The answer is glaringly obvious: co-creation
Part 3 of 3 of our “Right Patient, Right Drug, Wrong Place” series.
Parts 1 & 2 of the “Right Person, Right Drug, Wrong Place” blog series largely centrered around the issues facing lung cancer (and general cancer) patients living in England. The need to embrace partnerships and engage could save lives. A striking figure in part 1 suggested that 800 patients a year could benefit from meaningfully prolonged survival in lung cancer alone — if the patient is fortunate enough to live within a “culture of care” where the local NHS emphasises active treatment for the disease.
The answer?
Read on.
There is precedence of Co-creation making a difference
Co-creation between pharma, advocacy groups, healthcare organisations and technological agencies are becoming more and more common place.
Healthcare, and in particular pharma, has learned from its mistakes in creating mobile apps designed around the companys’ core drugs rather than what patients need.
Good examples of co-creation are out there:
- PatientsLikeMe & UCB created an online, open epilepsy community — sharing stories for the patients and by patients, regardless of treatment
- GE & Kaggle created “Quests”, an open hospital forum for ideas to improve the health care system experience for patients and their families. Importantly, treatment ideas are not included; the focus is instead on non-medical operations that promote an improved health care system experience.
And in terms of Patient-Centred healthcare, one cannot look past the success of the Cleveland Clinic, both in terms of patient value but also keeping patient experience as a strategic goal, stemming from the 2004 Patient First program.
This program hinged on the online patient experience (which is a complete future blog in itself) and digital remains a key driver area.
This strategy was recently reiterated by Cleveland Clinic’s newly appointed CEO, Tom Mihaljevic, where the CEO used his platform to once again impress on his workforce of 57,000 employees to continue to improve healthcare using new technologies (AI, data analytics) as well as digital platforms.
It’s time to stop dreaming and start (co-)creating
On talking about his 2018 patient experience initiatives, Mihaljevic exclaimed “We need to dream big”.
Which is fine. But what to achieve world-class cancer outcomes in England by 2020 to ensure 800 patients a year benefit from meaningfully prolonged survival, what we need now is action.
Pharma can unlock some issues, once healthcare organisations get past the deeply ingrained mistrust issues from yesteryear. Advocacy groups are well placed to advise assessment bodies on the impact of therapies on a particular population. And technological agencies are chomping at the bit to help healthcare get up to modern technological communicative standards.
Now, more than ever, co-creation among these forgotten groups can lead the way and be the bastions of change in healthcare.
End of Part 3.
If you sit within pharma, work for an advocacy group, or just have a general interest in this blogs subject matter, drop us a line and let’s discuss.
Contact Sharaz via sharaz@www.indigomedical.co.uk
Missed parts 1 &2? Here are the links:
https://www.www.indigomedical.co.uk/2018/04/23/740/
https://www.www.indigomedical.co.uk/2018/04/27/achieving-world-class-cancer-outcomes-2020%E2%80%8A-%E2%80%8Ahow-realistic/
“Socialize your patient engagement strategy: how social media and mobile apps can boost health outcomes” by Letizia Affinito and John Mack.
For the patient advocacy perspective, check out: Patient value: Perspectives from the advocacy community (Addario et al. 19-Aug-2017) from Wiley online.
Photo credits
- Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash
- photo by Tobias Mrzyk on Unsplash