OBJECTIVES: Payer executives are perpetually short on time creating a need to process a product’s value information quickly. Critical coverage decisions require information that is impactful, concise and resonates with payers. How can compelling stories be created that are easy to understand and remember? Would a versatile digital communication platform enable more effective value story communications?

METHODS: In-depth phone interviews with five C-suite level US payers and five senior payer-facing medical science liaisons/payer account leaders were conducted. Interviewees were asked about current value presentations, unmet needs and then shown a prototype of a digital value story communication platform.

RESULTS: Payers and payer account professionals indicated that a well-articulated value story is critical to help them justify the value, price, and negotiation strategy for a product’s formulary position. Payers indicated impatience with traditional communication methods – the standard sequence of: burden of disease, standard of care limitations, treatment failure implications, and medicine value proposition. All interviewees indicated the digital platform enabled a more effective means to structure the product headline stories upfront with easy navigation to supporting evidence. Payers and payer account professionals embraced a streamlined, story-telling approach that focused on the critical conversations while having credible, competent and reliable evidence readily available. Some key features highlighted by the respondents included: a digital interactive format that allows the story to pivot as needed, ability to find supporting information quickly, and hyperlinked supplemental information that can be more easily shared.

CONCLUSIONS: This research highlights gaps in current value story communications. Payers need to receive information in a compelling format to facilitate more productive interactions. An interactive, digital evidence value story format was well received and stated as a solution that can better enable decision-making.