Moment of Truth.
Last month, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies enlisted Fusion Hill to conduct research with physicians and consumers to understand the journey in treating Fibromyalgia (FM), a syndrome in which a person has chronic pain and tenderness throughout the body, and Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN), nerve damage caused by diabetes and high blood sugar.
Treating FM and DPN patients has proved to be complex and tiring – patients depressed about their health status, doctors skeptical about judging pain level, and of course the kicker – there is no cure. Medication for FM and DPN does not cure the patient but is a symptomatic treatment that helps manage the condition. At what point do physicians abandon a non-pharmaceutical treatment approach – healthy diet, exercise, sleep – and decide that prescription medication is needed? When do patients decide that they even want medication? When is their moment of truth? What are the gaps in communication that result in patients being under-prescribed and what tools/resources could close those patient-physician gaps.
March 19, 2014 | Research