Almost 80 percent of healthcare companies have a digital strategy in place, with 94 percent of healthcare companies investing in digital health products and solutions. This represents one of the sector’s top investment categories – expected to have a significant direct and indirect revenue contribution in the short to long term. However, four out of five healthcare companies still see major challenges to generating uptake.
The survey, which includes responses from 60 industry experts and 257 healthcare professionals in the US, EU-3, and China, aims to identify the key success factors needed to generate uptake of patient-centric digital health solutions. The results reveal that the right set and synchronization of patient- and HCP-targeted activities represent the key to commercial success.
“In the past, building up internal market access capabilities of digital products and services was a top priority for healthcare companies. Now, the topic of uptake is moving to the center of conversations,” said Jan Bordon, Digital Health expert and partner at Simon-Kucher. “To achieve commercial success, companies need to diligently plan their go-to-market strategy – from obtaining market access to generating uptake.”
Obtaining reimbursement and coverage remain key determinants of an HCP’s likelihood to recommend and prescribe a product. Prescription likelihood drops by more than 70 percent if patients must pay full price out of pocket. To unlock the full uptake potential, achieving broad market access is a vital element in the go-to-market strategy of patient-centric digital health solutions – but no strategy should stop there.
Convenience, personalization, and the inclusion of goal-setting elements are the top three factors that ensure continuous and frequent usage by reducing friction and seamlessly fitting product usage into the user’s routine. Similarly, a tailored value proposition should account for HCP’s and patients’ concerns on topics like convenience, data protection, investment costs for use, etc.
The survey also found that 60 percent of healthcare companies rely on healthcare professionals as the most appropriate engagement channel. “Industry champions,” i.e., more successful medtech, diagnostics, and pharma companies in terms of revenue generation via digital products and services, use 30 percent more channels to engage with patients compared to “industry laggards”. At 83 percent, social media, television, and print are the key channels pursued by leading industry champions. Engagement via pharmacies and telehealth providers comes next at 50 percent.
About the survey:
The study was conducted via an online survey in 2022, with panelists recruited from an independent market research institute as well as clients and prospects of Simon-Kucher. In total, 60 industry experts and 257 HCPs with a regional focus on the US, EU-3, and China were interviewed.