Hub services (aka patient support services) are critical to the successful launch of innovative medicines. Benefits verifications, prior authorizations/reauthorizations, appeals, billing/coding, and financial support all come with a slew of issues and challenges that need to be overcome. Done properly, these programs accelerate patient therapy adoption and support treatment compliance by removing unnecessary friction.
Hubs help coordinate medicine delivery, coordinate benefits and reimbursement, provide access to financial support and resources, and mitigate treatment obstacles. When done well, they serve as the patient’s advocate for consistent, timely and efficient access. Unfortunately, far too often hub services are an afterthought as companies fail to strategically plan for the unique needs of patients.
Below are a few considerations for building a great patient experience:
- Plan early. Building and testing a robust hub solution takes many months to plan and execute. So, start early.
- Know your Patient Journey. A deep understanding of the patient journey and potential barriers requires mapping out all the steps involved with starting and staying on therapy.
- Understand the Pain Points. The US medical system is complex and difficult to navigate. Understanding the process and pitfalls of each step in the care continuum is critical to designing and resourcing the right model.
- One size doesn’t fit all. Not all medicines and patients require the same level of support and services. Factors such as the patient population, mode and location of medication administration, and who is paying create unique needs for patients.
- Buy or Build. The scope and complexity of required services, along with your organization’s capabilities and readiness, will inform whether to insource or outsource. Established vendors have experience, sophisticated technology and integrated processes. Building this on your own is difficult, resource intensive, and time consuming. However, new technology is making it easier to “go it alone.”
- Own Your Data. Ready access to patient level data is critical to understanding your patients’ needs and hub performance. Understand your data needs upfront and own it so that you can evolve your patient service offerings as necessary with minimal disruption.
- Manage Performance. Hub management and oversight are critical to success. Having actionable KPI’s allows for objective assessment of your program. Absent these metrics, you are left to fly blind and guess at what patients and providers are experiencing.
Patients deserve a great hub experience. Contact us at info@a3access.com for help with your hub strategy.