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 

Social Health Prescription: Connecting People, Empowering Patients, & Improving Outcomes

Lynda Brown-Ganzert, Founder & CEO of Curatio, discusses the concept of social health prescription and the inspiration behind Curatio. We also explore questions such as how AI and “intelligent matchmaking” can be...

Leveraging Data, Technology & Expertise to Solve Problems & Transform Healthcare

Tushar Pant, Consulting Executive in Healthcare at IBM, discusses how technology is transforming healthcare. Among many other things, we explore how IBM is working to improve the healthcare industry in Canada,...

Reimagining Healthcare Through Integrated Digital Health Empowerment

Yianni Serpanos, Founder & CEO of HealthTechX, discusses a variety of topics, including how COVID-19 has affected the uptake of telehealth among allied health professionals in Australia and worldwide. Yianni also...

Top 10 Tips for “Virtualizing” In-person Meetings

With over 11 years of experience in virtualizing meetings in the life science industry, Impetus Digital has a wealth of experience and knowledge to share.

Using Health IT to Improve the Healthcare System

Scott Arrol, Chief Executive Officer at New Zealand Health IT, discusses the roles of interoperability, connected health, and digital identity in enabling a healthier population. We also explore how NZHIT and...

Unleashing the Potential of Multichannel Digital Strategies in Healthcare

Christine Jacob, Founder and Managing Director of Digi-Bridges, talks about the future of mobile and digital health, including exciting technologies such as VR and AR. We also touch on a wide variety...

Virtual Hackathon on Healthcare Innovation: a Customer Story

How participants from 9 different countries in the APAC region were brought together to participate in a pharmaceutical company-wide 3-day virtual "hackathon," with spectacular results.

Artificial Intelligence in Digital Therapeutics

Leo Grady, CEO of Paige.AI uncovers what it has been like being a pioneer in the digital therapeutic space and the many challenges that come with bringing AI technology to market....

Virtual Reality in Medicine and Clinical Research

In the latest episode of Impetus Digital's Fireside Chat, I sit down with Ville Leppälä, Vertical Lead, Research and Medical, at Varjo. We discuss the potential applications of virtual reality, augmented...

Potential Benefits and Dangers of Big Data Analytics

In this episode of Impetus Digital's Fireside Chat, I sit down with Brenda McPhail from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. We talk about a myriad of different subjects related to...