Improving treatment adherence via patient empowerment
Methotrexate has been described as the ‘gold standard’ treatment for people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and will often be the first drug prescribed to treat RA. However, patients don’t always adhere to their treatment, mainly due to side effects and lack of understanding.
Our pharmaceutical client challenged us to improve perceptions of methotrexate amongst patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs).
Our approach
We know that the best way to develop a deep understanding of the challenges and barriers faced by people living with a condition is to talk to them about their experiences.
In partnership with a rheumatoid arthritis patient advocacy group (PAG), we conducted an in-depth survey of their members and discovered that half of respondents felt like they didn’t receive enough information about their treatment options during initial consultations with their HCPs.
To help people with RA feel more empowered when talking with their HCPs, we developed the ASK approach:
A – Address your concerns
S – Share your symptoms
K – Know your options
This acronym was built into a range of consumer-facing assets that we created to help improve patients’ treatment experience and understanding of methotrexate. These included informative animations, patient videos and a Facebook Live session which were hosted on the PAG website and shared on social media.
To drive awareness of patients’ needs amongst HCPs, we also collaborated with three key opinion leaders – a clinical RA nurse, GP and consultant rheumatologist – to develop thought-leadership articles based on the survey findings. These were placed in key RA and nursing titles, such as Rheumatology Advances in Practice, Practice Nurse and Community Nursing.
Outcome
Importantly, people with RA engaged with the campaign; the PAG’s social media posts achieved up to a 2000% increase in engagement levels. Our media outreach generated coverage in national, consumer and HCP press, with a total reach of nearly 15 million.
“What really helped me was to come prepared to all of my appointments. I always remember the acronym ‘ASK’. So, I always ask about my concerns and address them during my appointment, and then I share all of my symptoms, whether they're related to the side effects or RA, because it's really important to communicate these with my team for the best medication.”
Florence, a person living with RA