The doctor prescribes a treatment. The patient listens attentively, nods, goes home. And then?<\/p>\n
Studies consistently show that around 50 percent of all patients do not adhere to the recommended intake or usage after their first medical appointment \u2014 whether for medications, medical devices, or therapy plans. This isn’t a matter of ignorance. It’s a matter of human psychology and the lack of support during the most critical phase: the first one to four weeks after the initial contact.<\/p>\n
A widely cited meta-analysis by Osterberg & Blaschke (2005, New England Journal of Medicine) shows that non-adherence in chronic conditions across Europe and North America ranges between 30 and 50 percent \u2014 with direct effects on treatment success, hospitalization rates, and healthcare system costs.<\/p>\n
Staudacher (2021) describes the phenomenon of the honeymoon phase in Kundenorientierung<\/em> (Springer Gabler, p. 99): in the first weeks after a purchase or a new service, cognitive dissonance is at its highest and receptiveness to influence is at its greatest. This effect can be transferred directly to healthcare.<\/p>\n A patient who has received a new diagnosis, been prescribed a new medication, or taken a medical device home is in exactly this phase: uncertain, motivated, but also vulnerable. Whoever is present in this window significantly influences long-term compliance.<\/p>\n Philips Healthcare has introduced structured digital onboarding sequences for patients with sleep apnea devices (CPAP) in various European markets \u2014 including the Netherlands and Germany. In the first 30 days after the device is handed over, patients receive automated, personalized messages: user instructions, common mistakes, guidance on pressure adjustment, and encouragement when they experience usage problems.<\/p>\n The result: the compliance rate in the pilot groups rose by up to 20 percentage points compared to the control group. More patients used the device long-term \u2014 which led directly to better clinical outcomes and higher customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n First: Welcome onboarding (Days 1\u20133).<\/strong> A clear, easy-to-understand message: “You’ve made the right decision \u2014 here are the first three steps.” No medical jargon. Human and encouraging.<\/p>\n Second: Value confirmation (Days 5\u20137).<\/strong> Content that shows the patient why the prescribed therapy works for people like them. Positive framing, concrete testimonials.<\/p>\n Third: Support trigger (Days 10\u201314).<\/strong> A proactive offer: “Do you have questions about usage? Here are the most common ones \u2014 and how to solve them.” Where appropriate, links to external explainer videos.<\/p>\n Fourth: Referral window (Days 21\u201328).<\/strong> Only once the patient has been well supported does the window for a referral open. A short satisfaction survey combined with a simple sharing mechanism.<\/p>\n The technology for these workflows exists in every modern CRM. What’s missing is the strategic decision to treat the honeymoon phase as a distinct growth phase: with dedicated content, clear triggers, and measurable KPIs.<\/p>\n Companies that do this not only improve compliance and clinical outcomes. They reduce product returns, increase referral rates, and build customer loyalty that no sales pitch can replicate.<\/p>\n CustomersX helps companies in the healthcare sector develop and implement CRM workflows for the honeymoon phase, independent of the platform they use. Get in touch with us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The silent problem: Half of all patients don’t follow a recommendation The doctor prescribes a treatment. The patient listens attentively, nods, goes home. And then? Studies consistently show that around 50 percent of all patients do not adhere to the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":993392,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[35,57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-993388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crm"],"yoast_head":"\nA European example: Philips Healthcare CRM in aftercare<\/h4>\n
Four CRM workflows for the healthcare honeymoon phase<\/h4>\n
What this means for medical device and pharmaceutical companies<\/h4>\n