[Sponsored Report] Crafting care from the perspective of patients

An employee at Sanofi Group in Korea wears virtual-reality goggles to experience the dizziness felt by many patients after a stroke. Provided by the company

Hospitals used to be the go-to place for fighting diseases, receiving treatment and getting rehabilitation for injuries. Though hospitals remain an important part of the health care landscape, a diverse range of other contributors have also emerged with time.

Sanofi Group in Korea, the local branch of the French multinational pharmaceutical company, is one example. Nowadays, health care companies are increasingly contributing to society by offering their resources and time to help patients lead better, healthier lives.

As a corporation that develops and provides health care solutions, Sanofi has built on its corporate identity and started giving back to patients in its own way.

One key priority has been the provision of empathy and emotional support.

For those who fight a disease or suffer from a health condition over a long period of time, the journey can become tiresome and many patients grow weary. It is therefore essential that health care companies listen closely and proactively to solve unmet needs. Sanofi has stepped up to provide such help, with the motto of achieving “patient-centricity.”

Providing help in managing medication use is an important part of realizing this value. For example, the company developed a special cutter for sealed medication packaging since local elderly patients with chronic diseases tend to lack muscle strength to access their prescriptions.

Even such a simple idea changes patients’ lives for the better. For them, their littlest needs are often unmet and become huge impediments. Through this measure, Sanofi enhanced convenience without threatening safety by following guidelines aimed at preventing children from being able to accidentally access the medications.

Recently, the concept of patient-centricity has been prioritized by many other pharmaceutical companies as well.

It may sound like a mere catch phrase, but Sanofi’s understanding of the idea does not solely emphasize spending more time with patients.

Instead, it means that Sanofi employees should see the concept as a core value and fundamentally adopt a mindset and attitude aligned with their patients and their views.

Patients are the reason the health care industry exist, and all dedication should therefore be directed towards them. The corporation and its employees must also abide by the rule that patients are integrated into decision-making processes as much as possible and have a clear voice. This also goes for caregivers involved.

In order to do so, employees must stick to several principles so that commitment is never overlooked.

First, employees should make efforts to see problems through patients’ eyes and work with that perspective in mind.

Second, the outcomes and solutions devised should fit into the lives of patients and serve their needs.

Finally, employees should work towards a strong sense of community. If they do not engage with such dedication, a true patient-centered culture will be difficult to achieve.

After setting such standards, employees at Sanofi have come to make business decisions and perform in the field of medicine with their patients in mind. Even in corporate strategy, marketing and sales - which may seem irrelevant to patient care - decisions stem from a thorough analysis of patients’ needs and wants.

With all these efforts, the pharmaceutical company’s ultimate goal is to build relationships that last. Better products, services, engagement and adherence will lead to higher levels of trust, and finally to a healthier society and business culture.

“It is very important for us to know the unmet needs patients struggle with and to understand the emotional ups and downs they may experience during or after treatment,” said Park Sunmi, Patient Centricity Champion in Korea at Sanofi.

“Internalizing such values will change patients’ lives for the better while the company will gain a unique competitive advantage. In the end, Korean society will become healthier and Sanofi will become a positive partner for many.”