Pharmaceutical brand, payer marketing, market access, and managed markets teams: Is senior management confident in your health system/integrated delivery network (IDN) strategy and performance? Are you perplexed by less-than-stellar brand performance in this high-priority segment? Ask yourself, “Are my efforts diluted by calling on too many customers and not focusing on the right customers who can impact my business—specifically, those customers who can speed accurate diagnosis, identify appropriate patients, and deliver evidence-based care to produce brand results?”
Health System/IDN Dynamics
Health systems/IDNs have undergone significant integration and consolidation by acquiring and growing organized community practices. Up to 50% of specialty practices are aligned with hospital systems, either being owned or being a member of a health system. (Nikpay et al, 2018) Efforts now focus on becoming better organized and building new competencies in value-based care, standardized care/protocols, risk management, and population health while realizing cost efficiencies. Change has not been homogeneous across systems due to varying integration levels linking clinical, financial, personnel, and technology into a system that delivers quality cost-effective care.
Health System/IDN Performance Dilemma
While health systems/IDNs vary in their ability to deliver value-based care, pharmaceutical manufacturer efforts can be weakened by treating all systems equally. This includes creating large target lists and applying a traditional commercial model based upon reach and frequency of customer-facing functions such as key account managers, medical science liaisons, primary care, and specialty sales representatives. The first step to help strengthen your strategy is to ensure effective engagement by prioritizing health systems/IDNs with value-based capabilities to influence and impact brand results.
Aventria Health Group’s 5-Step Integrated Strategy
1. Rigorous customer segmentation and prioritization
2. Compelling brand value proposition
3. High-impact promotional assets
4. Account manager effectiveness
5. Detailed measurement plan
Each step of the integrated strategy is a critical element for a “winning” health system/IDN strategy. Disregarding even one step jeopardizes success.
Step #1: Start With Rigorous Customer Segmentation and Prioritization Health System/IDN Segmentation Evolution:
Includes sales potential as a key driver (ie, size of the business)
Demonstrates customer ability to influence and impact the business through value-based care sophistication components
Incorporates variables that predict differences in health system/IDN behavior and motivation
Helps identify investment and deploy tactics to discrete groups of customers and stakeholders based upon service line prioritization
Value-based Care Sophistication Components
Learn more about Aventria’s Product Assessment Success Strategy process and how we may help you develop a winning health system IDN engagement strategy.
Please reach out to:
Dave Dierk, Co-President, 30-year sales and marketing thought leader in pharmaceutical diagnostics, biomedical, long-term care, managed care, employer, and pharmacy communications, at 215-489-9000 x103 or dave.dierk@aventriahealth.com.
Paul G. Pochtar, RPh, 25+ years of experience in leading the successful commercialization of both primary care and specialty pharmaceuticals throughout their life cycle, including several landmark oncology products and other specialty therapeutics, at 215-489-9000 x118 or ppochtar@pinnaclehc.com.
Making a difference in patient care by helping patients, providers, and payers collaborate on shared priorities
— Dave Dierk is co-president of Aventria Health Group, and Paul Pochtar, RPh, is SVP of Pharmaceutical Commercialization and Access Strategies for Aventria Health Group.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not imply endorsement by Aventria Health Group.
Source: Nikpay SS, Richards MR, Penson D. Hospital-physician consolidation accelerated in the past decade in cardiology, oncology. Health Affairs. 2018;37(7):1123-1127.