Luis Portela, director of access and patient support at Cardinal Health Sonexus™ Access And Patient Support, has managed specialty and launched hub programs for a variety of disease states. An important part of the care coordination around specialty drugs is communication. In this interview, Portela explains how a hub provides clear pathways and tailored solutions to each patient during a treatment journey.
ComputerTalk: The hub provides a connection between the patient and the manufacturer. How do you manage the experience?
Luis Portela: There are a couple of different ways that we can manage the patient and provider experience through our hub programs. Communication is the key element in this process and therefore, we offer a variety of channels to support the journey. This communication can occur via, text, email, chat, our program portals or through traditional methods such as phone and fax. What is important for us is that we meet our patients at their preferred method of communication.
Our customer relationship management system (CRM), ConnectSource, allows us to manage these options along with a variety of other tools that we use to simplify the patient journey. We also have integrations into systems used by providers to submit enrollments and prescriptions and keep them within their office workflow. These integrations are also supported through our CRM
One example of this, is the ability for a provider to submit a prescription through their existing EMR system sending an eRx prescription to our non-commercial pharmacy. We can then begin the enrollment process in the CRM as well as transfer the prescription to a specialty pharmacy if necessary, once the reimbursement process has been finalized.
Specialty Pharmacy: Getting the Right Tools
CT: How does the hub support that customized communication with patients?
Portela: Because we are dealing with specialty drugs that are very expensive, we step in as early as possible, starting with reimbursement work once the script is received. We work with the payers to identify the benefit coverages and prior authorization requirements. For example, if the program business rules allow for bridge product during reimbursement review, we have a noncommercial pharmacy and we can dispense products until we can finalize approval or denial for the patient. We want to remove obstacles so that we can get patients on therapy quickly.
Depending on the technology that we’re using, we can customize the patient experience. For example, when our system receives a patient for enrollment, we can then send out a tailored welcome message to both the patient and the doctor through a variety of channels. If that particular program has a patient portal , we can push messaging to the portal, where the patient can provide required information or check the status an order or take action for their next refill.
CT: The Sonexus technology platform solution handles real-time, real-life questions from providers, patients, and payers?
Portela: When we process an enrollment, all the information that we enter our CRM system feeds into all our solutions designated to support a drug program. For example, if the program is supported by a provider and patient portal, all the information entered by the hub will be visible in the portals. Additionally, this information will also be visible to appropriate reporting and field team platforms used by the manufacturer for reporting and program management.
We believe it’s critical to provide this level of transparency supported by different communication channels keeping both the provider and the patients informed about the overall journey. Ultimately, the concept here is that we value the time of our provider and patients providing them with various alternatives to get information on the journey. If the case or question is more challenging, then they have the opportunity to call the HUB and speak with a knowledgeable case manager.
Clearing Paths to Care with Cardinal Health Sonexus
CT: Choosing a hub is a big decision that impacts the entire patient experience?
Portela: For a manufacturer, choosing a hub partner is very important. The infrastructure, technology and support roles when launching a new drug or transitioning an existing one can be very expensive. Therefore, having the right partner that can provide appropriate recommendations is crucial to the success of the program as well as the patient’s experience.
For example, as a manufacturer grows their program and patient base, the hub cannot simply hire more people. The right hub partner will provide that level of subject expertise around the use of technology and touchpoint to ensure patient can get on drug and have a positive experience along the journey. These are the kind of pieces that make the hub effective and efficient, not just for the manufacturers, but more importantly for the patients. CT