Should Pharma Brands Use Chatbots?

Is your pharma brand deploying chatbots? If not, it may be time to consider the value chatbots in pharma bring to drug and medical device makers.

Chatbots are redefining the way pharmaceutical brands engage with patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) alike. They are built with the ability to mimic human conversations through text and auditory interactions — providing personal, one-on-one conversations with multiple user types. For the past several years, pharma chatbot installations have been rising, potentially paving the way toward widespread use in the near future.

 

What are Chatbots?

Chatbots are interactive technologies that exist in mobile apps, web-based apps, Facebook Messenger, and other platforms. They mimic human conversations through text and vocal/auditory engagements using artificial intelligence, user-defined rules, and/or machine learning to answer questions, fulfill specific needs, or provide content in response to requests.

Chatbots can be menu-based with interactive buttons, keyword-based with text entry, voice activated, or contextual using AI, and can be used for marketing, customer service, appointment setting, and other business activities.

The coronavirus pandemic has driven more self-service opportunities for brands in many industries. And healthcare is no exception — whether it’s a patient diagnosing an ailment or a physician researching a new intervention, chatbots are likely to soon become part of those activities.

Although physicians have mixed reviews when it comes to chatbots, the use of these intelligent virtual assistants can help pharma companies develop stronger relationship with HCPs and patients by assisting them in the moment — and on demand.

More on chatbots

 

Where are Chatbots Being Used?

While chatbots have not yet reached maturity in the healthcare industry, there is an abundance of early entrants including:

• Microsoft’s Clinical Trials Bot is being used to inform and register patients interested in participating in new drug trials.
• As a companion diagnostic solution for self-evaluation, Ada and Babylon have shown promise using vast medical libraries users can search by entering their symptoms.
• In France, Sanofi released Nina, a bot that assists patients suffering from mild sleep disorders by deploying sleep tracking, using AI to respond to inquiries, and providing online sleep communities to share experiences.

Explore other chatbot use cases

 

Reasons to Use Chatbots

Besides the customer service support that chatbots provide — which helps with brand loyalty if a bot is consistently accurate — pharma companies can experience multiple business benefits.

 

1. Inform and Educate

A chatbot can act as a virtual assistant providing information to diverse audiences on a variety of topics. These include:

• Data on efficacy, contraindications, side effects, etc.
• Impacts on certain health conditions
• Procedures on complex drug administrations
• Instructions on using specific medical devices
• Clinical trial results, approval status, and availability

A chatbot can be set up with clearly defined rules to deliver specific content based on user entries or respond to user inquiries in a more conversational manner.

 

2. Optimize Sales Rep Time

In the face of declining in-person visits and an increased need to optimize sales rep activities, chatbots can automate repetitive processes that pharma reps encounter, such as appointment setting and reminders, placing orders, etc. They help free up valuable time to focus on meaningful tasks that build more personalized relationships with HCPs.

 

3. Help with Pharmacovigilance

By communicating directly with patients and HCPs, pharma brands can monitor, collect, analyze, and evaluate information on adverse effects of medications, vaccines, devices, and other interventions. Chatbots can help identify unforeseen product hazards and provide data and insights to potentially prevent harmful experiences.

 

4. Support Patient Recovery

Brands have been using chatbots as patient support portals where guidance, inspiration, and education help improve outcomes and even reduce medication abuse. For example, Woebot acts as a “digital therapeutic” for patients dealing with mental health issues.

 

Where to Find Chatbot Apps

Brands can purchase a complete chatbot product for general purposes or build their own for brand-centric activities.  Chatbots.org publishes reviews on the latest technologies for sale, which you can find here. 

 

In addition to chatbot platforms, your brand can add value and build credibility by advertising with Elsevier’s global distribution of respected, peer-reviewed journals and interactive, multimedia channels. Explore your options today!

 

Article Written by: Alex Brown