QUICK READ: The pandemic is changing healthcare rapidly and along with that change is going to be new patient attitudes about choosing healthcare treatments.

According to Google more searches are being done on desktop PCs than on tablets and smartphones. Now that people have time and are working at home desktops offer a better experience. The fastest-growing search category, overall, is health topics. With patients afraid to go to the doctor’s office it’s a safe bet that more people are self-diagnosing.

If you’re a DTC marketer and you’re not making plans for the changes that are coming you’re in deep quicksand. Here are some of the changes that you should be prepared for:

1ne: An increased reliance on the Internet for health information.

2wo: Online health seekers are going to have to spend more time trying to determine is online health information is credible.

3hree: TV viewership will decline after the pandemic as people get out more as social distancing and lockdown rules are relaxed.

4our: Your product website is going to be the most important tactic to convert prospects to customers. You can’t afford more of the same thing. Content has to be updated and you have to show people you really care about their health.

5ive: Don’t fall in the trap of throwing more money at digital. You need to ensure that the money that’s used can be directly measured.

6ix: Act on social media posts. Quantify what people are saying about your product or a competitor and develop a response. If your M L R process won’t allow for a fast response than change the process to be more responsive.

7even: Streamline the process to help people pay for medications they can’t afford. Ensure there are links on every page.

8ight: Measure the money you’re paying for search against cost per click and time-on-site or pages viewed.

9ine: There’s going to be a lot of hype around Telehealth. Yes, it may make some inroads but it can’t replace the relationship of an HCP and patient.

I have no doubt that your budgets are going to scrutinized with a magnifying glass. You need to work closely with your agency to get hard metrics beyond impressions and clicks.