The use of social media by biopharma companies including data, insights and recommendations.

1. Social Media & Health
Insights & Findings
Richard Meyer
http://www.worldofdtcmarketing.com

2. What do we know from the data?

3. 72% of U.S. adults living with chronic
conditions use the internet

4. Collecting health information
online is a journey

5. Social media is part of the journey
to collect health information

6. But there are concerns within
the industry..
Pharma budgets are under more
scrutiny as patent expirations and
higher costs of drug development
erode profits/sales.

7. And pharma is not considered a
digitally mature industry
Capgemini
classified
33%
of
pharma
companies
as
digital
beginners,
which
it
described
as
companies
that
are
several
years
away
from
realizing
the
poten8al
of
digital
marke8ng.

8. Yet pharma is planning to
spend more on social media

9. However the use and benefits of
social media for health varies by
demographic segment

10. And only 6% of traffic to
pharma websites comes from
social media

11. And pharma is moving very slow to
embrace social media
•
•
•
•
•
Pharma companies have higher hurdles to use social
media in part because of regulatory requirements and
constraints outside of the U.S. to reach patients directly.
Early movers are testing the waters with an educated
trial and error approach.
Establishing the means to respond to online
interactions and manage the large volume of social
media data are essential first steps.
Assessment of social media ROI is best done in context
of the overall marketing and communication strategy.
The growing volume of digital interaction, both through
mobile devices and social networks, is creating an ever
greater stream of data for companies to access.
However, analyzing this data within the right context
and generating relevant business insights remains a
major hurdle.
h8p://www.forbes.com/sites/edsilverman/
2014/01/21/tweet-­‐this-­‐pharma-­‐sBll-­‐fails-­‐to-­‐
embrace-­‐social-­‐media/

12. The FDA has issued
draft guidelines
•
The FDA has proclaimed it is acceptable to promote a product on
company controlled forums and channels. It is also acceptable for a
company to promote their products on third party sites such as Twitter
and Facebook.
•
Per the FDA ‘A firm is responsible for product promotional
communications on sites that are owned, controlled, created,
influenced, or operated by, or on behalf of, the firm.
•
On an ongoing monthly basis, companies will need to provide the FDA
with a list of the social networks they are active on and the date of their
most recent activity.
•
For content and promotions on closed or private channels, companies
will be required to submit screen shots of any and all activity. Examples
of this would be a protected Twitter account or groups on Facebook or
LinkedIn that are not open to the public.
•
The FDA’s definition of Interactive Promotional Media lends itself very
well to what digital marketers categorize as ‘native’ advertising.

13. But do patients want social
media engagement ?
•
•
•
•
•
The usage and presence of social media channels is rising, though still lags
among the population segment that utilizes healthcare services the most:
patients over 65 years of age, and those with multiple chronic conditions.
Digital activities are currently highest in areas with the least healthcare impact.
Social media channels are diverse, provide different user experiences, and are
subject to rapid shifts in use.
The role of social networks in healthcare is critical throughout a patient’s
journey, and demand by patients for support is high, with social media
expanding on the habit of discussing healthcare with family and friends.
In the U.S., interest in specific diseases receives the greatest amount of
attention in social media relating to healthcare, followed by lifestyle changes,
health insurance details and safety information.
Report
by
the
IMS
InsBtute
for
Healthcare
InformaBcs.

14. Conceptual viewpoint
of digital activities

15. Social media requires trust to
be effective with patients
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The internet is increasingly becoming the first source for general and specific health information. Current estimates are that
between 70 and 75% of people online in the U.S. seek healthcare information. In addition, 42% of respondents to a U.S.
survey said that they had used social media to find out about a healthcare issue, nearly 30% had supported a
healthcare cause, 25% had discussed a health related experience, and 20% had joined a health community or forum.
Unsurprisingly, most online health seekers (77%) begin their pursuit of information through search engines.
Wikipedia is a prominent source of online health information compared to the other online health information
providers studied. But a survey of patients with multiple sclerosis found 28% reported that it took a lot of effort and felt
frustrating to search for relevant information, 40% were concerned about the quality of information and 20% had problems
understanding the information
Healthcare is generally utilized the most by patients over the age of 65 where chronic diseases are more common and are
often accompanied by other conditions. However, social media is still generally utilized more by younger age cohorts, in
contrast to web-based information sources and more familiar communication tools such as email. Recent surveys indicate
that 89% of 18-29 year olds use social media compared to just 43% of people aged 65+.
Age is one of the few differentiating factors for the usage of social networking sites, where usage is less dependent
on gender, education, income or other forms of social advantage.
The healthcare information that patients look for on social media and the internet varies. The most searched for terms
relate to specific diseases, usually affecting the person in question or a relative.
Those seeking information are more likely to turn to conventional digital sources, while those in need of emotional
support will be more drawn to social media platforms.
Source: Engaging patients through social media. Report by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.

