Working in a for-profit health care consulting firm opened a whole new domain for me. I have long admired and perhaps been puzzled by our oncology social work colleagues who work in pharma, and now I am proud to introduce myself in business meetings at pharma/biotech companies as an oncology social worker. My skill set remains at the root of my OSW being—it applies in all settings. At the end of the day, I am an advocate for patients and committed to ensuring that the whole patient and family are at the center of all we do in health care. I have found pharmaceutical companies to be incredibly receptive to understanding more about the psychosocial needs of patients and families, and open to ways to improve everything from clinical trial design to patient-assistance programs.

The Role of a Health Care Consultant

My work varies greatly by client. Sometimes it is focused on:

• Developing a strategic plan to integrate patients/patient advocacy organizations into a company’s day-to-day business,
• Facilitating a focus group of patients and caregivers around a key topic,
• Educating business professionals on the psychosocial aspects of living with a specific type of cancer,
• Sharing research and practice strategies that can impact health outcomes,
• Pulling together research about the barriers to adherence and clinical interventions that can improve health outcomes,
• Working in health policy at the state or federal level about insurance changes on patient lives, or
• Researching thousands of cancer resources and organizations to help a client understand who the experts are and where they can get the best support.

The most rewarding part of my work is knowing I can impact macro-level changes by interacting with patients, caregivers and a multitude of cancer organizations. I work with smart, highly productive people who are kind and compassionate at the same time. I am constantly learning something new.

Transitioning to the New Role

As part of my prior job, I was used to working with pharmaceutical patient advocacy departments and I enjoyed our collaborations. They work “above-brand”—meaning their work with patient advocacy organizations is separate and distinct from the commercial business. I was ready for a change and just happened upon an opportunity to join a firm with incredible experience and reach.

I am blessed to work with a group of people who are super smart, kind, hard-working, deeply committed to patients and families across many different diseases and building bridges within industry. I feel supported and valued. We all work remotely so we keep in touch via phone and email. We see each other at client meetings, conferences or other events. I love the independence and the ability to drive my own work day. In my role, I am enjoying international travel to work with patient organizations throughout Europe and beyond.

I was nervous about the transition from working in a more traditional role. But I confess, I am a cancer geek. I read endlessly and strive to understand the business of cancer and health care as a whole. I love to walk through the doors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and feel all the energy and excitement about research, about patient care and the business of health care. I am totally intrigued by things like value-based cancer care because I believe that as psychosocial oncology professionals we have exquisite knowledge and understanding and are often THE key team members who contribute, measure and report about the patient (and caregiver) voice in the value equation.

What I love most is helping my clients who are mostly responsible for patient advocacy in their company. We work together to ensure the patient voice is integrated and respected across the business. We problem solve how to help meet the countless unmet needs our patients and families face. We work to pair resources with need—the very essence of social work practice.

Becoming a Health Care Consultant

How does one become a health care consultant? It can be as simple as just hanging out your own “shingle” and framing your particular expertise around a set of skills you could bring to a client. Or you can consider joining a firm—there are hundreds with many different focuses. Some work in health policy, some in traditional health marketing. Some do stakeholder engagement, which is bringing together the key stakeholders on any given issue to find solutions, create community or action around a specific problem or need.