Patient Support Program

What is Patient Support Program?

A patient support program is a categorized approach to reaching out to your patient/customer, where a marketing professional possessing authorization to data, receives and collects information relating to the use of its medicinal products.
There are multiple names for this program based on who you’re referring talking to, like the Patient Assistance Program, Patient Services, or Patient Solutions. The Patient Support Program (PSP) have now become an essential part of the programs for pharmaceutical companies. This is going to be a groundbreaking and highly successful program with its increased ability to deliver top-notch patient outcomes, besides playing a prominent role in strengthening the relationship between a patient & the healthcare professional.

Most of the Patient-level Support Programs Fall Under One of the Following Categories:

Information Collection Survey :

To collate information on patients diagnosed with chronic and other long-term diseases through a survey program and conduct a study on the obtained data.

Disease Education & Lifestyle Management :

To help patients understand their medical condition and impart knowledge by inculcating a sense of understanding on how to manage his/her chronic disease, either by a change in lifestyle through (regular workouts or a change in diet plan).

Medication Adherence :

To provide timely support and help patients take their medications & use medical devices as prescribed by the doctor

Financial Assistance :

To provide assistance with financial aid subsidy and cater readymade reimbursement settlement plans as a support service for patients

What is the need for the Patient Support Programs?

Before we dig in deeper to know how “Patient Support Programs” are classified, created, and implemented on the ground, it’s very important for us to know “the need for their existence”.
The rehabilitation time or the post-patient care is a key element of the care continuance which has progressed over time, more importantly for chronic disease patients where the biggest task begins once they are diagnosed with a chronic condition.
The main objective of the patient support program is to make sure that compliance and adherence to the prescribed care protocol are ever followed, which is very critical to the chronic disease patient’s quality of life.

The Major Reasons for Weak Compliance and Non-adherence to Lifestyle Post-diagnosis of Chronic Disease :

Patients forgetfulness to take the prescribed medicines on time
Complicated rules & formalities of care that are not easy for a patient to follow
It can be very difficult for the aged patients to self-administer and follow a regular self-care regime Medical rules, regulations, and policies vary from country to country and may drive care costs for a patient if insurance is very complex
Medical rules, regulations, and policies vary from country to country and may drive care costs for a patient if insurance is very complex
Patient’s beliefs on the non-effectiveness of adhering to the medication procedures

Types of Patient Support Programs That Pharmaceutical Companies Looking for :

The Patient Support Program was commonly known as a patient assistance program. However, as the needs of chronic patients developed and increased each day, Patient Support Programs have also grown from strength to strength. From transaction-based assistance to a holistic program, that now covers counseling and educating the patient, to providing financial aid assistance, clinical interventions, and much more.

Below are a few examples of Patient Support Programs befitting all the needs of
Pharmaceutical companies.

Financial Assistance Program:

Co-Payment Management

Claims Support

Loan Management

Prior Authorization

Education & Counseling Program:

Home Nurse Visits

Outbound Calls/Reminders

Inbound Support Line

SMS Reminders

Technology-Enabled Engagement Program:

Remote Patient Monitoring

Artificial Intelligence

Patient Info Apps

Clinical Support & Intervention Program:

Drug Administration

Home-based clinical support

Medical Tests

A “Patient Support Programmes” can make all the difference that we need for a chronic patient. It’s not just about how a patient feels after taking the drug, but their entire experience when receiving treatment continuum. That’s why building relationships and understanding people is the core principle of our work ethics.