U.S. consumers seeking medical advice are turning to medical websites, social media sites, online communities and informational websites -- often by using mobile devices -- in far greater numbers than the web sites of pharmaceutical companies, according to a survey.
Of the more than two thirds (68 percent) who go online for health information, 11 percent regularly turn to a pharmaceutical company's website to seek information about an illness or medical condition, compared to 92 percent who look to other online resources more frequently.
Pharmaceutical companies that are not fully leveraging multiple online channels are missing a real opportunity to address this captive audience. The fundamental shift from a predominantly one-way company-to-patient dialogue to enabling a patient-to-patient -- and even a patient-to-physician dialogue -- through the evolution of social networks and online communities, has resulted in fragmentation.
Sixty-nine percent of respondents expect pharmaceutical companies to provide information about the medical condition or illness for which they are taking drugs. To address that expectation, pharmaceutical companies must not only provide the right information, but upgrade their websites to create a more dynamic, interactive experience, demonstrate an understanding of their patients' needs, provide holistic solutions and clearly reinforce their brand identity in a two-way dialogue.
There will continue to be significant, disruptive innovations in the pharmaceutical sales and marketing model within the next five years driven by the creation of a more customer-focused business model, further cost-cutting initiatives and the quest by companies to gain a more competitive edge.
Comment from Tom Schwenger, global managing director for Accenture's Life Sciences Sales & Marketing practice: Pharmaceutical companies that embrace innovations such as social networking and communications via mobile devices and integrate and align their communication strategy across multiple channels will be positioned to have a much greater influence on their patients' choices and consequently, realize significant increases in revenue, profitability and sustained competitive advantage. While pharmaceutical companies are methodical in manufacturing their products, there is a clear disconnect in how they communicate with their patients. Companies need to reevaluate their marketing campaigns to ensure they are integrated across all patient touch-points and channels to meet customer demand for health solutions, increase trust and brand loyalty and enhance customer perceptions. The survey results clearly show that pharmaceutical companies must adopt a better understanding of their patient behavior through sophisticated analysis in order to fully capitalize on how patients interact with social media channels and websites. With only 11 percent of survey respondents saying they most often use a pharmaceutical company's web site to seek information about an illness or condition when looking online, pharmaceutical companies have a tremendous opportunity to better connect with patients through multiple digital venues in addition to their own website.
About the survey: The online survey was conducted by Accenture among 852 adult consumers in the U.S. between August 30, 2010 and September 3, 2010. The survey sample is representative by gender, age, and geography of the U.S. population. Consumers polled indicated they or someone in their household was currently taking prescribed medications.
Contact: http://www.accenture.com
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