VISEO works with MSD on C'Partner

As a global research-based pharmaceutical laboratory, MSD offers innovative solutions that improve the lives of millions of patients in France and around the world. MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) is the name of the American company Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, all over the world, outside the United States and Canada.
 

MSD is a leader in human health, animal health and vaccines, with 68,000 employees in 140 countries and a turnover of $ 39.5 billion in 2015.
 

By investing 17% of its turnover in R&D, MSD has a promising pipeline for pharmaceuticals. Its history is marked by major scientific discoveries.
 

In France, MSD has 2300 employees spread over 5 sites, with a turnover of 1.3 billion euros in 2015, making it the largest subsidiary company in the group.

A real need for support

The first reflection for MSD France appeared in 2015 following a conference conducted by SOS Hépatites, which highlighted the need for support from patients: "Before, patients were not cured, they were in chronic illness for several decades, explains Nathalie Gherardi, Head of External Relations Oncology MSD France. Now, treatments exist and patients can heal. Contrary to what one could think, it was not trivial for them since there was a whole psychological step and a support to put in place for the patient who says to himself "Now that I am cured, how I take again my marks in real life? "
 

After conducting surveys of the various actors, the MSD teams wanted to set up a support for the patient in his care pathway, to ensure that he takes all of his treatment and help him in the recovery. of his daily life after illness.

A relevant support

MSD looked for the tools that appeared to be the most relevant for patients. After conducting workshops with patients, patient associations and health professionals, the pharmaceutical company found solutions on what seemed to best meet their needs and expectations today: "This answer was to Accompaniment and accurate information, scientifically sound and easy to access, "says Nathalie Gherardi.
 

Access to information not always obvious or dispersed: "SOS Hepatitis, in particular, offers an excellent source of very rich and complete information but it does not offer, for example, treatment monitoring. Other actors proposed applications or programs but linked to treatment, analyzes Nathalie Gherardi. This whole process led us to think about "what could we offer to all patients regardless of the type of treatment they have?"

A design from conception to production

During the call for tenders launched by the laboratory, VISEO stood out from its competitors: "VISEO was the company that had best understood the project and proposed a more dynamic and visual project. We really wanted something alive for these patients, to attract them and make them want to get involved in this process, "explains Nathalie Gherardi.
 

VISEO's digital teams created the C'Partner mobile application and the associated website: "To realize C'Partner, many expertises were requested, explains Marine Huynh, Project Manager VISEO Digital. The entire graphic design universe was created internally, the design of the application made in co-construction between MSD and VISEO Digital project teams, and we worked with an editorial freelance to make the medical explanations very technical. more accessible. In parallel, we used a motion designer to complete these explanations with videos, in a fun way. The complete and useful aspects of the project pleased us a lot in the realization ".
 

VISEO's digital teams managed to implement the project in record time: "We created the entire iOS and Android application, the responsive site and all the content in the space of 4 months, thanks to the workshops based on design thinking with health officials, "says Marine Huynh.

C’Partner, an application 360°

C'Partner is an application for patients with hepatitis C, but not only: "There is really a desire to apply 360° in the sense that we fulfill the 3 components: prevention, the accompaniment during treatment and after treatment, "explains Nathalie Gherardi.
 

At the patient's diagnosis, a profile is set up on the application listing information such as the duration of treatment, the type of medication to be taken, the time at which to take them, recurrence or medical appointments. The patient can follow the progress of his treatment in real time and has a log in which to register his daily status (well, not good).
 

The application respects patients and helps them in their treatment, without being complex to use: "There is a total respect for confidentiality since there is no data collection, says Nathalie Gherardi. Above all, the application is very intuitive, it is easy, it can be used daily without being tedious, or heavy. There are no endless forms to complete, it can be used very quickly, mechanically but in a pleasant visual ergonomics since we are not in the aggressiveness or the coldness. C'Partner is warm, it's really a companion. It is moreover an easy everyday companion, a medical application strictly speaking."

An harmonious collaboration

The understanding of the specifications and the feeling were two decisive elements in the decision of the choice of the partner on the project: "At the tender, we immediately saw that VISEO had exactly understood to where we wanted to go explains Nathalie Gherardi. VISEO's proposal seemed fluid to us and really corresponded to what we wanted: there was a real understanding of the specifications that had been sent and there was a real feeling with the teams. There was a certain harmony, we felt comfortable working together ".
 

"Understanding our needs was a real added value, it saved us a lot of time," concludes Nathalie Gherardi.