How Novartis deploys a new model of creativity to understand patients better

Purpose To better understand the reality of living with diseases and conditions that its drugs therapies are developed to treat, Novartis leadership determined a need for more meaningful insights into patients’ lives. They sought develop systematic, creative methodology – informed by psychology insightful rather than analytical thinking properly integrate deploy research commissioned day-to-day business decision-making. For it is well established understanding patient drives both compliance adherence “beyond pill”. The purpose this paper bring novel creativity wider audience ensure many others notably in advocacy organizations can benefit from approach. Design/methodology/approach A core team Insight Analytics Patient Engagement leads various therapeutic area teams worked partnership psychologist practitioner field thinking, an effective could reliably surface articulate genuine insights. This i4i Insights Discovery™ process was developed, piloted, refined codified 2020 implemented across company 2021–2022. It uses combination convergent divergent techniques human artificial intelligence, combining diverse outputs lives better. With enhanced understanding, then shape educational behavioral strategies drive compliance. Findings At time tightening budgets demands deliver impact budgets, has enabled turn existing profound useful understandings what means live specific evidence-based engagement strategies; insight-driven decision-making around lifecycle any compound. been applied Novartis’s areas expertise, heart disease cancer, organ transplantation dermatology, food allergy ophthalmology. Practical implications enables gain deeper without commission additional research; do less. These enable cross-functional better-informed address needs patients their care partners, health-care professionals systems. creating looking make approach gold standard insight discovery, pharma health other categories, too. Originality/value practical, application well-established principles clear imperative. By repurposing reinterpreting using verbal visual exercises, delivers empathetic reality. moves “So what?” data mean “Now we should as result.