Why Patient Services Programs Fail: Field Force Empowerment and Patient Activation

Why Patient Services Programs Fail: Field Force Empowerment and Patient Activation

Bob Miglani and Jason Grossman sit down with Rajeswari Narayan, a senior patient support leader with more than 12 years at Merck, Novartis, Roche, Astellas, and Eli Lilly, to unpack why patient services programs underperform and what it actually takes to fix them. Rajeswari has led PSP strategy across immunology, rare disease, dermatology, rheumatology, and gastroenterology at the highest levels of global pharma. In this episode, she brings real-world data and case studies to three problems that keep surfacing for commercial and patient services teams. Start with EMR integration, which most companies understand and many still use the wrong way. At launch, every available EMR should be activated rather than a selective handful. A phased approach can feel like a smart way to save money, but it quietly drains the momentum a brand only gets once at launch and narrows prescriber access, which undermines ROI before a program gains traction. In Canada, a single EMR upload runs $90K CAD plus roughly $20K in annual maintenance, so mid-size companies launching with a few selective EMRs are essentially guessing at reach. For a product launch, that is a risk few teams can afford. Then there is the Quick Start question. These programs stay controversial, and Rajeswari walks through a case where one pharma company removed PSP eligibility criteria entirely, accepted the financial risk, and saw a 20% increase in annual sales, along with the downstream costs that came with it. Underneath both sits a positioning problem. Patient support is too often sold as a free product offering when its real value is as a clinical enabler, and the space between brand strategy and field execution is exactly where patients fall through. Leaders in patient services, commercial strategy, and market access will come away with a clearer picture of where the breakdowns happen and what empowered field teams and well-executed programs look like in practice. The Patient Experience Podcast explores how pharma patient services leaders and patient-facing teams can navigate a growing patient confusion crisis as therapies become more complex and the industry moves Direct to Patient. Hosted by Jason Grossman, a 25-year pharma commercial, patient services, and marketing executive, and Bob Miglani, former Pfizer leader and CEO of Hoot, each episode delivers practical insights leaders can use and reps can apply in the field to better educate patients, build trust, and drive better outcomes. New episodes are recorded live on Bob Miglani’s LinkedIn and published across major podcast platforms. Follow the hosts: Bob Miglani on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmiglani/] Jason Grossman on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/grossmanjason/] Learn more at GetHoot.com.

Rational Tools Built for Irrational Patients

We think patients are rational. They're not. And that's exactly the problem. In this episode, Bob Miglani and Jason Grossman sit down with Anny Goldman, a nurse, a chronic patient, a pharma insider, and a lecturer on medication adherence at Ben-Gurion University, for one of the most honest, grounded conversations we've had about why patients stop taking their medicine, and what pharma is still getting wrong. Anny brings something rare to this space: she's not just studying the problem. She's lived it. Here's what we get into: * Why 50% non-adherence rates haven't budged in decades, despite billions spent on patient support * The difference between intentional and unintentional non-adherence, and why one is far harder to solve * Why your app, your portal, and your reminder notification are probably failing patients at the worst possible moment * The five dimensions of adherence, and why the emotional and cognitive ones are the most important and the most ignored * How shame quietly drives no-shows, drop-offs, and silent discontinuation * Why designing for the bad day, not the good one, is the key to a successful patient program * What GLP-1 drop-offs teach us about expectation-setting and goal alignment * The case for predictive behavioral modeling to catch patients before they quit, not after * Why pharma is great at launching and terrible at the marathon This isn't a theoretical conversation. It's a playbook. If you're a brand manager, a patient services leader, a commercial executive, or anyone designing a program meant to help patients stay on treatment, this episode is required listening. The Patient Experience Podcast explores how pharma patient services leaders and patient-facing teams can navigate a growing patient confusion crisis as therapies become more complex and the industry moves Direct to Patient. Hosted by Jason Grossman, a 25-year pharma commercial, patient services, and marketing executive, and Bob Miglani, former Pfizer leader and CEO of Hoot, each episode delivers practical insights leaders can use and reps can apply in the field to better educate patients, build trust, and drive better outcomes. New episodes are recorded live on Bob Miglani’s LinkedIn and published across major podcast platforms. Follow the hosts: Bob Miglani on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmiglani/] Jason Grossman on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/grossmanjason/] Learn more at GetHoot.com.

