Patients prefer better outcome to brand in new treatments, says report

Vantage point: Insights from cutting-edge research

When launching products, pharma companies should focus more on evidence-based solutions than just the product or brand, according to a report from Accenture. Among the key findings in the report, titled “Product Launch: The Patient Has Spoken”, brands are not major influencing factors when patients consider new pharmaceutical products. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) patients said the product’s benefits — treatment outcomes — are more important than the brand itself, with 31 per cent citing a strong affinity to brands in a healthcare setting.

The report identifies the factors influencing patients’ consideration and selection of new treatments. Based on a survey of patients across eight therapeutic areas — immunology, cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, oncology, rheumatology, endocrinology and eye disease — the report is designed to help companies understand what will help them to launch new treatments successfully in a market characterised by more-complex specialty therapeutics, rising costs and an intensified focus on value and outcomes.

“Patients feel the treatment choices they make are often not based on the full picture, so there’s clearly an opportunity for companies to help bridge the gap in patient knowledge in new and meaningful ways,” said Boris Bogdan, M D, a managing director in Accenture’s life sciences practice. “This lack of knowledge extends to the services that support them in their product use. Our previous research found less than one in five patients are very aware of these services, but those who are used and greatly value them.”

Artificial intelligence is a game changer for personal devices

Artificial intelligence is a game changer for personal devices

Emotion artificial intelligence  (AI) systems are becoming so sophisticated that Gartner, Inc. predicts that by 2022, personal devices will know more about an individual’s emotional state than his or her own family. AI is generating multiple disruptive forces that are reshaping the way we interact with personal technologies.

“Emotion AI systems and affective computing are allowing everyday objects to detect, analyse, process and respond to people’s emotional states and moods to provide better context and a more personalised experience,” said Roberta Cozza, research director at Gartner. “To remain relevant, technology vendors must integrate AI into every aspect of their devices, or face marginalisation.” The current wave of emotion AI systems is being driven by the proliferation of virtual personal assistants (VPAs) and other AI-based technology for conversational systems. As a second wave emerges, AI technology will add value to more and more customer experience scenarios, including educational software, video games, diagnostic software, athletic and health performance, and the autonomous car.

“Prototypes and commercial products already exist and adding emotional context by analysing data points from facial expressions, voice intonation and behavioural patterns will significantly enhance the user experience,” said Cozza. “Beyond smartphones and connected home devices, wearables and connected vehicles will collect, analyse and process users’ emotional data via computer vision, audio or sensors capturing behavioural data to adapt or respond to a user’s wants and needs.”