OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the openness of payer audiences to receiving information via digital media, compared to traditional methods and their future preferences for receiving communications.

METHODS: A survey of 40 payer decision-makers was conducted across the US and Europe between June–September 2021. Twenty respondents represented the US (10 medical directors and 10 pharmacy directors) and 20 were from Europe, representing national, regional, and local payers across Germany, the UK, and Italy.

RESULTS: In the US and Europe, over 85% of payers were comfortable using digital media for communication of evidence. Half of payers in Europe indicated they used digital media more frequently since the pandemic, compared to US payers where only 20% reported increased usage. When looking at future channels, whilst traditional publications were regarded as a priority channel (ranked in top 3) for 72% of respondents, there was interest in a range of media including short videos (54%) PowerPoint decks (54%), interactive PDFs (44%) and podcasts (28%). Within the German sample, neither podcasts nor short videos achieved a top 3 ranking. The survey investigated whether digital was more suitable for specific types of information and found that whilst publications remained the preferred source for conveying clinical trial evidence (>75%) and real- world data (>60%), information on disease awareness, unmet need and health economics could benefit from a range of digital media.

CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that payer audiences saw value in receiving information via a variety of digital media alongside more traditional formats. Within countries there was notable variation in the preferences of payers for the type of media, demonstrating that a multi-channel communication approach is required to meet the preferences of a broad audience. Across countries, the US and UK showed the most favorable response to digital media, and Germany was the least favorable.