Indian Pharma and Healthcare companies in need of a ‘Digital Prescription’

2nd edition of the ‘India Digital Health Report’ analyzes 160 India based companies on their digital health

Mumbai, July 26, 2017: More than half of the pharmaceutical and healthcare companies in India - multi-national and domestic - have a placeholder presence on digital platforms, and are failing to actively engage with their stakeholders, the ‘India Digital Health Report 2017’ by D Yellow Elephant, revealed on Wednesday.

The report analyzed 160 India based companies across 4 verticals – pharmaceuticals, medical devices & equipment, diagnostics and hospitals. The companies were studied on 12 key digital and social parameters - websites, apps, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+, Blogger, Pinterest, Flickr, Instagram and Tumblr.

Based on presence, engagement, response, and consumer followership, companies are segregated into three categories – Digital Primes (the torch-bearers), Aspirants (gradually moving up on the digital curve) and Onlookers (silent observers).

Findings reveal that only 14% companies emerged as Digital Primes. 54% companies qualify as Digital Aspirants while the remaining 32% fall under the category of Digital Onlookers.

Of the four industry verticals, pharma accounts for the highest number of Digital Primes (22%). Medical devices & equipment and diagnostics have maximum Digital Aspirants, with 71% of the surveyed companies maintaining digital presence but lagging in engagement.

Apollo Diagnostics takes the overall top spot with a score of 70, followed by GE Healthcare with 65.5 and Pfizer with 65 points. Amongst hospitals, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital leads with 56 points.

Mr. Aman Gupta, Managing Director, D Yellow Elephant, said, “The report indicates that pharmaceutical and healthcare companies in India are affected by ‘Engagement Draught’ - present across most social media platforms but reluctant to engage with stakeholders. With HCPs (Health Care Professionals), patients, caregivers and policymakers consuming bulk of information online, it is imperative for companies to develop a digital ecosystem spread across multiple channels.”

“Launched in 2015, the India Digital Health Report has set benchmarks for digital presence across the sector. The second edition reveals that the digital journey for most companies has started, but restricted to presence. A robust digital engagement strategy should be integral to the corporate strategy, rather than an afterthought,” he added.

LinkedIn enjoys the maximum presence with 91% players having a dedicated page, but only 11% companies actively engaging on the platform. Facebook is the second most preferred platform with 90% presence rate, followed by Twitter and YouTube.

Ms. Chandni Dalal, Lead, Digital Strategy, D Yellow Elephant said, “Out of the 160 companies surveyed, only 22 companies managed a score above 50 over a scale of 100 points. There is a trend of initiating and abandoning the platform midway, or selectively utilizing the medium, as and when the need arises. Patients now arrive in physicians’ offices armed with information, and their insistence on taking a more active role in their treatment is transforming healthcare from a provider dominated marketplace to a consumer-centred system. More education is needed at every level, and healthcare firms have a huge role to play in listening and informing both physicians and those they treat.”

The long-term aim of this report is to outline the digital integration required at all steps of a patient’s journey, from searching for symptomatic information, HCP interaction, diagnosis, treatment and follow ups.

D Yellow Elephant is a Full-service Digital & Social media firm, with a specialized focus on pharmaceuticals, medical technology, healthcare and wellness. Spread across key verticals of Digital & Social Analytics, Strategy, Design, Development and marketing. A part of The Strategic Partners Group, D Yellow Elephant represents the specialist brand focused on social and digital strategy service offerings.

With a global footprint in key locations of Delhi, Mumbai, Singapore, London and New York, the firm comes with a deep understanding of the Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare market, offering specialized services in HCP engagements, consumer communications and sales force empowerment.

As a full-service digital strategy powerhouse, DYE offers customized solutions to achieve business goals that can range from disease awareness, market shaping, market access, message amplification, brand development and digital marketing across an ecosystem that comprises of patient, HCP, caregivers, general population, policymakers, payers, and any other specific stakeholder using social and content strategy.

The firm comes armed with 20+ years of core Pharma and Lifesciences expertise, with a clear understanding of the legal and regulatory framework.

Centre Point, 108, 1st Floor, Andheri Kurla Road, JB Nagar, Andheri (E), Mumbai- 400059

Neeti Sharma
Neeti.sharma@spag.asia/ +91 9819958140

Rupali Ovhal
Rupali.ovhal@spag.asia/ +91 9619797813

This release was published on openPR.