Patients have always been the cornerstone of the life sciences industry, and improving their health has been the driving factor for innovation. This has increased in importance in the digital age, as it is now easier to track preferences, tailor treatments, understand a patient’s journey, and involve them in all aspects of their care. However, with this elevation of patient centricity comes a mandate: ensure the protection of patient privacy while delivering consistent and optimal experiences across all channels of engagement.
This commitment by the industry to understand and enhance the patient experience, throughout their journey, is reshaping patient data management. The why is vital: by managing that data successfully, patient satisfaction will be increased, their compliance with treatment plans will be maintained, and they will trust their personalized engagements. But how patient data is managed is also changing.
Figure 1: Knowing the patient holistically has become mission critical
The Evolution of Patient Data Management
Patient 360 is a foundational capability for holistic patient understanding. Traditionally, patient data was fragmented across a patient hub, patient support services, claims management, adverse events management systems, care management, and more. This fracture created dependencies on aggregators to collect and create consolidated patient views, limiting access to the detailed information needed for various use cases (such as commercial, drug development, claims management, clinical, and market surveillance).
To address this, the industry is moving towards internalizing the key capabilities of patient data management, such as patient master data management (MDM) for accurate patient longitudinal profiles. Another example of a critical capability is a Patient 360 hub that integrates patient interactions. A third capability is patient analytics, which provides insights into patient behavior trends, preferences, and expected outcomes.
Figure 2: Patient 360
Challenges
Despite the benefits, implementing a patient-centric data management system is challenging. Data fragmentation, privacy concerns, and regulatory compliance are significant hurdles. Additional HIPPA regulations require a data platform that is HIPPA-compliant by design and a solution that provides for stringent data protection measures, like anonymization, secure data integration for data in transit and data at rest, as well as HIPPA-compliant access to authorized users. For Specialty Pharma, there are additional challenges to consolidating de-identified data.
Solutions That Address Challenges While Driving Business Outcomes
Patient Master Data Management (MDM) is a foundational capability that resolves patient identity and ensures a secure, accurate patient longitudinal record. Patient MDM also empowers Patient 360 frameworks.
Figure 3: A patient MDM solution with elevated match accuracy applying contextual matching
Figure 4: Challenges, resolutions, and outcomes of a Patient MDM framework
Future Trends
Patient data management can be reshaped as key trends evolve, including but not limited to:
- Precision medicine for targeted therapies
- Personalized treatment plans
- Outcome-based reimbursements
- Digital health and telemedicine optimizing patient engagement with access to care
- Real-world evidence insights guiding drug development and regulatory decision-making
- Post-market surveillance
Conclusion
The shift towards patient-centric data management in the life sciences industry holds immense potential for transforming healthcare. By orchestrating a secure and compliant patient data management ecosystem, the industry can drive insights for delivering better patient outcomes and innovative healthcare solutions. This transformation enhances the patient journey and builds a more resilient and responsive healthcare system. Axtria is proud to be a leader in providing solutions that cater to industry transformations and improved patient experiences.
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