For most of the general population, the pandemic is starting to feel like it’s a thing of the past. However, while most of us have found a sense of normalcy within our lives, the healthcare system is still reeling from its effects thereby impacting healthcare workers within it. What is the impact on Canadian physicians? What are the current consequences of the pandemic on their personal and professional lives? More specifically, how does this all impact the management of their workload? MD Analytics surveyed 50 family medicine physicians and 90 specialists on the topic of their professional and mental state 3 years after the onset of the pandemic.
Celebrating 20 years of MD Analytics!
We are sometimes reminded with stories, movies and books that companies have an origin too. It must have started somehow. Someone must have had a vision or an idea and then worked hard to get it going.
MD Analytics is no different in this way and its story follows its own certain path with many team members supporting the company’s growth and quality deliverables throughout the years. At the forefront is the CEO, Tyler Hassman, a fourth generation Canadian, born in Saskatchewan who migrated to British Columbia in the late 90’s; where he held several sales positions during the “dot com” days and met other ambitious soon-to-be entrepreneurs along the way. Working long hours tirelessly and then meeting with friends after work to talk about business was the way he spent most of his days. Day after day, year after year working and evolving along with the business.
Celebrating 20 years of MD Analytics!
We are sometimes reminded with stories, movies and books that companies have an origin too. It must have started somehow. Someone must have had a vision or an idea and then worked hard to get it going.
MD Analytics is no different in this way and its story follows its own certain path with many team members supporting the company’s growth and quality deliverables throughout the years. At the forefront is the CEO, Tyler Hassman, a fourth generation Canadian, born in Saskatchewan who migrated to British Columbia in the late 90’s; where he held several sales positions during the “dot com” days and met other ambitious soon-to-be entrepreneurs along the way. Working long hours tirelessly and then meeting with friends after work to talk about business was the way he spent most of his days. Day after day, year after year working and evolving along with the business.
The new standard: Physicians and pharma companies now meet in-person and remotely
COVID-19 caused significant shift in interactions between physicians and pharmaceutical companies. Most hospitals and medical offices limited visitors to patients, personnel, and caregivers when necessary. This made it necessary for pharmaceutical companies to focus more on virtual and digital interactions to continue outreach to their key stakeholders. At MD Analytics, we have been monitoring these trends. In our latest poll, we surveyed 50 US-based PCPs and 109 specialists on the topic.
In-person and remote meetings between doctors & pharma companies now standard
Since its initial onset, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on how physicians interact with pharmaceutical companies. Government restrictions forced companies to quickly adapt and move to more remote forms of interactions. While in-person interactions are once again a viable option for communication, will they return to pre-pandemic levels? MD Analytics has been monitoring these trends over the past few years and we have recently interviewed 50 Canadian GPs and 90 Canadian specialists in our latest survey on the topic.
Are remote consults here to stay?
With COVID-19 about to enter its 3rd year, it continues to significantly impact the lives of Canadians and the practices of HCPs in the country. Even though it has not been easy, physicians have continuously adapted how they manage their patients and how they interact with key healthcare stakeholders during the pandemic. MD Analytics has been monitoring these trends over the past few years and we have recently interviewed 140 physicians in our latest survey on the topic.
Will remote consults be the norm?
We have all experienced changes in our work since COVID-19 – some of these changes are certainly for the better. Physicians are no different and have experienced significant changes since the start of the pandemic. We surveyed 159 physicians in the U.S. (50 primary care physicians and 109 specialists) to see how things compare to pre-pandemic for them. Workloads initially went down for physicians as patients were hesitant to come into the office and postponed appointments and regular screenings. Both primary physicians and specialists think their workloads are now close to pre-pandemic levels and expected to further increase in the coming year.
Physician Interest and Participation in Market Research
Market research plays a fundamental role in helping those involved in the healthcare market answer key questions about their brands. Gaining insights from healthcare practitioners is central to market research. However, engaging physicians to participate in research can be a challenge. While most of the surveyed physicians say they enjoy participating in market research studies, in practice, physicians self-report participating in less than half of the number of studies they are invited to participate in. Real-world experience from our panel says the response rate is even lower. With this in mind, we asked Canadian physicians to help us understand what motivates them to do market research.
Engaging Physicians in Market Research
Market research is critical at so many stages of product lifecycles as well as one of the tools to evaluate mergers and acquisitions. We know from our own recruiting efforts and experience with our panel providers that response rates to market research invitations tend to be quite low (often under 20%). We surveyed 150 physicians – 50 general practitioners and 90 specialists – to gauge how different factors impact their interest and participation in market research. Interest levels varied by type of study with the highest level of interest for online surveys.
How to Best Engage Physicians When Launching New Brands
Successful brand launches require engagement and education of the treating physicians. But how do you best engage physicians? We recently surveyed general practitioners (GPs) and specialists to ask them some pertinent questions.
