The case for making a hub program switch

Patient hub services are a vital component of specialty patient care. The right combination of clinical support, technical know-how, operational expertise and tailored service can have a significant impact on quality outcomes.

However, poor hub performance can create a variety of issues — such as a backlog of patients ready to be enrolled — which can lead to delays in treatment and affect outcomes. Hub services are a significant investment. In the face of poor performance, pharma companies may ask, “Am I paying for inefficiency or maximizing value?”

Because patient support programs can be among the largest investments for a brand, both in terms of scale and budget, there can be reluctance to change partners. Considering the process of putting together an RFP, evaluating potential partners and navigating purchasing and contracting processes can feel impossibly time consuming and arduous.  Moreover, it’s estimated that a poor transition can lead to service disruptions and a potential loss of revenue. However, the impact of remaining with an underperforming partner, when patients are unable to initiate therapy or drop off due to lack of follow-up, can be even more costly in terms of both outcomes and the bottom line.

Read our case study about facilitating a patient support program transition »

By examining concerns about transitioning to a new partner, companies can ensure a more optimal experience for patients and brand team members alike and minimize potential issues:

• Disruption for current patients – Selecting the right approach for transitioning to a new partner can help to minimize disruption for patients, as well as HCPs. Instead of “flipping the switch,” where all patients migrate to the new hub at once, a more effective approach is to have the new partner begin with new patient starts, then later transition current patients. This can allow both you and the hub to pilot new processes and reporting before scaling up by adding in your existing patient base. In either approach, your partner can help you in preparing communications to your field force, patients and HCPs so that they understand the transition and feel confident in the continuity of care.
• Gaps in data and reporting – The loss of visibility to long-term program data and patient journey insights can make biopharma companies reluctant to transition their patient support program. Previous data insights shouldn’t “go dark” because you’re with a new partner. These potential risks can be addressed by data mapping to align terminology and business rules.  A savvy hub partner will connect with multiple stakeholders including the incumbent partner, internal stakeholders and specialty pharmacy partners to ensure connectivity of data feeds and their integration into dashboard and reporting.  In addition, spending time to onboard your team to the new system and how to use it can proactively address anxiety about a switch.
• Staffing up – How will the new partner staff a new program? What’s the company’s experience with hub transitions? It’s valuable to ask a prospective partner about their successes and lessons learned. As part of a new partnership, Sonexus™ Access & Patient Support recently hired over 125 associates over the course of eight weeks. Our ‘always on’ approach to training allowed these associates to ramp up quickly.
• Inexperienced program managers – Any new partner will likely need to add team members to their organization to support a new program; however, this shouldn’t mean that your team is comprised of entirely new hires. While you may hear assurances that your team will be comprised of the best associates, it can be frustrating when faces from the pitch aren’t even on your program once the ink is dry on the contract. Experienced hub partners will be in constant succession planning so that new business can benefit from tenured employees who are either ready for a new opportunity or to step up to lead a program, bringing with them the hands-on experience from another program. The long-term benefit of this approach is the reassurance that you won’t lose your core support team when a new client comes in the door.

While there may be uncertainty in switching hub partners, it’s important to also ask: what’s the risk of continuing with a partner that’s doing ‘well enough’ or worse, struggling?  In our team’s experience managing transitions, we’ve found that sometimes the process of switching reveals pre-existing issues, such as missing data and backlogged cases. While operational decisions like these are never taken lightly, it’s possible to improve both your business efficiency and patient outcomes by optimizing your partnerships. To see how Sonexus™ Access & Patient Support has helped other biopharma companies make the switch, read our case study.