Digital is transforming healthcare. In this omnichannel age, patients expect better experience while expectations are often not met. This gap calls for an evolution in patient journey and experience research.

1. 1
The Patient Journey Evolution
A Case Study
Alex Zhu & Bill Salokar
SKIM

2. Digital is transforming business and
Healthcare is no exception
2
70%
US consumers use a
digital channel to
manage health &
wellness
50%
US HCPs use 3+
connected devices
professionally
1/5
Top Pharma has a
chief digital officer

3. But Pharma is lagging behind
3 Source: Mckinsey
22
27
31 32
36
37
42
49
70-80
Global Average: 33
Distribution of Digital Quotient score by industry (global), points, out of 100
Public
Sector
Pharma Insurance Banking Media/
Entertainment
Telecom Retail Travel/
hospital
Digital
Leaders

4. Patients are
empowered with
more info and
choices than ever,
yet their
expectations
haven’t been met
What is avg. time of
a HCP visit?
4

5. Patients expect more and better experience
5
Personalized
communication
• Format
• Tonality
• Interface
• Localized
One-stop experience
• Trusted one-stop info
source
• Simple and easy
interaction
Personalized services
• Alert
• Patient support
• Beyond the pill /
holistic therapy

6. This calls for an evolution of patient journey &
experience research
6
Patient centric Small data + Big dataActionable

7. Patient-Centric
7

8. While it takes the patient perspective, traditional patient
journey is largely a treatment journey
8
Initial
symptoms
Self research /
management HCP visit Diagnosis
Initiation
Therapy
New treatment
choice
Evaluation or
treatment and
symptoms
Changing symptoms

9. What if we take a different starting point?
9
Denial Doubt Acceptance Control Doubt
Develop granular
patient stage profile
Focus on the stage-shifting
micro-moments

10. Case – an iterative approach starting with patient stage
profiles
10
Phase 2 (converge)
Phase 1 (diverge)
Informational
Emotional
Clinical

11. Informational, emotional, and clinical gaps
11
Initial Symptoms Diagnosis Disease management
Unaware Confused
Overwhelmed or
condescended
Skeptical and ill-
equipped
Left out
Self-conscious,
burdensome
Uneasy, alone Isolated, disempowered
Unprepared Delayed Prolonged No systematic approach

12. Actionable
12

13. Qualitative journey work tends to be descriptive but lack
focus
13

14. Making it actionable takes two level of
prioritization
14
Sub-journeys Key Moments

15. Considerations to prioritize a sub-journey
15
1. Where is battle ground? (e.g. first to market vs. 4th line)
2. Highly important to a brand with immediate commercial impact (e.g. new patient on-
board journey)
3. Limited clarity & existing knowledge for a sub-journey (e.g. pain points in starting a new
biologic)
4. Targetable with current marketing programs (e.g. patient support)
5. Preferably with measurable metrics (e.g. establish a baseline on-board experience
measurement and track the results)

16. Action guide
16
What (Content) Where (Touchpoint)
Acquisition
Retention

17. Case – convergence phase focuses on key moments and
key leverage points
17
Phase 1 (diverge)
Informational
Emotional
Clinical
Phase 2 (converge)
For each stage focus on
key moments
Identify key leverage
points for marketing

18. 18
Key influencers
Key leverage points
Initial Symptoms Diagnosis Management
Key Pt questions

19. Developing an ecosystem experience view centered
around patients
19
Family members
Primary care providersAHP
Specialist 2Specialist 1

20. Key leverage points along the journey
20
Initial Symptoms Diagnosis Management
Leverage Point: Explain what
disease is and what to do if
symptoms present in order to obtain
an earlier diagnosis
Leverage Point: Establishing a comprehensive disease
symptom management / treatment plan presents an
opportunity for the HCP to restore trust with patients
Leverage Point: Explains detailed
information in patient-friendly
language, but does not overwhelm.
Leverage Point: social support
to prevent isolation, and
resources for handling social
situations and employment.
Leverage Point: Disease education is needed to target
HCPs and help them recognize disease more quickly in
these patients. Specialist 1 should be targeted in
particular.

21. Small Data + Big Data
21

22. Looking forward – three areas for integration
22
Quantitative data EMR Digital behavioral
data

23. Quantitative OTC Journey
23

24. EMR
24

25. Digital Behavioral Data
25
Product Search Retailer Search
XXX Amazon
XX Walmart
YYY Target
ZZ Kmart
ABC Samsclub
CVS
Walgreens
Preceding Retailer Visit
Search
Engine
25%
Coupon
Site
13%
Other Retailer
Site
9%
Email
8%
Social
Media / News
17%
No Preceding
Activity
13%
Home Page
43%
XX Related
Product Page
21%
Web/App page
11%
Brand Page
9%
Ad/Deals/Special
Offers Page
2%
First Page visited at a Retailer
Search Terms

26. Rotterdam New York Atlanta London San Francisco Rio De Janeiro San Jose
26
A.Zhu@skimgroup.com
Alex Zhu Bill Salokar
B.Salokar@skimgroup.com