From Data to Impact
Connecting with Patients on Their Digital Journey
In today’s digital healthcare landscape, patient journeys are increasingly complex and personalized.
Healthcare marketers need the right data to connect with patients where they are and with the right messaging. From social media influencers to finding the right doctor, the digital touchpoints vary widely, and so do patient expectations. Data-driven insights from the MARS Consumer Health study are the key to unlocking these behaviors, enabling pharma brands to deliver relevant and timely support throughout the digital patient journey. Without this intelligence, even the most well-intentioned campaigns risk missing the mark.
To bring the insights from the study to life, we created three unique profiles from these professionally diagnosed patient groups: rare disease, obesity, and ulcerative colitis.
Patient Group #1: Professionally diagnosed with hemophilia
Some rare disease populations face challenges finding relevant content and value hearing directly from others who share their condition. For example, individuals with hemophilia are 99% more likely than the total population to value information from health influencers on social media. Among this group, trust in the content people share on social platforms is high, making peer-driven and influencer-led communication a powerful tool for engagement.
- Hemophilia patients
- (Total Population)
Patient Group #2: Professionally diagnosed with obesity
Obesity treatments can be expensive, and some (like GLP-1s) may not be covered by insurance. More than half of obesity patients consider costs prior to filling a prescription. They are 48% more likely than the total population to go online to compare prices of medications, but only 12% are using savings program such as discount cards/mobile apps. This presents an opportunity for healthcare marketers to further promote discount programs and help patients afford these often-costly treatments.
- Obesity patients
- (Total Population)
Patient Group #3: Professionally diagnosed with ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis patients are more likely than the total population to go online to research doctors and other healthcare professionals as part of their digital patient journey. Their care team plays a critical role, but when making treatment decisions they prioritize being fully informed, even if that means conducting additional research online after meeting with a physician.
Ultimately, patient populations need more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Because they engage with healthcare content in distinct ways across various digital platforms, to effectively reach and support various patient groups, healthcare marketers must adopt tailored digital strategies grounded in robust data. The M3 MI MARS Consumer Health study empowers subscribers to uncover what patients need from pharmaceutical companies, identify the most effective channels for engagement, and create messaging that resonates.
For a deeper dive into the digital journeys of patients and caregivers—spanning over 100 health conditions—marketers can leverage this study to understand key motivations, decision-making triggers, and behavioral shifts throughout the treatment experience.
Source: M3 MI’s 2025 MARS Consumer Health Study
Information
For more information on detailed study results from M3 MI, including at the specialty level, contact us at
info@M3-MI.com.