Q&A with Michael Oleksiw, CEO of Pleio

RamaOnHealthcare September 28, 2024

Simplifying the Journey to Good Health

Today, RamaOnHealthcare talks with Michael Oleksiw, the CEO of Pleio.

Michael Oleksiw, CEO of Pleio

RamaOnHealthcare (ROH): What’s your story? How did you become aligned with a “human” first mentality in healthcare?

Michael Oleksiw (MO): It’s quite simple: we are all human. At a time of great vulnerability facing a new diagnosis, nothing brings more comfort than the support of a human-to-human connection. When doubts and questions come from all sides, emotions often take over. In these times, we need someone who listens to us and responds in kindness and with a generous heart, offering support and motivation because they’ve been there.

It’s about meeting patients where they are on their emotional journey, reassuring them that it’s okay to be sick and on medicine; they aren’t alone. Success won’t fully be realized until healthcare is viewed less as an industry and more as a community, one that we incentivize. We believe in creating empathy through personalized discussions with patients because when we do right by the patient, they are healthier and have better outcomes, which ultimately leads to healthier communities.

ROH: Can you discuss Pleio’s unique business model for working with pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies? How does Pleio help both to support medication adherence?

MO: Pleio fully supports patients with the GoodStart™ peer-to-patient platform while they navigate the complexities of their treatment plan. With a mission to humanize the challenges of the patient journey, Pleio’s GoodStarters reaches out in partnership with a curated network of pharmacy partners to connect, listen, and offer relevant and personalized support to patients.

Our GoodStarters extend the reach of pharmacies outside of their four walls and into the home, where they connect and check in with patients after they have picked up their first fill. It’s in these moments that our GoodStarters provide additional pharma-sponsored content on medication education and awareness of support programs such as co-pay support and emotional support. Developed to foster empathy through direct one-on-one discussions with patients, Pleio’s approach uses technology to improve human care interactions, not replace them.

ROH: What do you view as the most important aspect of personalizing the patient experience and arming patients with insights on rebates, coupons, educational materials, etc., with a peer-to-patient approach?

MO: Our goal is to “un-overwhelm” patients. We call, connect, and listen. We create a moment for the patient to take a breath and realize that they are not alone in how they are feeling. Once the GoodStarter establishes rapport with the patient, they then support them with medication knowledge, coping skills and confidence to move forward.

Pleio’s platform enables knowledge, skills, and confidence in patients through peer-to-peer conversation. After receiving a diagnosis and picking up medication for the first time, patients are overwhelmed. While there is a deluge of support and information surrounding them, it can be completely overwhelming—like drinking from the firehose. Pleio partners with pharmacies to help identify new patients receiving treatment.

ROH: How can healthcare best address the emotional burdens for patients who might otherwise be unlikely to adhere to recommended therapy because of their fear, confusion or sadness?

MO: It’s critical to connect with patients as unique individuals, listen to their concerns, and then offer relevant information to them. Personalizing their experiences lets them know they aren’t alone. Building rapport first helps direct patients to meaningful educational materials and support programs suited to their journey.

Talking to patients and making sure they understand their medication and resources significantly impacts overall adherence because patients feel heard. We typically see a 20-30% increase in adherence, resulting in an additional fill per patient per year in our programs.

ROH: What are the biggest opportunities and obstacles you see for helping Pharmacists empower patients on the journey to good health?

MO: Pharmacists are juggling so many roles with increasing demands. We help Pharmacists by extending pharmacy support to check in on their patients after they’ve picked up their medication. This helps Pharmacists operate at the top of their license while also becoming more efficient as they extend beyond the pharmacy’s four walls. We bring empathy and care into the home. Our GoodStarters are not replacing the Pharmacy team; they are connecting with patients on a peer-to-patient level.

Enabling patients to feel supported keeps them adherent to all of their medications. Confidence also impacts patient satisfaction, which in turn leads to happy patients returning to their pharmacy. We’ve seen a halo effect in the form of an 11% improvement in refill behavior for all prescribed medications. Store loyalty also improves, with an increase in retention, frequency, and “basket size.”

ROH: What is the most important lesson you can offer to help pharma and pharmacies support and guide patients with medication education and resources while addressing emotional barriers?

MO: Sometimes, in this healthcare journey, we overwhelm patients – though we have the best intentions. That’s because patient journeys are inherently complex; if we solve for tiny habits, though, we can return to empathy. In other words, let’s go back to the basics: don’t talk at patients; talk to them.

Our GoodStarters are trained and certified, so they do more than just share their experiences. These are regular people who genuinely want to help and give back. We’re not a call center. Some work three hours per week; some 30 – whenever they want to do something good for the great healthcare community. Peer-to-patient connections will allow us to power a human-first approach to simplifying the journey to good health, which is ultimately what it’s all about.

More about Michael Oleksiw

Before Pleio, Michael served as the Global Director of Lawson Software’s (Infor) PLM business, where his unit achieved the highest Net Promoter Scores amongst all manufacturing industry clients. Earlier in his career, he commercialized a clinical trials data management software suite and won awards for developing mypatient.com CME. He was instrumental in establishing a US-owned technology center in China that delivered services to the Fortune 500. While in college, Michael created an Olympic gold medal-winning bespoke bicycle manufacturing company. He is a graduate of the John Molson School of Business.