Redesigning a patient support program for complex conditions

How the evolution of a patient HUB removed barriers and improved access to treatment

The underlying objective of designing an excellent patient program is to help patients better manage their condition, improve medication adherence, and reduce complications and related costs. If the business model of a patient services program is not aligned with patients’ needs and the disease’s necessity, patients will not have the chance to benefit from the treatment’s full potential.

Acumetis has many years of experience building effective patient service programs for its clients.  Our patient support programs help clients transform and immediately bring value to patients with chronic diseases. This case study shares the evolution of a patient HUB which simplified access and removed the barriers to treatment for patients with complex conditions, reducing the number of patients who abandoned treatment.

The challenge

There were indications 90 days into the launch that there were some significant barriers for patients in accessing their treatment.

• 2 out of 3 patients did not have their medication 2 weeks after onboarding
• An average of 11 calls between case management team, payer and pharmacies over 7 days to get 1 prescription filled
• Patients quoted as high as $8,000 out of pocket for something that could be as little as $15 with the co-pay card

Reframing what’s possible

Over several months, we helped our client overhaul their patient support program from a predominantly self-service retail model to a full-service specialty model that better suited the needs of their patients with complex diseases. To get there we started with an analysis of the patient experience, identifying the friction patients were experiencing, then designing a program to overcome those barriers to access.

The design of the new patient support program included:

• Identifying new vendors for patient HUB
• Redesigning the fulfillment model
• Creating a platform to integrated insights into the patient journey and identify barriers to getting and staying on therapy

The results

The cost and complexity of specialty medications can create challenges for patients. The inability to access, afford and adhere can keep patients from the medications they need to get healthy.

The challenge of manufacturer-sponsored drug access and support services or hubs is that many patients are not aware of them.  In a survey of 10,000 patients, it was discovered that only one of five had even heard of support services.

When patients are supported, there is a clear difference in their health status which is because they have streamlined access, affordability options, and adherence assistance.

With the overhaul of their patient support program our client had measurable results:

1. Enhanced Visibility: powered by cutting-edge technology to work with real-time information – 3x greater data visibility
2. Streamlined Outreach: accomplish more with fewer touchpoints – 30% reduction in outbound calls to customers, connecting digitally whenever possible
3. Increased Delivery Speed: leverage technology & established customer workflows to work faster & smarter – 75% faster delivery of benefits/ cost information