Not surprisingly, interest in learning about new products is driven by potential improvements in long-term safety, efficacy, and quality of life. Lower on the list (but still important) are improvements in dosing and administration. Three-quarters of GPs (vs 55% of specialists) want to know about new products once they are approved and/or they have access. This is likely driven by the sheer volume of products and disease areas with which they need to keep track. Specialists are more likely to want to learn about a product during clinical development (44% vs 24% for GPs).
How the Pandemic Impacted New Pharma Product Launches
COVID-19 has certainly brought its challenges to all parts of our lives. We surveyed 140 US physicians (50 general practitioners (GPs) and 90 specialists to see how COVID-19 has impacted product launches. In order for product launches to be successful, treaters need to learn about the products in a timely manner and be convinced of the value they bring to them.
Roughly one-third of physicians (similar proportions of GPs and specialists) said they have initiated fewer patients on newly launched products during the pandemic. The reasons cited for this decrease include: fewer interactions with pharma, reduced patient volumes, and patient reluctance.
Discover How Physicians Want to Learn About New Treatments
Engaging prescribers is a key component to the launch of any new brand. But what are the key components that drive interest for physicians in learning more?
Overall, physicians express greater satisfaction when learning about new products through in person interactions compared to virtual or digital interactions. However, regardless of how they learn about new product, the types of resources physicians prefer are similar. The top most preferred resources for both GPs and Specialists include presentation at conferences, discussions with peers, educational events that include KOLs or treatment areas experts, presentations by lead authors, journal clubs and discussions with Pharmaceutical reps. While a majority agree (66%) they are more likely to engage with reps or MSLs to discuss new products or indications, more physicians agree (87%) they are more likely to meet with a rep or MSL with whom they have an established relationship.
Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on New Pharma Product Launches
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on physicians, including how they learn about and integrate new products into their practice. While not all saw a decline, close to 1 in 3 Specialists and close to half of GPs say their use of newly launched products declined during the pandemic, primarily due to a lack of pharma presence, reduced patient volumes overall and just a general lack of comfort using new products.
The Performance of Patient Support Providers During The Pandemic
We surveyed 152 physicians in the U.S. to gauge their opinions on Patient Support Program (PSPs) providers during the pandemic. Physicians surveyed include GPs, Hematologists, Medical Oncologists, Rheumatologists, Pulmonologists, Endocrinologists and Infectious Disease Specialists. Overall perceptions of PSPs compared to before the pandemic have generally improved – especially in terms of responsiveness and the expertise of individuals working on PSPs.
Pandemic Impact On Patient Support Programs
PSPs play a significant role in ensuring that patients have the best possible experience during their journey – especially in specialty therapeutic areas where treatments tend to be more expensive. The pandemic has made it more challenging for patients to access support and services for their medical conditions. This has put additional pressure on company-sponsored PSPs to further enhance their offerings to help patients in the best way possible.
PSPs have become increasingly important for patients since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result now have an even more significant influence on physicians’ treatment selection process. For the most part, physicians acknowledge that PSP providers have adjusted well to the new reality brought forth by COVID-19. About a third even think that PSP providers have improved their performance since the onset of the pandemic.
How Patient Support Program Providers Adjusted To The Pandemic
Physicians feel positive about how Patient Support Programs (PSPs) have evolved in the past two years – especially in terms of responsiveness and the expertise of individuals working on PSPs. The main unmet needs at this time remain the range of service hours and the availabilityof nurses remotely (either by phone or virtually). Many specialists believe that biosimilar PSP providers have struggled more than originator drug PSPs since the onset of the pandemic – mainly because of they do not have as many employees and offer a smaller range of services.
COVID-19 Impact on Patient Support Programs
Patient Support Programs (PSPs) play a significant role in ensuring that patients have the best possible experience during their journey – especially in specialty therapeutic areas where treatments tend to be more expensive. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it more challenging for patients to access support and services for their medical conditions. This has put additional pressure on company-sponsored PSPs to further enhance their offerings to help patients in the best way possible. PSPs have become increasingly important for patients since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result now have an even more significant influence on physicians’ treatment selection process.
In-person Interactions With Pharma Will Return
While the vaccination campaign in the U.S. is progressing, COVID-19 continues to significantly impact healthcare practices. As knowledge about the virus evolved during the pandemic, physicians and other HCPs have continuously adapted how they manage their patients and how they interact with key stakeholders. Half of the physicians surveyed expect to see increased workloads as 2021 draws to a close. Patient volumes continue to inch closer to pre-pandemic levels and requests for diagnostic testing along with treatment switches have now exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
MD Analytics has been monitoring these trends and we are excited to share with you our new downloadable infographic on this topic.