“…the high stakes that health conditions
often carry incline consumers to mistrust companies they perceive
as trying only to market to them (but conversely, they are highly
loyal to companies they perceive as truly serving them).”
Larry Mickelberg and Bruce Grant. “Consumers on Demand”. Pharmaceutical Executive,
September, 2007: 132-136.
Times and responsibilities are changing…
Now, more than ever before, treatment decisions lie in the
hands of patients and caregivers. Our health care system was designed
over a century ago, when acute diseases were the problem at hand.
Today, the major cause of disability is chronic disease. Doctors,
as well as all members of treatment teams, serve an integral role,
but it is of utmost importance for patients and caregivers to attain
self-management and self-management support. 1 According to the US
Department of Education, approximately one-third of the adult population,
or 90 million Americans, have limited health literacy. Perceptions of Direct to Consumer (DTC) advertising…
DTC advertising has its benefits to pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device
companies and consumers alike, but it has also been a source of
controversy. While the power of treatment decisions is increasingly
in the hands of the patient, some consumers have become critical
that DTC advertisements may be misleading. This criticism, whether
justified or not, sometimes results in lost credibility for the
pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical device company utilizing this form of communication. Today,
companies need to seek alternate means of reaching consumers. Providing
disease education is a very positive solution and a viable alternative
to DTC advertising.
Educated patients and caregivers will take action
and will experience improved health…
Patient self-management has become a key component
to adequate health care and patients are looking to a variety of
sources to educate themselves on their health. Disease education,
such as providing patients information on how to monitor symptoms
and take medications properly, makes it easier and more likely that
they will be activated to participate in setting treatment goals
and planning their treatment actions.1 Disease education has also
been shown to increase patient self-efficacy and, in many cases,
increase a patient’s medication adherence, resulting in better
treatment outcomes.2 Research has demonstrated that disease education
interventions for patients with chronic diseases can offer improvements
to health behaviors and health status, as well as a reduction in
hospitalization and days spent in the hospital for these patients.3
1. Coleman MT, Newton KS. Supporting self-management
in patients with chronic illness. American Family Physician. 2004;
72:1503-1510.
2. Edworthy SM, Devins GM. Improving medication
adherence through patient education distinguishing between appropriate
and inappropriate utilization. Patient Education Study Group. Journal
of Rheumatology. 1999; 26(8): 1793-1801.
3. Lorig K et al. Effect of a self-management
program on patients with chronic disease. Effective Clinical Practice.
2001; 4(6):256-262.
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