16. But trust in social media for
pharma is low

17. Does social media
really drive brand objectives?
•
•
•
87% of respondents reported the need for
help in measuring a return on investment
(ROI) for their social media marketing.
Conversely, in the same survey 86% agreed
that social media was important to their
business.
One explanation that is often proffered is that
a social media ROI cannot be measured
directly in terms of absolute sales or even
the number of “likes” but requires a more
nuanced view of the benefit of customer
interaction, including the quantity and
quality of followers, the number of
comments, likes and shares, the reach to
targeted demographics, the sentiment of
comments and buzz, and ultimately the
change in brand perception.
Source:
Engaging
paBents
through
social
media.
Report
by
the
IMS
InsBtute
for
Healthcare
InformaBcs.

18. Wikipedia is the leading
social media site for conversion
to an Rx
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Wikipedia is the leading single source of healthcare information for patients and healthcare
professionals.
Visits to Wikipedia pages are higher for rarer diseases than for common diseases.
Wikipedia is used throughout the entire patient journey, not just at the point of treatment initiation
or change in therapy.
Correlation between Wikipedia use and medicine use can be identified for a large number of
disease areas.
Younger people tend to investigate conditions and treatment options online before treatment is
started whereas patients of age 50+ tend to start their treatment first and then seek information
online thereafter.
Content incorporated or changed at healthcare related Wikipedia pages is subject to constant
change, often overseen by informal or formal working groups.
At least half of all healthcare related changes on assessed Wikipedia disease articles are
changes to patient relevant information.
Source:
Engaging
paBents
through
social
media.
Report
by
the
IMS
InsBtute
for
Healthcare
InformaBcs.

19. Top Wikipedia health articles
(Last 12 months)

20. Qualitative Research Findings

21. Objective-Methodology
Objective:
• Find our why people are using social media for health and its impact on
healthcare treatment decisions.
Methodology:
• Quantitative/Qualitative research throughout the U.S. 2,013 (n=3255) with
online health seekers.

22. Key Findings
ü Social media is becoming a bigger part of the journey to collect online
health information.
ü The use of social media for health is divided into two key areas; the search
for information on current treatments and emotional/spiritual support
for those with chronic conditions.
ü Online health seekers are consuming the content on social media but a
smaller percentage actually post on social media due to privacy concerns.
ü Caregivers are also turning to social media for support.
ü While there is a sharing of information most users verify findings on
third part sites (low trust).
ü Some social media communities are very active in talking about new
treatments on the horizon (MS,Type-1 Diabetes, Cancer).

23. Social media is becoming a bigger part of
the journey to collect online health
information.
•
•
•
•
•
Consumers will visit a wide variety of health
sites to learn all they can about health
conditions, treatments and quality of life issues.
How much time they spend is contingent upon
where they are in the healthcare treatment
model.
Women will spend more time than men
gathering information but caregivers, both men
& women, will get enough information to help
them alleviate the stress of taking care of a
loved one with a chronic condition.
Some people on social media can be
considered “influencers” in that they spend a lot
of time answering questions of others and
directing them to online resources.
Patients use social media because they feel
only “people like me” can provide valuable
information.

24. The use of social media for health is
divided into two key areas
•
•
•
The search for information on current treatments and emotional/spiritual
support for those with chronic conditions.
The search for current treatments varies by health condition but key
concerns are safety (quality of life) and cost.
Patients reaching out on social media are also looking for empathy as they
feel that a lot of HCP’s really don’t address their concerns.
– “I just want to be heard and assured that what I’m going through is part of the recovery
process”.
– “Doctors don’t listen, they seem indifferent to my needs as a person”.
•
More people will use social media for health but actually will only consume
the information, not participate, because of privacy issues.

25. Recommendations

26. Biopharma Marketers
1. Conduct qualitative research with your audience to learn their health
informational needs.
2. Listen to current social media conversations to learn what patients are
talking about and publish high quality information on your website to
address these needs.
3. Wikipedia is a proven channel for converting patients to an Rx. Update
the information through your KOL’s but be transparent.
4. You can integrate patient communities into your website but make
sure that users do not divulge any personal identifiable information.
5. Start building capabilities now. Become an organizational influencer
and explain how and why patients are using social media to make
healthcare treatment choices.
“The conversations are happening. Don’t you want to be part of the
quest for information ?”

27. About me…
•
•
•
•
Healthcare Digital Marketing
Professional with 15 years of
experience.
Author of World of DTC Marketing. Com
Editorial Board PM 360 Magazine
richardameyer@me.com