Uniting Healthcare Providers, Pharma, and Payers: Boost Patient Experience, Increase Medication Adherence, and Drive Better Health Outcomes

By: Mallory Doppmann, Sr Account Executive

 

In today’s healthcare ecosystem, patients face a growing number of challenges that affect their ability to adhere to prescribed treatments. The impact of medication nonadherence is staggering—it accounts for up to 50% of treatment failures and contributes to rising healthcare costs, increased hospitalizations, and even preventable deaths. While each stakeholder—healthcare providers (HCPs), pharmaceutical companies, and payers—plays a vital role in patient health, a united effort is required to improve adherence and boost patient experiences.

To address these challenges effectively, these three key players need to collaborate on a holistic approach to healthcare, leveraging technology, trust-building, and patient-centered strategies. Here’s how they can work together to enhance adherence and ultimately foster better health outcomes.

 

Strengthen Communication and Trust Between Patients and Providers

Patients’ trust in healthcare systems is eroding, exacerbated by controversies over medications, vaccines, and health policies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Distrust often leads to medication nonadherence, which poses a significant threat to public health. Pharmaceutical companies, HCPs, and payers need to come together to rebuild that trust, focusing on direct, clear, and empathetic communication.

HCPs already have an advantage: 93% of patients trust their own doctors to make the right recommendations regarding health issues. By improving the quality of these interactions—fostering open, two-way communication—HCPs can ensure patients better understand their treatment plans. This trust provides a crucial link that pharma and payers can leverage through aligned communication strategies. For example, consistent messaging between doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and insurance payers about the importance of medication adherence can reduce confusion and build patient confidence in their treatment regimens.

 

Leverage Technology to Personalize Patient Engagement

The key to fostering better adherence lies in meeting patients where they are—literally and figuratively. Patients today expect personalized, convenient care, and technology plays a crucial role in making that a reality. TeleVox’s Patient Relationship Management (PRM) platform, for example, creates tailored, omnichannel communication pathways that keep patients engaged with their healthcare journey. By utilizing tools like SMART SMS, voice interactions, and web chat, healthcare providers and pharma companies can reach patients through their preferred channels, delivering reminders, educational content, and scheduling opportunities.

Payers, too, can integrate with these systems to provide patients with clarity about their insurance benefits, coverage for medications, and other important financial information that can influence adherence. Seamless, technology-driven engagement fosters a sense of continuity, reducing care gaps that might occur due to missed appointments or delayed refills.

Focus on Education and Support to Address Barriers to Adherence

One of the major reasons patients cite for nonadherence is a lack of motivation, stemming from perceived inefficacy or misunderstandings about the importance of their medications. To counter this, pharmaceutical companies must work closely with HCPs and payers to provide comprehensive educational resources that emphasize the long-term benefits of adherence.

For instance, combining digital outreach (texts, emails, and web-based resources) with in-person consultation from providers helps reinforce the importance of medication and preventative care. Educational campaigns should not only focus on the immediate effects of missing doses but also highlight the broader implications for long-term health.

Payers, as part of this effort, can contribute by offering incentives for medication adherence, such as lower co-pays for patients who consistently follow prescribed treatment plans. They can also offer additional support to patients with chronic conditions by providing case managers who help guide them through the complexities of managing their health.

 

Enable Data-Driven Insights for Continuous Improvement

With more than 1.5 billion patient communications managed annually, TeleVox offers a valuable model for using data-driven insights to inform patient engagement strategies. Pharma companies, HCPs, and payers can share anonymized, aggregated data to better understand where gaps in adherence exist. These insights can inform targeted outreach, such as reminders for wellness visits or prescription refills, and help healthcare providers anticipate potential health risks associated with nonadherence.

By tracking patient interactions in real time, stakeholders can continuously refine their approach to improve health outcomes and the patient experience. For example, if a pharmaceutical company notices that adherence to a particular medication drops significantly after the first refill, they can work with HCPs to identify the reasons behind this trend and implement tailored interventions to support patients.

 

Collaborate on Patient-Centered Solutions

The ultimate goal of uniting pharma, HCPs, and payers is to place the patient at the center of the healthcare experience. Each stakeholder must view patient adherence not as an isolated issue but as part of a larger ecosystem of care. Through strategic collaboration, these entities can co-create solutions that are not only effective but also patient friendly.

TeleVox’s PRM solutions exemplify how this can be achieved by offering both digital and physical communication options. For example, a patient might receive a mailed postcard reminding them of an upcoming flu shot, followed by a text message that allows them to book an appointment with their provider. This consistent, multi-channel approach ensures that patients have the information and tools they need to stay on track with their healthcare, increasing adherence and improving outcomes.