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 

Helping Caregivers Stay Organized, Secure, and Informed

Audrey Bond, Founder & CEO of Vaultt, discusses her inspiration behind founding the company, how Vaultt is revolutionizing data-sharing in Canada, common biosecurity and data privacy concerns, her experience with...

Transitioning to the “New Normal”: What This Means for Oncology Care

Dr. Burt Zweigenhaft, Co-founder of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care, shares his thoughts on the importance of patient-centricity in cancer care, current barriers to value-based care in the US...

Making Wearable Technology Scalable and Adoptable

Ilaria Varoli, EVP of Myant Inc., explores Textile Computing™ for remote monitoring, health assessments, pediatric and maternal care, temperature regulation, monitoring of athlete performance, and much more.

Courageous Conversation ep.12: Not Going Back: How COVID Has Changed Clinical Trials

Natalie Yeadon, CEO & Co-Founder at Impetus Digital, provides insight into how COVID has changed clinical trials.

Courageous Conversation ep.11: How to Inspire Creativity with Virtual Working Groups

Natalie Yeadon, Co-Founder & CEO at Impetus Digital, provides insight on how to inspire creativity with virtual working groups.

Parallel HCP-Patient Advisory Boards: A Customer Story

Learn how a Pharma team engaged both dermatologists and patients with psoriasis in two parallel virtual advisory boards.

Courageous Conversation ep.10: Facial Recognition Software in Healthcare

Natalie Yeadon, Co-Founder & CEO at Impetus Digital, provides insight on Facial Recognition Software in Healthcare.

Transforming the Future of Health & Aging from a Global Health & Social Impact Approach

Dr. Zayna Khayat, Future Strategist at SE Health, dives into the future of aging and healthcare in Canada, including the roles of emerging technologies, the shift to people-powered healthcare, and...

Quantum Computing, Artificial Intelligence, & Machine Learning for Drug Discovery

Dr. Shahar Keinan, Co-founder & CEO of POLARIS Quantum Biotech, explores quantum computing and AI for drug discovery, the Quantum Molecular Design process, and how POLARISqb is working to improve...

Top-10 ways that Pharma teams can fight the climate crisis

Ten easy steps that individual medical, marketing, clinical, regulatory, and market access teams can take to reduce their own footprints.