In this PharmExec Q&A, Within3 expert Natalie DiMambro explains how companies can update their systems and strategies to ensure they’re reaching diverse audiences.
Barriers to the industry: “The biggest barrier that I see… is just the old ways of thinking. If you ever try to change somebody’s mind about something that they know and they know how to do well, there has to be an impact from doing it a different way. Our job, from the technology side, is to make sure that we’re not just coming up with a tool that serves us but has an impact on the way that they work so that they can test it, pilot it, understand it, and then potentially overcome that barrier of old thinking.”
We want to make sure that we’re measuring impact, so that it does make sense and we’re not just taking on a tool to prove a point. If the tool isn’t effective, that can be a challenge.
How patients aren’t being included: “A lot of organizations have set up patient centricity-focused initiatives and patient advocacy teams. Often, they’re listening to patients after they’ve developed the protocol, education material, the visual aid, the plan. Where I see they’re not being listened to enough is early in development, and that can be across any of the verticals.”
It’s not just the compassionate path you should be taking, it’s good business…It can save millions of dollars if you get the patient input on the protocol side earlier on.
Read the article to learn more about how current outreach methods are falling short, how technology can amplify more diverse voices, and how to boost the role of patient advocacy in advisory board settings. You can also learn how patient-focused drug development supports patient centricity on our blog.
Natalie DiMambro is Vice President of Product Commercialization and Training at Within3.
