DMD Intelligence

Jon Bigelow is Executive Director of the Coalition for Healthcare Communication, representing health communicators across advertising, marketing, medical communications, medical publishing, and digital media. He keeps Coalition members informed on evolving regulations and legislation that may aid, or impede, the free flow of accurate and credible medical information.

Jon previously was CEO and President of KnowledgePoint360 Group, a leading provider of multichannel medical communications, digital and strategic consulting, benchmarking services, and workflow solutions with 18 agencies across the U.S., U.K., and Germany. Earlier, he was President of Cliggott Publishing; founding Editor of a series of innovative controlled circulation clinical journals; and President of the Association of Medical Media. He provides strategic support to businesses and serves on boards at two companies and an ocean sciences laboratory.

In the last nine months, the data privacy landscape has evolved at an accelerated pace--and shows no signs of slowing.

Is your email database compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)?

This is one of the most frequent questions we hear in our conversations with hospitals. For healthcare marketers, this is a valid concern since HIPAA is closely monitored and comes with strict penalties that can result in millions of dollars in fines.

In terms of social policy, California is often considered a bellwether state. If California votes it in, other states better pay attention. And, although it isn’t the largest, the state of California holds a great deal of influence. The Golden State is the fifth largest economy in the world and is projected to surpass 40 million residents by 2019—representing approximately one out of every eight U.S. citizens (12.5 percent). California also has 12 percent of the nation's physicians.

Given the state’s impact, it’s no wonder that the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is becoming an important topic. Although the CCPA does not go into effect until January 1, 2020, there are crucial considerations you need to start thinking about right now.

Consumer data privacy is more than a “hot topic” these days; it’s become a major concern for many. The Cambridge Analytica breach involving millions of Facebook users was just one of the data disasters that exposed widening holes in personal data protection. As a result, regulations such as GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 have been implemented in an attempt to attack the gaps.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is also entering into the discussion, with a recent statement proposing a federal privacy framework which would preempt state law on matters concerning data privacy. This federal structure, they claim, is necessary in order to provide “certainty and consistency to consumers and businesses alike.”

The Digital Pharma East conference is always high on my list of must-attend events. This year is no exception. The agenda is packed with more timely presentations than ever to select from, making it a particularly worthwhile trip.

With the growing intersection between online and offline channels, it’s becoming increasingly important for companies operating in the pharma and healthcare spaces to find a way to navigate. I am hopeful that some of the experts leading sessions will shine a light on possible paths to take moving forward.

Allison Hartsoe is the Founder and CEO of Ambition Data. Her experience and passion for analysis allow her to see future trends and relate them all the way back to the tactical moves her clients need to make today. She has built and executed digital analytics strategies for Fortune 500 customers including Blackrock, BlueShield, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, HP, Intel, Microsoft, Nike, and Seagate. She is also a member of the C-Suite Network.

Serge Loncar started CareSpeak in 2011, guided by the belief that the mobile phone, as the most personal accessory, will play an increasingly important role in managing one's health. Prior to starting CareSpeak, Serge was the President of Songbird Hearing, the manufacturer and marketer of the first disposable over-the-counter hearing aid. Prior to that, he headed up strategic business development at cdnow.com, which was acquired by Bertelsmann AG. Serge also held numerous domestic and international brand marketing and sales positions at Johnson & Johnson health care and medical device divisions, and Pepsi Cola International in the USA and Europe. Serge received his MBA from New York University's Stern Business School after immigrating from Croatia.

For DMD’s Pharma Innovators Series, David Reim spoke with Serge Loncar, Founder and CEO of CareSpeak Communications, about the value in today’s marketplace of providing patients with an effortless way to manage their health using an advanced SMS platform like CareSpeak. This approach helps to achieve better outcomes by engaging patients and caregivers, improving medication compliance, and assisting with care coordination.

Healthcare marketers focused on developing engaging customer journeys understand email is a deterministic identifier, and can be used to link an individual’s digital activity across multiple channels. That is to say, the email address is positioned to be the unique identifier that can actually unify other digital marketing solutions.

In part 2 of our 4 part series, Leveraging the Email Channel Throughout the Pharma Brand Life Cycle, we consider how email marketing can be used to optimize the product launch and introduce a new indication.

The email channel plays a pivotal role throughout a pharma brand’s growth and maturation. This is never more critical than at launch, when the long-term success of the brand is at stake.