Switching Treatments: Pharma's Opportunity to Drive Action
What does it take to help people living with chronic conditions discover new, better treatments — and make the switch?
Identifying the “Open Treatment Switchers”
Pharma marketers can’t just wait for these open treatment switchers to discover their brand. They need a proactive strategy, founded on consumer understanding and education, to help more people — not just the most actively interested ones — find the brand's solution and take action.
Reaching the Right People at the Right Time
To reach this 43% group of open treatment switchers, pharma brands must first understand them. Where are they in their health journeys? What challenges do they face in living with their condition?
Reaching the Right People
at the Right Time to Drive Action
Even if someone is not actively searching for a new treatment, they may be looking for related information. By understanding why and when these consumers seek out health guidance, and the kind of resources that motivate them to act, we can provide tailored education and support — and give marketers a chance to make an impression, at the right moment in the journey to drive action.
Open Treatment Switchers Are Often 5+ Years into Treatment
New to your brand doesn’t always mean newly diagnosed. While pharma marketers often target consumers who are not yet on medication, we found that most open treatment switchers have lived with their condition for 5+ years.
Challenges
9/10
find some part of the treatment process frustrating or challenging.
Open Switchers
Active Switchers
What Kind of Treatment Education Drives Action?
To encourage healthy action, pharma marketers need to be a trusted source of insights and inspiration for open treatment switchers. That means understanding what this group looks for in health resources. The most popular answer? 56% of open treatment switchers prefer health resources written with clear, easy-to-understand language.
Help People Discover and Switch to New Treatments
With personas and data solutions built on consumer insights, you can reach the right people at the right time — including open treatment switchers.
The Attribute platform has shown that targeting personas based on journey stages and intentionality is 1.53x more effective than baseline at reaching a qualified audience.
The Stats Behind the Story
Angela's Story
Angela is among the 23% of open treatment switchers who experience side effects. She’s also concerned about long-term medication usage. She decides to talk to her doctor about her concerns. Before visiting, she checks Healthline.com to research her questions and prepare for her conversation with the doctor.
For open treatment switchers:
66% research potential side effects from medications they are prescribed
Half research long-term medication usage
61% talk to a doctor or healthcare professional for treatment information
Half visit health information websites like Healthline.com
Name
“I am actively looking for better treatment”
10%
“I’m open to new or better treatment”
53%
“I am happy with my current medication”
47%
said the stage before diagnosis and treatment was the most challenging part of their treatment journey.
6/10
Name
Condition
Takeaways
Education to Action
Consumer Insights
Introduction
Name
Condition
Name
Condition
Name
Condition
Name
Condition
Name
Condition
Name
Condition
Name
Condition
Name
Condition
Name
Condition
< 1 years
1-2 years
3-4 years
5+ years
6%
22%
14%
58%
“I am open to new or better
treatment, but not actively
looking”
43%
For open treatment switchers:
50% research the costs of prescribed medications
39% who say they are not actively looking nonetheless research alternative medications
40% say they learn about treatments from social media (75% from doctors or health experts; 72% from health or wellness brands)
The Stats Behind the Story
Zach finds himself among the 26% of open treatment switchers who are concerned about the overall cost of care, including visits, tests, and medications. He checks out a few health experts on Instagram to learn whether alternative options could be more cost-effective. Looking for better guidance, he researches his question and finds a relevant article on Healthline.com.
Zach's Story
MORE STATS
Top challenges include:
39%: Going to the doctor to get a refill
35%: Medication trial and error
34%: Diagnostic testing like blood tests and exams
MORE STATS
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Other treatment journey challenges include:
28%: Not experiencing relief from the medication
26%: The overall cost of care, including visits, tests, and medications
23%: Experiencing side effects from the medication
She’s experiencing side effects from her medication
Dig into the Data
Target Personas that Reflect Intention
Knowledge Leads to Action
Health platforms like Healthline Media offer resources tailored to address specific needs and preferences, like those outlined above — offering consumers a step-by-step path forward in their health journey. Marketers have an opportunity to be part of that path to action.
