Post-marketing research is a critical phase in the pharmaceutical lifecycle. It’s where you gather real-world evidence (RWE) to understand how your product performs outside the controlled environment of clinical trials. But to truly capture the patient experience, you need more than just claims data and electronic health records (EHR)—you need patient engagement.
At Inspire, we’ve seen how engaging patients in post-marketing research can transform your understanding of product performance, safety, and real-world outcomes. Here’s how patient engagement can enhance your post-marketing research efforts:
1. Why Patient Engagement Matters
Post-marketing research relies on real-world data, but traditional sources like claims and EHR only tell part of the story. Patient engagement adds a critical layer of context by capturing:
- Patient perspectives: Understand how patients feel about their treatment, including satisfaction, side effects, and quality of life.
- Unmet needs: Identify gaps in care or areas where patients need more support.
- Emerging trends: Capture real-time feedback on how your product is being used and perceived in the real world.
For example, if patients in Inspire’s diabetes community report challenges with a new injectable medication, this feedback can inform post-marketing research and guide product improvements.
2. Enhancing Safety Monitoring
One of the key goals of post-marketing research is to monitor the safety and tolerability of your product. Patient engagement can help you:
- Identify side effects: Capture real-world reports of adverse events or side effects that may not have been detected in clinical trials.
- Understand patient experiences: Learn how side effects impact patients’ daily lives and treatment adherence.
- Respond quickly: Use real-time feedback to address safety concerns and communicate with regulators.
For instance, if patients in Inspire’s multiple sclerosis community report unexpected side effects from a new treatment, your team can investigate and take action to ensure patient safety.
3. Improving Product Use and Adherence
Post-marketing research also focuses on how patients use your product in the real world. Patient engagement can help you:
- Understand adherence challenges: Identify barriers to adherence, such as complex dosing schedules or side effects.
- Refine patient support programs: Develop resources and tools to help patients use your product effectively.
- Optimize product design: Use patient feedback to improve packaging, delivery methods, or instructions for use.
For example, if patients in Inspire’s asthma community report difficulty using a new inhaler, your team can explore design changes or provide additional training materials.
Post-marketing research is most powerful when it includes the patient voice.
4. Demonstrating Real-World Value
Post-marketing research is also an opportunity to demonstrate the real-world value of your product. Patient engagement can help you:
- Capture patient-reported outcomes (PROs): Show how your product improves symptoms, quality of life, or treatment satisfaction.
- Support market access: Provide evidence of real-world benefits to payers and regulators.
- Build trust with stakeholders: Show that your decisions are grounded in real patient experiences.
For instance, if patients in Inspire’s rare disease communities report significant improvements in symptom management after using your product, this data can strengthen your case with payers.
5. How Inspire Supports Patient Engagement
Inspire’s platform connects you with millions of patients in condition-specific communities, providing access to real-time, actionable insights. Here’s how we help you engage patients in post-marketing research:
- Surveys and focus groups: Gather targeted feedback on product use, satisfaction, and outcomes.
- Real-time monitoring: Capture ongoing conversations about your product to identify trends and emerging issues.
- Data linkage: Combine patient feedback with claims, EHR, and other sources for a comprehensive view.
For example, a pharmaceutical company could use Inspire’s platform to conduct a post-marketing survey on a new rheumatoid arthritis treatment, gathering insights on effectiveness, side effects, and patient satisfaction.
Conclusion
Patient engagement is the key to unlocking the full potential of post-marketing research. By capturing the real, unfiltered experiences of patients, you can enhance safety monitoring, improve product use, and demonstrate real-world value.
Ready to transform your post-marketing research? Contact Inspire today to learn how our platform can help you engage patients and achieve your research goals.