Podcast: Point-of-Care Messaging Discussed on MM&M with Damon Basch, VP @ Veradigm
Point-of-care messaging is changing rapidly and has been accelerated by COVID-19. Damon Basch, VP of Clinical Workflow Solutions at Veradigm, says that the marketplace for biopharma to engage in point-of-care messaging is growing more sophisticated. However, the shift has not negated the impact and relevance of direct communication through the EHR portal.
Point-of-care messaging is the topic of an MM+M (Medical Marketing and Media) podcast featuring Damon Basch, hosted by Larry Dobrow, executive editor for MM+M. In this podcast, the two discuss how biopharma marketers can best develop a strategy for point-of-care messaging to reach providers and HCPs.
The Value of the BioPharma Field Team
Basch covers many different aspects of point-of-care messaging. He talks about how recent changes have led to a greater emphasis on nonpersonal promotion, but adds, “It’s important not to discount the value of the biopharma field sales team and the personal relationships they have with healthcare providers.”
He also discusses how Veradigm clients’ have adapted to the disruption caused by the pandemic, such as the overwhelming increase in telemedicine. He notes that, since telemedicine and EHRs are integrated, this means that providers’ eyes are on their systems all day—which affirms the model of point-of-care messaging.
Learning the Ecosystem
Basch talks about the importance of being able to measure whether you’re speaking to the right doctor at the right time with the right message, how that relates to value versus scale in point-of-care messaging, and how marketers need to test vendors’ claims about who their messaging will reach. He says it’s “critical that any marketer learns the ecosystem, and also important to drill down to make sure that representations of scale and who their solution is touching is accurate.”
He explains that ultimately, you want to measure the results of your messaging. “I think those are some of the things that you need to consider when you’re looking at a comprehensive point-of-care strategy, where you want that reach and you want that efficiency, but you also have to make sure you’re targeting as efficiently as you possibly can. And that you can measure it, that you can look at that physician level and say, “We delivered this type of a message to this physician in this environment, treating this type of patient. What did it do?” That’s something not everyone is able to provide, but I think is a critical piece of understanding if your marketing dollars are being spent well.”
Creating an Effective Point-of-Care Messaging Strategy
How do you create an overall effective strategy for point-of-care messaging? Basch says the key is understanding the point of view and key objectives of any given brand. He explains that Veradigm works to earn the right to have those types of conversations with clients. It’s equally important to define reach, to know the right questions to ask, so you can test vendors’ claims.
To sum up, Basch says, “Let us help. We are here to, obviously, pair our solutions with pharma, but we’re also here to educate. When we educate first, what we do with our solutions is so much more impactful.”