Biological medications are booming, and the demand for biologics isn't expected to slow down anytime soon. The biologics market was valued at $264 billion in 2021 and is projected to more than double in eight years, reaching $596 billion by 2029, according to analysis from Data Bridge Market Research.
The pressure is on for biologic coordinators in clinics around the country to keep up with the pace. Their ability to advocate for patients and help them through the complicated process of securing access to biologic treatments is going to become even more valuable to medical practices as the popularity of these therapies swells.
Biologics have become one of the fastest growing therapeutic compounds because of how effective they've been compared to other traditional therapies. Biologics are created from living cells instead of being synthesized from chemicals. These large molecule drugs are renowned for their accuracy in hitting a specific target, which can lead to lessened side effects for patients and better overall health outcomes. Specialty practitioners such as dermatologists may be more frequently prescribing biologic treatments for chronic diseases including psoriasis and eczema.
The uptick in volume of biologic prescriptions — and the challenging process of getting patients access to them — has the potential to be overwhelming for even the best biologic coordinators. Standing pat with old methods could lead to diminished efficiency. Instead, pursuing a combination of process improvements and technological innovation can be a difference maker in several ways.
Refine Workflows
Highly organized workflows will be critical to ensuring patients continue to be able to access, begin and maintain biologic treatments. If biologic coordinators can more efficiently manage the needs of patients, providers, pharmacies and insurance companies, they'll be better prepared to help their practice deliver optimal health outcomes with the most in-demand treatments.
Get Ahead of Burnout
There's an individual benefit for biologic coordinators to keeping workflows in sync too. Biologic coordinators tend to juggle many responsibilities, and the weight of the required administrative tasks and paperwork can lead to burnout. Streamlining workflows can help lighten the load and alleviate some of the job-related stress so biologic coordinators can function at their best.
Leverage New Technology
Technology can help cut down the chaos. A McKinsey report on process automation indicates 36% of activities that healthcare employees perform could be automated. But, not all technology solutions are created equal. Nextech Vice President of Aesthetics Robin Ntoh cautions that specialty practices much carefully select a technology partner capable of accommodating their specific needs.
"For specialty practices, having predictable, repeatable and scalable processes act as the foundation for practice operations and enables the business to perform efficiently and smoothly," Ntoh wrote in an article for HealthData Management. "Furthermore, technology can drastically assist with both the implementation of these processes but also provide additional flexibility to scale and adjust these workflows, depending on the practice's demands by staff, local economics and the patient experience. Having the right processes in place is a critical component of making the most out of the technology used."
Learn more about how to improve the systems and processes that are essential to your clinic's success in the webinar "How to Get Unstuck from the Workflow Whirlpool," presented by the Biologic Coordinators of Dermatology association. Ntoh will be joined by Nextech Consulting Analyst Eric Olmstead to discuss which areas to focus on and how to get them in sync.
