It involves understanding their fundamental concerns and using ingenuity to invent solutions they may not have envisioned themselves. Great inventors don't rely solely on market research; they understand their customers' needs and push the boundaries of innovation. For instance, consider the idea of a pineapple-flavoured oncology treatment. Rory Sutherland, an advertising guru, suggested that making medicine too ‘pleasant’ might make it seem less effective. But when I shared this sentiment with our industry there was huge resistance because it doesn’t appear logical or clinically sound. It's about challenging assumptions and thinking outside the box, taking patients on a journey of co-creation, and drawing insights from industries like fashion and tech.

Alex: Looking ahead, if you had a magic wand, what change would you make to accelerate progress in empowering people with their health?

Paul: I would instil a universal understanding among healthcare providers and policymakers about the necessity of a patient-first approach, but to remain curious as scientists are. Embrace uncertainty, prioritise patient needs, and foster experimentation to drive meaningful understanding.

Alex: Thank you, Paul, for sharing your insights and vision for the future of healthcare. It's been a pleasure speaking with you today.

Paul: Likewise, Alex. Thank you for having me.

This interview was held between Paul Simms, Impatient Health and Alex Merckx, Cognitant Group Ltd on 23rd April 2024