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Direct-to-Consumer
Programs:
Content Is Key to Increasing Sales
Direct-to-consumer
(DTC) and direct-to-patient communications will not deliver
unless they answer the question: "What
does the consumer really need?"
That was the message of Consumer Health
Information Corporation President Dorothy L. Smith, Pharm.D.,
to a "town meeting" of media and health care agency leaders.
Practical
content means increased sales
"It comes down to  knowing
what patients need to know, and how to put it into words they
will understand," Smith said.
- Listing side effects in complicated
medical terms can confuse or frighten the patient. This
can lead to lost sales.
That's where Consumer Health Information
Corporation is unique. We are internationally recognized as
content experts in patient education.
"Studies show that 97% of patient information
materials can't be understood by the average consumer," Smith
said.
- The average reading level of U.S.
consumers is between grades 6 and 8. Yet a random sample
of DTC ads we evaluated shows that almost all of the Patient
Labeling information is written at the grade 12 to 16 reading
level.
"That is disturbing," Smith said, "because
the vast majority of people will never be able to understand
them, and the opportunity to effectively promote your product
is lost."
Content is the key to DTC programs
that deliver a good ROI.
"Simple" Words Can
Be Confusing
Even
if your patient information materials pass readability tests
with flying colors, that is not enough. They must be understandable.
A person may be instructed to eat less
"red meat." These words seem simple, but many consumers don't
know what foods are classified as red meat.
It's far more complicated than using
simple words! Our team of clinical experts know how to deliver
your message so it is readable and understandable.
How
Many People "Think"
They Are Allergic to Your Drug?
Your
patient information materials must clearly explain the difference
between a drug allergy that requires professional intervention
... and side effects that can often be managed effectively
by the patient.
 More
than one-third of patients confuse true allergic reactions
to a medication with such common side effects as nausea, diarrhea,
and dizziness. Many health professionals also fail to make
the distinction between true allergies and expected side effects.
What does
this mean for a product manager?
The
patient may stop taking what is actually an appropriate and
effective medication—possibly for the rest of their life.
Or the doctor might switch them to a different medication.
A well-designed patient information
program can prevent this from happening.
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