The Future of Digital Engagement: An HCP Perspective

Jun 16, 2024 | Sebastien Noel

Biopharma is seeking to apply the Goldilocks principle to interactions with healthcare professionals (HCPs); that is, delivering the ‘just right’ ratio of personalized digital, in-person, and hybrid engagement.

HCP preferences reflect their needs for flexibility and convenience, fast and valuable interactions with experts, and innovative yet practical AI and technology integrations. Likewise, companies using digital channels have realized significant efficiency gains, but also value the role of face-to-face meetings in building trusted relationships.

A Veeva roundtable poll of pharmaceutical representatives shows that they expect up to 50% of HCP interactions to be digital in the near future. The potential advantages include saving time on meetings without compromising the quality of interactions, expanded access to customized content, and improved ability to engage key opinion leaders (KOLs) in relevant areas.

Federico Fanti, head of commercial operations at LEO Pharma, summarizes: “The pharma industry transformed its customer engagement channels post-pandemic, and we now see a preference for digital interactions.” As Dr. Camilla Nero, an HCP at the Policlinico Universitario Fondazione Agostino Gemelli in Rome, commented during the discussion: “I am confident digital engagement will exceed 50% of interactions with HCPs one day. We are going digital in all aspects of life, and HCP digital engagement is becoming the norm.”

Moving to digital as the default

HCPs’ preferences for digital engagement should be considered in the context of other healthcare innovations underway. Physicians are adopting AI and new technologies for ambient documentation, administrative automation, diagnostic support, and more.

Yet, change is required for biopharma to deliver on HCPs’ escalating expectations. Progress entails ensuring field teams have the data, strategies, and tools to respond to customers’ digital preferences. Effective engagement strategies have a clearly defined role for in-person meetings, as well. Dr. Nero points out that their purpose is to create and reinforce trust in the relationship.

“Certainly, there is a future strategic role for in-person meetings, particularly at the start of the HCP-rep relationship, where both sides need to build credibility. I can also see a role for face-to-face when trying to evolve the relationship or where there are issues to address. But other everyday interactions could happen through digital tools, including sharing insights around new products and clinical trials, as it is more convenient to access information in this way.”

Foundations for digital excellence

With unprecedented HCP openness to digital engagement, companies should seize the opportunity to evolve their strategies. Here are three key steps to delivering an effective approach:

• Customer segmentation: Counteract assumed knowledge within the field force with customer data. Update the organizational understanding of HCPs’ channel preferences, by role, demographic criteria, therapy area, region, and stage in the adoption curve.
• Tailored messaging: Field teams need access to compliant, customizable content delivered across channels, markets, and regions. AI surfaces relevant and personalized material for them proactively or in the moment.
• Synthesized scientific insights: Remote conferencing technology has widened access to international conferences, but HCPs struggle to stay ahead of the latest trends in their therapy area. Deep data about KOLs and relevant insights about their activities are powerful in understanding their interests.

As Fanti observes, “With digital engagement, we can create connections between KOLs and doctors across the world, allowing them to expand their networks into different countries.”

Fewer touchpoints, driven by data

HCPs are reshaping interactions around their preferences. Biopharmas require robust data to rally stakeholders around a continuously changing engagement model influenced by AI and other innovations. Commercial operations leaders say the next priority is leveraging AI to help guide teams in taking the right next action and delivering personalized, relevant content to customers, exceeding their expectations for each experience.

Fanti concludes, “We need to make sure that we continue to provide valuable insights that embed these channels while improving the customer experience delivered to HCPs.”

Decisive break from the past

Individual customer preferences and the overall relationship dynamics should determine the most effective content and channel for each HCP. This approach will feel like a decisive break from the past, resulting in fewer touchpoints that facilitate the exchange of information and access to KOLs.

But opting for a digital-first approach will create more impact. Dr. Nero concludes, “We will see a significant change in engagement strategies. If companies offer digital tools to provide scientific information, there can be no doubt healthcare professionals will see the value.”

Watch how Boehringer Ingelheim activates its field force for HCP-centric engagement. .