From DX to XD: The "Treatment Experience Enhancement Ecosystem" That Returns to Fundamentals to Transform Healthcare and Life Sciences (Part 2)

As DX advances in the healthcare and life sciences industry, what is now required is "DX centered around CX." This means initiatives that start with the question, "What can we do to enhance the treatment experience value for healthcare professionals and patients?" rather than merely introducing digital tools or systems.

In the second part of our interview with Seiji Mizuta of dentsu health Japan Inc. and Norihiko Tosaka and Aisa Hirayama of Dentsu Digital Inc., who have worked with numerous companies in the healthcare and life sciences industries, we delve deeper into the services provided by the Dentsu Group Inc., including Dentsu Digital Inc.'s CX integration solution " DDMEX (Dentsu Digital Medical Experience Transformation) ", and their current key initiatives.

Patient-Centric Treatment Experiences Realized from Both "Healthcare Professional × Patient" Perspectives

Q. Regarding the current state of the healthcare and life sciences industry, you mentioned in the first part that "creating CX will become the source of competitiveness." Was this perspective less common before the COVID-19 pandemic?

Hirayama: Historically, the healthcare and life sciences industry has focused intensely on product development, prioritizing the creation of innovative products. However, no matter how much the efficacy or safety of a product is emphasized, if it doesn't connect to the treatment of the patient right in front of them, doctors won't prescribe that medication. I believe this perspective was overlooked in the past.

Tosaka: As DX advances and patients gain easier access to medical information, considering how our products can provide value to patients has become central to marketing strategy. For example, MRs (Medical Representatives) with a CX perspective are now needed – not just to promote the product itself to doctors, but to understand the conditions of the patients doctors are treating and what challenges might arise in future treatments.

Mizuta: As briefly mentioned in the first part, DX has also created challenges, such as patients struggling to obtain accurate information. Recognizing this, the healthcare and life sciences industry is increasingly promoting patient empowerment and expanding support to encourage patients to actively engage in their own or their family members' treatment. Pharmaceutical companies are also enthusiastically working to convey accurate information from the patient's perspective.

Q. How do you think a CX-driven approach will change the experience value for healthcare professionals and patients?

Tosaka: Currently, pharmaceutical companies are aiming for "omnichannelization" through DX. This initiative, primarily focused on healthcare professionals, creates a system where personalized treatment information is accessible across various touchpoints, both online and offline. Additionally, patients will be able to access their own medical data when needed, enabling them to make appropriate decisions and receive higher-quality healthcare services. In this way, it is desirable to create a world where both healthcare professionals and patients can access the right information at the right time, enabling appropriate decision-making.

Understanding a Company's Current Position Through the Patient Journey

Q. Please tell us about the Dentsu Group's solutions from a CX perspective for developing MRs.

Mizuta: Research by DT Consulting in the UK (※1) in 2022 shows that a positive treatment experience influences subsequent behavioral change. For example, when CX is excellent, patients become more proactive—actively seeking information or requesting additional services and support—leading to more positive actions toward their treatment. Conversely, poor CX increases the likelihood that patients will take no action, potentially leading to worsening health outcomes.

Tosaka: Based on this data, our CX integration solution "DDMEX" offers a "CX Mindset Cultivation Workshop" to provide healthcare professionals and patients with a better treatment experience. The workshop's goal is to deepen understanding of CX through the experience of creating patient journey maps. The workshop spans two days. On Day 1, participants learn the fundamental concepts of CX and conduct journey mapping based on pre-prepared physician and patient personas. On Day 2, they refine the journey maps created the previous day, focus on the challenges for physicians revealed through this process, and consider how to propose their company's products in response.

Hirayama: This is just one example; we actually provide customized programs tailored to each client's situation and challenges. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, we design them to order based on your needs, which helps participants internalize the concepts and makes them easier to implement—something we receive positive feedback on. Furthermore, in the workshop, we start by articulating what CX means for your company and work on cultivating that mindset. Building on that foundation, we clearly define how to balance improving prescriptions with enhancing CX, and then develop skills in a reproducible way.

Q. What other support do you provide besides workshops?

Hirayama: For example, in our client engagements, we create competency models (ideal employee profiles) for sales departments. We define the skill levels needed mid-to-long term and then support their subsequent skill development. Additionally, we provide support in areas like data utilization and mastering internal tools. If you recognize CX as important for your company but struggle to embed that mindset throughout your organization, we encourage you to consult with us.

dentsu Japan's Vision for an "Ecosystem for Improving Treatment Experiences"

Q.What kind of world doesdentsu Japan (the domestic Dentsu Group)aim to createthrough DX in the healthcare and life sciences industry?

Tosaka: Historically, the healthcare and life sciences industry has evaluated pharmaceuticals based on statistical data from clinical trials. This data shows percentages of people who responded to treatment or experienced side effects, but it doesn't directly indicate how effective a drug will be for an individual patient or how likely they are to experience side effects. For patients, it doesn't feel like "their story." dentsu Japan supports the shift from this traditional approach to a patient-centric treatment experience based on each individual patient's narrative. As part of this effort, we are also developing disease awareness campaigns grounded in the challenges and insights of people as consumers—before they are patients—such as "what concerns do patients have?" and "what information are they seeking?"

Mizuta: Recently, we've also been increasingly proposing "social listening" to pharmaceutical companies and others, which involves gathering and analyzing patients' raw voices. Furthermore, while considering communication strategies through this process, we've also had several instances where we received consultations unrelated to the medication itself, such as "Is this content appropriate for the product brochure?" or "Wouldn't it be better to have a tool like this?" By visualizing what patients are struggling with and establishing a common language with our clients, we believe this leads to the realization of a patient-centric approach.

Q. As the Dentsu Group, what approach will you take toward the healthcare and life sciences industry going forward?

Mizuta: We believe leveraging technologies like generative AI in patient-physician communication can enable more effective post-consultation follow-ups and personalized information delivery. We aim to utilize Dentsu Digital Inc.'s AI expertise to create systems that provide necessary information at the right time and identify patient concerns early.

Tosaka: Healthcare and AI are a natural fit. For example, AI has dramatically improved the accuracy of image diagnostics, yielding excellent results in early disease detection. Additionally, AI chatbots now provide 24/7 support, and systems are emerging that reduce doctors' diagnostic time. Furthermore, AI-driven personalized medicine analyzes each patient's genetic information and medical history to propose optimal treatments, enabling effective therapies with fewer side effects. On the other hand, while pharmaceutical companies actively use AI for drug discovery, internal operational efficiency, and productivity enhancement, a cautious approach is required when targeting healthcare professionals and patients. Ensuring safety and reliability is particularly crucial due to risks of misinformation and ethical concerns. Exploring countermeasures for these challenges while supporting the utilization of marketing AI agents is a key future theme for DDMEX.

The advancement of DX in the healthcare and life sciences industry is creating new relationships between healthcare professionals and patients. Dentsu Group will strengthen its efforts to support healthcare settings and enhance patients' treatment experiences through various solutions.

＜Source＞
※1　May 23, 2022, The State Of Customer Experience In The Pharmaceutical Industry, 2022: Patient Interactions by Dominic Tyer with Tim van Tongeren and Hannah Price