Patient education is the process by which health professionals and others impart information to patients that will alter their health behaviors or improve their health status. Education providers may include: physicians, registered dietitians, nurses, hospital discharge planners, medical social workers, psychologists, disease or disability advocacy groups, special interest groups, and pharmaceutical companies.

In the current age of information, pharmaceutical companies are in need for ideas to educate patients about new products and techniques to combat diseases and disorders that they suffer from, all in the effort to gain patient advocacy.

Educating a patient brings with it important value additions to brand perceptions as well. In addition to brand perception, other values of patient education includes improved understanding of medical condition, diagnosis, disease, or disability, better understanding of methods and means to manage multiple aspects of medical condition, improved self advocacy in deciding to act both independently from medical providers and in interdependence with them, increased compliance – effective communication and patient education increases patient motivation to comply, patient outcomes – patients more likely to respond well to their treatment plan – fewer complications, informed consent – patients feel you’ve provided the information they need, utilization – more effective use of medical services – fewer unnecessary phone calls and visits, satisfaction and referrals – Patients more likely to stay with your practice and refer other patients, risk management – lower risk of malpractice when patients have realistic expectations.

The bio-pharmaceutical marketplace continues to evolve as new medicines and technologies create valuable market opportunities. It’s in this competitive and challenging environment that organizations with new diabetes products are scrutinizing their strategies and tactics to support market education for patients. Marketing professionals in major pharmaceutical companies can now use benchmark reports that equip them with better ideas to improve patient education.

The benchmarking reports deal with the types and value of medical education and marketing tactics used to inform patient groups about new therapies. The reports include quantitative survey and interviews that helped identify patient education strategies and tactics that organizations use pre- and post-launch.

Qualitative and quantitative data is presented across a broad array of educational approaches, from public relations and new technologies to advocacy groups and early access plans.

Marketing executives can use this research to compare their patient education strategies and tactics with those of leading organizations.

More Medical Coding Articles