Patient Advocacy and Engagement
Bridging the scientific and human dimensions of healthcare
At Syneos Health, our work and culture are driven by a shared commitment to improving patient lives. We collaborate with customers and internal teams to ensure patient engagement is thoughtfully integrated into strategy, development and execution – connecting scientific innovation with real-world impact.
From patient-centric to patient-partnered
Building patient engagement solutions that matter requires a shared commitment to listening, learning and co-creating with patient communities every step of the way, from insight to impact.
Our distinct approach delivers strategic and adaptable solutions that elevate patient needs and preferences at the core of planning and execution, aiming to address the real-world priorities, burdens and goals of the community, and to create lasting impact for people and their care partners.
Advocacy and patient engagement can lead the way to new opportunities. Let’s talk about yours.
Purpose-driven solutions to elevate cross-functional advocacy and patient engagement
We bring together experts from across Syneos Health, spanning therapeutic areas, regions and the full product lifecycle to deliver integrated, insight-driven solutions that elevate advocacy strategy, drive meaningful patient engagement (PE) and advance health equity.
Our cross-functional teams specialize in aligning stakeholder priorities with business objectives through tailored, strategic execution in areas such as:
- Advocacy and engagement strategy development
- Patient-partnered events and activation initiatives
- Landscape and influencer analysis
- Global/local PE toolkits and SOPs
- Community-aligned messaging and storytelling
- Plan language content, infographics and information resources
- Patient experience stories
- Disease education resources
- Patient advisory boards/councils
- Patient and care-partner interviews for actionable insights
- Global trial awareness strategy
- Comprehensive global PE frameworks and implementation support
Asking the right questions to create customized solutions
What do we need to do to build a global PE culture and infrastructure?
A global biopharma company partnered with Syneos Health to evolve its patient engagement strategy by strengthening global governance and enabling locally tailored execution to drive deeper, more meaningful engagement.
Following a discovery process to assess current tools and gaps, in year one we:
- Established a PE Steering Committee and Consortium representing >150 local affiliates.
- Developed core resources (e.g., regulatory mapping, objection handlers, PE Toolkit with SOPs and planning tools) co-created with global and local teams to drive alignment and scalability.
We supported continued growth through working groups spanning R&D, compliance and communications, and introduced new SOPs, trainings and measurement tools. Strategic implementation continues into the next year, reinforcing a sustainable, scalable and measurable PE culture.
How can we create advocacy relationships as we enter a new market?
A successful EU-based biopharma company sought to establish a US presence and build meaningful connections with advocacy leaders and patient communities to support a US respiratory product and future launch, but lacked a US-based advocacy team.
We partnered cross-functionally with US and EU-based medical affairs, clinical operations and commercial teams to establish a US-focused advocacy strategy. The approach was designed to support the transition from clinical trial execution to launch readiness, while aligning with the company’s commitment to corporate sustainability, environmental health, and health equity.
- Serving as the company’s advocacy representative, we led high-level, leader-to-leader engagement across internal stakeholders and with US advocacy organizations to co-create trusted, impactful collaborations.
- This included the establishment of a multi-organization and KOL-led steering committee that designed and fielded an IRB-approved national survey exploring the environmental and climate impacts on respiratory health within diverse communities and how these shape the lived experience.*
Within six months, we established foundational relationships with key advocacy organizations across the US, supported by consistent engagement and strategic alignment. In year two, those relationships expanded into deeper collaborations – strengthening reputation, aligning messaging and differentiating the company in a highly competitive market.
*The insight summary from the national respiratory survey will be published publicly in the coming months, offering valuable guidance for future patient-partnered programming and advocacy partnerships.
Where should we focus resources to elevate patient involvement in clinical research?
A global pharmaceutical company sought to deepen its understanding of the lived patient experience in multiple myeloma across Canada – navigating the complexities of a fragmented, province-based healthcare system and a dual-language, culturally diverse population.
In collaboration with the company and Myeloma Canada, we led a targeted, bilingual recruitment effort supported by regional advocacy groups and social media outreach, Facebook and Twitter to ensure broad and inclusive participation.
- More than 160 individuals completed the screener, with selected participants joining live, virtual patient consult sessions representing geographic, socio-economic, and ethnic diversity. One conducted in English and one in French.
Insights gathered from these sessions informed HTA submissions, refined clinical trial protocols and logistics, and shaped the development of patient support programs and education tailored to communities across Canada.
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