Pharmafile Logo

The (inevitable) digital transformation of Medical Affairs

It’s not a question of ‘if,’ it’s a question of ‘when.’

Working closely with Medical Affairs (MA) leaders and their teams, we have been hearing about their ongoing evolution and digital transformation for years. As in many other sectors, the pace of this transformation has accelerated substantially since the pandemic. Reviewing the recent literature on the topic, it is interesting to note how many predictions are already coming true but also where more work is needed to bring the visions to life.

A Vision for Medical Affairs

In A Vision for Medical Affairs in 2025–a recent McKinsey & Company report–the authors provided thought-provoking insights into the evolution of MA, mirroring what we have been hearing first-hand.

The report concluded that digital offers the ability to harness untapped insights through new or underused types of data and analytics, including real-world evidence, customer interaction, electronic health record, and internal data. It also highlighted that digital provides new ways for MA members to connect and engage with stakeholders. Healthcare providers (HCPs), payers, and patients can now access medical information at their fingertips and they expect more from Pharma than in the past. This offers new opportunities to engage with stakeholders beyond just physicians. However, MA must play a critical role in ensuring that digital information is factual, relevant, digestible, and tailored to the intended audience.

In addition to embracing the power of data and analytics, MA needs to get comfortable with novel digital engagement techniques. The pandemic accelerated the uptake of virtual meeting and event technologies. Nonetheless, many of these initiatives continue to occur on an ad hoc basis instead of ongoing engagement throughout the year, indicating that there is room for improvement… Read the rest of the article here.

This content was provided by Impetus Digital

Company Details

 Latest Content from  Impetus Digital 

Effective Communication in Virtual Meetings: Stay Pithy - Impetus InSite Tips #4

Learn the value of concise communication in our fourth tip for optimizing virtual meetings. Discover how keeping interactions short and focused can drastically improve engagement and retention in today's fast-paced...

Enhancing Honesty in Feedback: Blinded Questions

Explore our third tip in our series aimed at refining asynchronous virtual meetings. Discover how using blinded questions can significantly minimize bias and enhance the integrity of feedback in virtual...

Streamlining Asynchronous Feedback: Scale Consistency - Impetus InSite Tips #2

Uncover the second crucial tip for optimizing your asynchronous virtual meetings. Learn the importance of scale consistency in survey-style questions on the Impetus InSite Platform to ensure clear and reliable...

Clinical Trial Protocol Conceptualization: A Customer Story

To set their Phase II clinical trial of a novel anti-cancer compound up for success, our client sought early multidisciplinary insights on current unmet needs, as well as feedback on their preclinical...

Mastering Asynchronous Meetings: Open-Ended Questions - Impetus Digital Tip 1

Unlock the potential of asynchronous virtual meetings with the first tip from our "Top 10 Tips for Optimizing Asynchronous Virtual Meetings".

In-person, hybrid, or digital? State of Pharma meetings and events in 2024

We’re diving into the state of pharmaceutical meetings and events in 2024 and–once and for all–put the idea of in-person meetings being superior to rest.

Navigating Regulatory Challenges - Top 10 Most Important Advisor Questions

This quick video covers #9 of our Top 10 Most Important Advisor Questions, shedding light on the complexities of local and national regulatory issues in the Pharma and Life Sciences...

Top-5 Trends in Virtual KOL Engagement

Register now for one of our upcoming webinars (February 26-28)

Engaging with Different Perspectives - Top 10 Most Important Advisor Questions

In this quick clip, we highlight a vital tip from our 'Top 10 Most Important Advisor Questions' – essential for enhancing your virtual collaboration strategies in Pharma and Life Sciences....

Patient Advocate Engagement: A Customer Story

Learn how our client executed a series of 3 virtual touchpoints with 5 rare disease patient advocates to:- Develop a better understanding of the current treatment landscape and lived patient...