Medical representatives not equipped to meet doctors changing needs: Global Study

Indegene, a global healthcare solutions provider, announced a new analysis, “The Digital Savvy Healthcare Sales Rep 2017 Report,” on technology needs and adoption by healthcare sales reps. The in-depth study covers more than 500 healthcare reps across the United States, China, India, and the rest of the world.

The report provides a unique perspective on healthcare sales, medical and institutional devices, and other insights on current realities, including challenges in healthcare professional (HCP) engagement, current software tools, perceived utility, and their digital capability wish list. On the release of the report, Manish Gupta, CEO of Indegene, explained that “The study reveals compelling evidence that suggests that healthcare reps are not fully equipped to meet the changing needs of HCPs. Perhaps, the low utilization of traditional HCP engagement technology is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Physicians are now demanding relevant, omnipresent content on multiple channels; rep roles have become more complex and nuanced. Technology investments catering to these nuances are still unfulfilled, thereby widening technology gaps, and leaving reps disappointed and physicians inadequately engaged.

In the report, 50% of respondents interviewed indicated that their companies did not provide them with relevant physician engagement technologies. Strict compliance norms have further accentuated issues for reps with unavailability or delayed provision of approved medical content to be shared with physicians. A staggering 85% of respondents alluded to this problem.

Nearly 70% of reps interviewed indicated that anytime-anywhere access to digital tools was their top priority in improving access to physicians. Another 55% demanded that their companies should provide them with compliant, digital leave-behinds. In order to improve reach and frequency of physician visits in earmarked territories, 44% reps advocated the use of omni channel fluid motion detailing. Another 41% saw on-demand information via self-service information sources as a significant step toward improving coverage of core physician base.

A complimentary copy of the study can be downloaded here.