Health guidance motivates action when it speaks to consumer mindset and behavior. Zero- and first-party data signals offer unmatched visibility into content consumption patterns. This level of insight can reveal a powerful factor: consumer intention.
Consumer insights inform detailed personas that reflect consumer intention. With these chronic condition personas, such as “Treatment Switchers,” marketers can build awareness and motivate action at the right time — leading to better health outcomes.
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Turn Education to Action
Understand Consumer Motivation
Seize the Opportunity
Health education opens up an opportunity for marketers. Make an impression by aligning with consumers while they’re looking for related information. Even if someone is not looking for a new treatment, we know from surveys and data signals that they actively seek out health guidance about their condition and challenges.
To reach this group, starting with robust consumer insights is critical. Surveys and qualitative data provide an essential perspective on consumer mindset. In addition, zero- and first-party data signals reveal patterns in behavior and engagement that otherwise are hidden beneath the surface.
Most pharma marketers are already well-positioned to reach the 10% of consumers actively looking to switch medications. But you can’t afford to ignore the 43% who are open to switching treatments. The question is how to reach them most effectively.
About half of consumers who take medication are amenable to new or better treatment. However, most of these consumers say they are not actively looking for new options, even if they engage with other health content. How, then, can pharma marketers reach this group of open treatment switchers?
Click each person to learn more
% of people
open to switching
years into
diagnosis
He’s worried about the overall cost of care for his treatment
"I prefer resources that
help me understand what
to expect over the course
of my treatment."
“I am open to new
or better treatment,
but not actively
looking”
“I am actively looking
for better treatment”
Open Switchers
Active Switchers
"I prefer resources that are authored, reviewed, or
delivered by a healthcare
professional."
Open Switchers
Active Switchers
“I prefer resources that are easy to access.”
Open Switchers
Active Switchers
"I’ve looked up treatment
information because of
curiosity after seeing an
advertisement."
Click through to learn more
Turn Education to Action
Understand Consumer Motivation
Seize the Opportunity
Health education opens up an opportunity for marketers to drive action. Make an impression by aligning with consumers while they’re looking for related information. Even if someone is not looking for a new treatment, we know from surveys and data signals that they actively seek out health guidance about their condition and challenges.
To reach this group, starting with robust consumer insights is critical. Surveys and qualitative data provide an essential perspective on consumer mindset. In addition, zero- and first-party data signals reveal patterns in behavior and engagement that otherwise are hidden beneath the surface.
Most pharma marketers are already well-positioned to reach the 10% of consumers actively looking to switch medications. But you can’t afford to ignore the 43% who are open to switching treatments. The question is how to reach them and drive them to act.
SOURCES: Healthline Media Patient Experience Survey. April 2024. N=526; 1.53x Healthline Media Attribute Platform Internal Data Q1 2024.
“I am open to new or better treatment, but not actively looking”
“I am open to new or better treatment, but not actively looking”
“I am open to new or better treatment, but not actively looking”
“I am actively looking
for better treatment”
“I am actively looking
for better treatment”
“I am actively looking
for better treatment”
Active Switchers
Open Switchers
Active Switchers
Open Switchers
“I am actively looking
for better treatment”
“I am open to new
or better treatment,
but not actively
looking”
“I am actively looking
for better treatment”
“I am open to new
or better treatment,
but not actively
looking”
“I am actively looking
for better treatment”
“I am open to new
or better treatment,
but not actively
looking”
“I am actively looking
for better treatment”
“I am open to new
or better treatment,
but not actively
looking”
“I am actively looking
for better treatment”
“I am open to new
or better treatment,
but not actively
looking”
“I am actively looking
for better treatment”
“I am open to new
or better treatment,
but not actively
looking”