How AI is Redefining Pharma Marketing

AI is transforming how patients search for health information, how brands communicate, and how trust is built in healthcare. In this episode of The Patient Experience Podcast, Bob Miglani is joined by Dan Seewald, former Head of Worldwide Innovation at Pfizer, TED Talk keynote speaker, and Founder of Deliberate Innovation. Dan is also the Co-Founder and CEO of LiviWell, a FemTech medical device company, and brings deep experience helping organizations solve complex challenges through design thinking, AI, and rapid problem solving. Together, they explore how AI is redefining pharma marketing, from faster content creation and AI-driven insights to true personalization and shifting from one-to-many to highly targeted, trust-based engagement. They also unpack the growing patient confusion crisis and what pharma leaders must do to educate patients more effectively in a Direct to Patient world. This episode is for pharma brand leaders, patient services teams, and marketers looking to apply AI in a practical, meaningful way. Learn more about Dan Seewald at www.deliberateinnovation.net [http://www.deliberateinnovation.net/] or connect with him on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danseewald/]. The Patient Experience Podcast explores how pharma patient services leaders and patient-facing teams can navigate a growing patient confusion crisis as therapies become more complex and the industry moves Direct to Patient. Hosted by Jason Grossman, a 25-year pharma commercial, patient services, and marketing executive, and Bob Miglani, former Pfizer leader and CEO of Hoot, each episode delivers practical insights leaders can use and reps can apply in the field to better educate patients, build trust, and drive better outcomes. New episodes are recorded live on Bob Miglani’s LinkedIn and published across major podcast platforms. Follow the hosts: Bob Miglani on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmiglani/] Jason Grossman on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/grossmanjason/] Learn more at GetHoot.com.

The Evolution of the Patient Journey

The patient journey has changed dramatically over the past decade. What was once a straightforward path from diagnosis to prescription has evolved into a much more complex experience involving genetic testing, specialist referrals, insurance approvals, specialty pharmacies, and an overwhelming amount of information online. In this episode of The Patient Experience Podcast, hosts Bob Miglani and Jason Grossman explore how the patient journey is evolving and why this shift is creating what they describe as a growing patient confusion crisis. As therapies become more specialized and personalized, physicians have less time to guide patients through increasingly complicated decisions. At the same time, patients are turning to AI tools, social media, and online communities for answers, often leaving them overwhelmed or misinformed. Bob and Jason discuss the forces driving these changes, including the rise of direct-to-patient healthcare models, new pricing transparency initiatives, and the rapid growth of rare disease and specialty therapies. They also explore what this means for pharmaceutical leaders, patient services teams, and patient-facing organizations that are working to help patients start therapy, stay on treatment, and make informed decisions. For pharma leaders navigating this new landscape, understanding how the patient journey has evolved is essential to building trust, improving education, and delivering a better patient experience. The Patient Experience Podcast explores how pharma patient services leaders and patient-facing teams can navigate a growing patient confusion crisis as therapies become more complex and the industry moves Direct to Patient. Hosted by Jason Grossman, a 25-year pharma commercial, patient services, and marketing executive, and Bob Miglani, former Pfizer leader and CEO of Hoot, each episode delivers practical insights leaders can use and reps can apply in the field to better educate patients, build trust, and drive better outcomes. New episodes are recorded live on Bob Miglani’s LinkedIn and published across major podcast platforms. Follow the hosts: Bob Miglani on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmiglani/] Jason Grossman on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/grossmanjason/] Learn more at GetHoot.com.

Pharma’s Direct to Patient Pivot: What to Expect in 2026

In this first episode of The Patient Experience Podcast, Bob Miglani and Jason Grossman examine the rapid shift toward Pharma Direct to Patient and why it’s fueling a growing patient confusion crisis. As therapies become more specialized and disease education more complex, patients are leaving appointments overwhelmed, misinformed, and unsure what to do next. They discuss how limited physician time, rising misinformation, and increasingly complex treatment pathways are impacting therapy starts, adherence, and patient trust. The conversation explores where patient services is headed next and why education, clarity, and HCP-led guidance are becoming critical as decisions move beyond the clinic and into the home. This episode is for pharma leaders, patient services and engagement teams, brand leaders, and patient-facing teams navigating what comes next in a Direct to Patient world. The Patient Experience Podcast explores how pharma patient services leaders and patient-facing teams can navigate a growing patient confusion crisis as therapies become more complex and the industry moves Direct to Patient. Hosted by Jason Grossman, a 25-year pharma commercial, patient services, and marketing executive, and Bob Miglani, former Pfizer leader and CEO of Hoot, each episode delivers practical insights leaders can use and reps can apply in the field to better educate patients, build trust, and drive better outcomes. New episodes are recorded live on Bob Miglani’s LinkedIn and published across major podcast platforms. Follow the hosts: Bob Miglani on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmiglani/] Jason Grossman on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/grossmanjason/] Learn more at GetHoot.com.