Measuring the Impact of a Patient Support Program?

The healthcare industry has made rapid advancements in recent times. Among all the other healthcare programs and verticals, the importance and impact of Patient Support Programs cannot be overstated as they are a critical part responsible for ensuring patients receive the care, support, and resources they need. Optimizing patient support programs is key to ensuring that the best care is provided for a maximum number of patients.??

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Optimizing Patient Support Programs?

Evaluating the efficacy of patient support programs is crucial for optimizing resource allocation and refining program design to maximize patient benefits. This evaluation is guided by the program's specific goals, which primarily focus on ensuring patients receive the necessary therapy. Consequently, the success of these programs is measured by their effectiveness in achieving patient-centric outcomes.?

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Components of Patient Support Programs based on their effectiveness?

Beyond the traditional medical interventions, Patient support programs include a multifaceted approach to healthcare. They are essentially designed to address the needs of patients beyond the clinic or hospital setting. Whether navigating chronic conditions, managing medications, or overcoming financial barriers, PSPs aim to enhance the overall patient experience.??

Here’s a breakdown of the components that scream effectiveness:?

1. Personalized Care Plans?

Personalization is the cornerstone of effective patient support programs. By customizing care plans to meet individual needs, patients can receive targeted interventions that are more relevant to their specific care of treatment. Whether it's adjusting medication schedules or offering tailored lifestyle advice, the personalization that comes from patient support programs empowers patients by recognizing and supporting their unique health journey.?

2. Better communication channels??

Communication is key to ensuring successful healthcare outcomes. By establishing clear channels for communication between the patient and the healthcare provider, you can facilitate real time feedback and modify treatment plans and enhance the care for patients.??

?3. Medication adherence strategies?

Even if the healthcare industry is doing its duty of providing patients with the right treatment, there isn’t much use of it, if the patients do not adhere to the medication, post-treatment as this can drastically reduce the effects of the treatment. With effective patient support programs in place, it is possible to enhance medication adherence, including reminders, and educational resources, and address the root causes of non-compliance.??

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4. All-inclusive Educational Initiatives?

Knowledge is everything in the healthcare industry. It’s essential that patients understand the ins and outs of the treatment they are receiving, the medication they are supposed to take, and the effects it has on the patient. Understanding this can help them make informed decisions, contributing to better health outcomes.??

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ROI of Patient Support Programs?

The Return On Investment of Patient Support Programs is so much more than just financial return.??

By measuring the impact of the patient programs, pharmaceutical companies?

• Can convince internal and external stakeholders and investors of the value of their PSPs.?

• Can demonstrate that the program is running smoothly, making the right adjustments whenever necessary to produce better results.??

There are a number of factors you must consider to effectively measure the impact of a patient support program.??

• Number of patients in the PSPs?

• Number of nurses’ visits and digital contact points?

• Discontinuations and abandonments?

• Quality of life of the patient?

• Disease-specific factors?

• Therapy-specific factors?

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Measuring the impact of patient program outcomes?

Let’s consider a case study to help you understand the measurement of success of a PSP?

A pharmaceutical company with a treatment for multiple indications had enrolled about 500 patients in a PSP. By using innovative technology, the program provided patients with customized digital reminders to remind them of medication schedule, to capture details on their compliance (the percentage of doses taken as prescribed) and on their persistence (the number of days a patient takes a medication).?

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• IQVIA, used anonymized identifiers, to match 232 patients who were enrolled in the PSP with their prescription data in our Longitudinal Prescription database, which is drawn from a panel of retail pharmacies and contains over 10 years of historical data.??

• Three control groups were created. Those consisting of patients who were not participating in the PSP, but who were matched to the PSP group, i.e. the test group.?

• A thorough analysis was performed to measure compliance and persistence across the test and control cohorts.??

• To measure the persistence, Kaplan-Meier survival curves were created, in order to follow patients who started on therapy at different points in time.??

• To measure the compliance, a length of time between refills was looked into, as well as the number of packs purchased within a certain period, again comparing the test and control groups.?

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Results determined from the Case Study?

Compliance evolved over time for each group, but patients enrolled in the PSP consistently demonstrated higher compliance and persistence. Fewer patients discontinued their therapy due to a lack of efficacy, as they received the correct dosage from the outset.?

When examining compliance across different specialties, it was found that the difference between the test and control groups was smaller in one particular specialty compared to others. A possible explanation was that the severity of symptoms in that particular specialty motivated patients a bit more to adhere more closely to their prescribed treatment regimens, reducing the need for the reminders offered by the PSP.?

Therefore, the effectiveness of a PSP for any chronic treatment dispensed through retail pharmacies is no longer in question. By utilizing IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription data (LRx) and established analytical methods, we can provide clear and definitive insights.?

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Wrapping Up?

As we navigate the challenges of modern healthcare, patient support programs stand out as key drivers of positive change. By integrating personalized strategies, comprehensive education, and compassionate care, these programs pave the way for better patient outcomes. Embracing the transformative potential of effective patient support brings us closer to a healthcare system where patient well-being is not just an aspiration, but a reality.?

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