2,314 exabytes
The estimated amount of health data that will be produced in 2020, according to the International Data Corporation. (one exabyte = one billion gigabytes)
CONTRIBUTOR
Will Seaton
Essential Insights contributor, healthcare writer
Featured expert
Jennifer Fillman
Healthcare industry expert
The volume of healthcare data is growing at an astronomical rate. Much of this comes from our devices, electronic medical records, claims data, clinical trial data, and now, even our genetic profiles.
Consider this: 153 exabytes (one exabyte = one billion gigabytes) of health data were produced in 2013 and an estimated 2,314 exabytes will be produced in 2020, according to the International Data Corporation.
So what can big data (large data sets that can be analyzed for trends and patterns) do for healthcare? The Stanford Medicine 2017 Health Trends Report said data “has the potential to make healthcare more preventive, predictive and personalized, meaningfully reduce costs and lead to better patient outcomes.”
In our previous big data article we focused on how data is being used by healthcare providers and pharmacists to drive better patient care. But pharmaceutical companies are also prioritizing data – not just for the research and development of new therapies, but also to better support the needs of both healthcare providers and patients throughout the treatment journey, particularly in the area of specialty care (the treatment of complex diseases like cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and HIV).
Why pharma companies have set their attention on improving the patient journey
Pharma markets have become more competitive, in large part due to the rise of generic drugs and biosimilars, according to the International Trade Organization. As a result, specialty care has been an area of growth. Drug Channels estimates that by 2020, nearly half of all prescription drug revenue will come from specialty products. In these niche therapeutic classes with smaller patient populations, it’s even more important to engage every patient possible.
At the same time, the shift toward value-based reimbursement is driving pharma companies to be more accountable for patient outcomes. In some new contracts with payers, the cost of the drug is only reimbursed if the patient responds positively to treatment. As a result, pharma companies are increasingly focused on ensuring that patients not only get access to therapy, but also take the right steps during the treatment journey to facilitate optimal outcomes.
Responding to these needs, pharma companies have looked to engage patients with programs to support them in their treatment, including adherence management, financial assistance, patient education and symptom management.
Yet, many programs offered by pharma companies have not reached their desired maturity, oftentimes for lack of insight into the behaviors and needs of patients.
Pharma companies often lack visibility into the treatment journey
Despite recent efforts to improve patient support programs, their impact has, in some areas, yet to be felt. For example, in a Cardinal Health survey of oncologists about patient education and adherence programs offered by pharma companies, only 8 percent said such programs are readily available, easy to use and effective.
One common challenge among pharma companies is that, historically, they have had little direct interaction with patients, typically relying on information provided by other stakeholders, such as providers, pharmacists and payers.
"There can be many patient barriers to care, such as financial constraints, a lack of access to transportation for appointments, confusion about enrollment in assistance programs or appealing to insurance companies,” explained Jennifer Fillman, vice president and general manager for Cardinal Health Specialty Services. “A lot of education needs to take place, but without a direct connection to patients, it can be difficult for pharma companies to know just where and how that assistance should be directed."
Patient data that could help fill those gaps — and help improve support programs — is, in theory, widely available. However, as the Harvard Business Review notes, it has been a challenge for companies to consolidate such data and translate it into actionable information.
In response, many pharma companies are looking to outside partnerships to help fill those gaps. Enter hub services firms, or patient services providers, which act on behalf of pharma companies as an interface with patients, providers, payers and the other stakeholders involved in patient treatment.
"Hub data is one of the most underrated data sources available to pharmaceutical companies," explained Fillman. "It is one of the few places where companies interact with patients, providers, payers and pharmacies simultaneously."
Bridging the data gap with hub services
To help meet the need for actionable patient data among pharma companies, Cardinal Health recently partnered with Deloitte to build a proprietary cloud-based technology platform, ConnectSource™. The platform enables Cardinal Health to collect critical data through the patient programs it delivers, then analyze the data and provide actionable insights back to its pharma clients.
Delivered through Cardinal Health’s Sonexus™ Access & Patient Support hub, ConnectSource™ is based on Deloitte’s ConvergeHEALTH Patient Connect™ software, which is built upon Salesforce's Health Cloud. The company hopes it will help pharma companies gain better visibility into treatment trends and understand critical issues, such as when patients are falling off therapy.
"To help improve patient support programs, pharma companies need to have a deep understanding of things like patient medication adherence, regional prescribing patterns, payer differences and specialty pharmacy performance," said Fillman. "It's our hope that our enhanced platform can provide companies with deep insight into these areas, as well as the tools needed to engage patients, providers and pharmacies directly with that information."
Moving toward data-led, patient-centric support programs
Ultimately, access to better data and insights leads to better patient programs, which lead to better patient outcomes.
And while these patient-centric programs are particularly relevant for specialty drugs today, in the near future, manufacturers of nearly all prescription products will need to adopt an increasingly patient-oriented approach.
That’s because pharma companies are recognizing that their success is inextricably linked to the success of the patients they serve.
