Delivering a patient-centric enrollment solution in 3 months enables a product launch with 6 times the expected volume

Our Impact

Top performers in healthcare today get there by putting the patient at the center of their business. So when a global life sciences organization wanted to quickly bring a new drug product to market, West Monroe was ready to deliver a solution for onboarding and supporting patients to set the company up for long-term success. 

In just three months, we rallied the client’s organization around an in-house digital operating model purpose-built for the product’s patient journey. Then we brought that vision to fruition in time for the launch. Our work helped deliver a successful market entry that exceeded targets for every key metric—including patient enrollment. 

The Full Story 

The challenge

The client had a next-generation drug coming to market. With faster-than-expected FDA approval, the company had to move quickly to prepare for enrolling patients in the United States. Under an accelerated timeline, that meant three months to get ready—much less than the typical 18 months.  

An accelerated timeline wasn’t the only challenge. This product involved a new business model with a different price point than other treatments, making it more difficult to project uptake. What’s more, insurance companies hadn’t had time to finalize coverage information.  

But the biggest challenge was rallying various organizational stakeholders around the approach for managing enrollment and then mobilizing them to complete the rapid preparations for market entry. Given the aggressive timeline, some stakeholders preferred to outsource the enrollment process, while others saw that building a digital process in-house would lead to better benefits in the long term. That’s where West Monroe came in. 

An undeniably different approach

Already well-versed in the client’s infrastructure and operations, our team was ready to hit the ground running.  

Meeting the deadline required a number of rapid decisions, so our first priority was to align stakeholders. We mobilized a coalition, including stakeholders who wanted to outsource the enrollment process. We presented unique perspectives around an in-house digital operating model that would both accelerate delivery and deliver important longer-term benefits around data ownership and lower costs at scale. This helped build consensus and support from the various departments involved.  

Successful digital businesses are built around the customer—or in this case, the patient. So we mapped out a patient journey that seamlessly integrates all the physical and digital interactions associated with the client’s product. This allowed us to determine the right tools and resources to deliver optimized enrollment and treatment experiences at the moments that matter.  

Then we facilitated the business design and oversaw system development that led to the comprehensive solution for managing patient enrollment and adherence—with enhanced digital capabilities across multiple channels. Key elements included: 

• Hub services such as intake and enrollment forms 
• An enrollment portal for patients and providers with education and support content 
• Brand microsites 
• An interactive voice response line  
• SMS text capabilities for enrollment and reminders
• Contact centers with call guidelines for ensuring patients take the drug daily 
• Training and marketing materials 

We also understand that one of the benefits of a truly digital model is data—so we wanted to make sure the client could use its data to guide patients through their treatment journey. To facilitate this, we identified and documented the requirements for a funnel reporting process that tracks patients from initial contact. This allows the company to see if and where patients drop out of the journey, and why—for example, access, insurance, or other issues such as side effects. 

This required integrating the solution with third-party systems and reporting platforms such as the drug savings card vendor. Our team worked with the client’s data governance team early on to design and test reports prior to the launch. 

Real Results

By having a complete and purposefully designed patient experience in time for the launch, our client exceeded its initial goals. The organization surpassed expectations on every key metric—including customer satisfaction, enrollment volume, messages sent, and savings card usage. Estimates indicate they will more than double peak sales after just three months.  

The ability to measure and track the patient's journey, including patient adherence/persistency, will also enable the company to sustain its early performance advantage while continuously enhancing and evolving its care model for years to come.