Pharma’s Reputation Could Get a Boost If Digital Health Services Become the Rule, Not the Exception
A new survey conducted by ixlayer in partnership with Ipsos found that patients living with chronic conditions expect more from pharmaceutical companies than simply drug development. They want digital-first healthcare experiences and they’re ready for pharma to deliver them.
Key findings include:
- 92% of surveyed patients said their perception of pharma would improve if companies provided online-health resources.
- More than 80% agreed that drugmakers should offer resources that make it easier to access care and treatments.
- 86% of respondents reported they had used at least one digital health tool (patient portal, telehealth, pharmacy delivery, wearable, at-home diagnostic), pointing to strong consumer readiness.
The survey sample included over 400 U.S. adults in January 2025, each living with one or more chronic conditions (such as asthma, type 2 diabetes, heart disease or eczema).
“They have a role in helping people and patients get the medications and assistance they need; they should be constantly working to minimize the steps in between being prescribed and getting their medicines.”
— Patient respondent quoted in Fierce Pharma“Patients don’t just want treatment from pharma—they want seamless, digital-first healthcare experiences that fit into their lives.”
— Pouria Sanae, co-founder & CEO of ixlayer
What This Means for Biopharma Brands
- Reputation is at stake. Patients overwhelmingly signal that their view of pharmaceutical companies would rise if they made meaningful digital health services available.
- Digital tools are now table-stakes. With high adoption (86%) of digital health solutions among these patients, pharma must consider how to integrate telehealth, at-home diagnostics, lab access and pharmacy delivery into their programs.
- Access = trust. Offering tools that simplify the journey — from education, through screening/testing, to treatment — is no longer optional. It’s how brands build long-term trust and relevance.
- Brand differentiation through service. In a crowded marketplace, companies that deliver consumer-grade digital experiences — not just product-grade pills — will differentiate themselves.
Why DTP Matters For Pharma
The next frontier for pharma is the end-to-end patient journey: awareness to screening/diagnostics to provider interaction to treatment fulfillment. This survey reinforces what we’ve seen: to stay relevant, brands must pivot from “here’s the drug” to “here’s the journey.” Digital health services aren’t just an addition to the ecosystem, they are the ecosystem.
Read ixlayer’s EOY research report: Closing the Awareness Gap: What Pharma Executives and Patients Expect from Direct-to-Patient Programs in 2025
Read Fierce’s coverage of ixlayer: https://www.fiercepharma.com/marketing/pharmas-reputation-would-improve-if-drugmakers-offered-digital-health-services-patients
About ixlayer
ixlayer has the only end-to-end, direct-to-patient platform built for biopharma and optimized for patient choice. We help biopharma companies connect with patients from testing to treatment with speed, transparency, control and impact.
