Point-of-care or in-office is where treatment decisions are made; it is where an individual is most focused on their health and where they have THE BEST opportunity to have their questions answered about their health. Effective DTC/P should be leveraging that moment, capitalizing on the relationship between the patient and the doctor. In fact, in a recent DTC Perspectives article it was stated that, “More than 90% of primary care physicians report that patient education materials are important in enhancing the patient-physician dialogue.” Moreover, according to Dr. Anthony Komaroff, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical and editor-in-chief of the Harvard Health publications division, “Effective direct-to-patient educational programs motivate individuals to take a larger role in their own treatment, leading to better compliance and outcomes.”

Ultimately, though, the communication channel chosen to deliver information is not what’s most important. While we know that individuals all respond differently to different forms of media (which is why our programs offer print, digital animation, mobile messaging for the tech savvy, online, etc.), the real power of in-office is, as Liz O’Neil, VP, director of channel marketing, EvoLogue, says, “The moment of truth for every brand is when a consumer is prepared to take action. The moment of truth for most prescription brands is in the doctor’s office.”