5 Highlights From The Medical Affairs Omnichannel USA Virtual Conference
On January 31, 2023, around 100 Medical Affairs professionals logged into the Medical Affairs Omnichannel USA Virtual Conference: Achieving engagement & insights, whilst delivering intelligent & personalized stakeholder value. This event was hosted by Evidence Life Science and you can see the impressive line up of speakers and level of expertise here.
Two major themes popped up in every presentation and in the panel discussion:
- Attention, attention, attention and how limited it is
- Social media
Besides the great presentations from experts, the way the conference was organized was excellent. The organizers focused it around networking and that it was not a Zoom webinar. It was Zoom meeting style. This meant that attendees could easier interact with each other and see other’s chats. It had a very ‘networky’ feel to it. Which can be tough in a virtual setting.
Medical Affairs Omnichannel Virtual Conference Highlights
Getting Omnichannel Right is Super Important
With HCPs’ limited attention, it is harder and harder to engage meaningfully. Monica Mercer pointed out that if medical affairs messes this up, it can result in doubts and a lack of trust from HCP.
Taking a Data-Driven Approach to Omnichannel is The Way to Go
Florin Draica discussed interesting data showing that pharma is not delivering content in a format that HCPs want. Additionally, medical affairs need to take into account the different preferences across TA, specialty, and region when it comes to omnichannel content. There are a lot of great opportunities for medical affairs to provide a seamless omnichannel experience for HCPs.
Along the lines of data-driven approaches to omnichannel, Caroline Halford and David Braca from Springer discussed a great case study on how over 400 experts prefer to engage. They shared insights on channels receiving a lot of engagement (social media and article podcasts). Medical affairs can learn a lot from data like this to understand how to engage HCPs effectively.
Don’t Forget to Address Health Equity Gaps When it Comes to Omnichannel
Tracy Wilson gave an inspiring talk reminding us that it is our responsibility to be aware of health disparities and that this will help increase outreach to underserved communities. Omnichannel is a great tool to increase awareness, improve how we communicate to HCPs about health equity, and create better outcomes for patients. Medical Affairs is perfectly positioned to make a huge impact in this area.
How Scientific Data is Communicated has Changed
Ana Bozas discussed how the dissemination of scientific information through the lens of publications has changed. Limited attention spans affect how much info is retained, and we must adapt to HCPs’ new(er) learning preferences. This means taking a more digital approach.
Omnichannel Requires a Mindset Shift
Donna Judd focused on the importance of change management and mindset shift. It is important for medical affairs to manage this well among internal stakeholders if we want to meet the evolving needs of our stakeholders. Her big tips were to start small and go for small wins early on to demonstrate impact.
Conclusion
The world is noisier than ever, and this should be top of mind, especially when it comes to omnichannel communication. Medical Affairs’ internal and external customers are getting pulled in all directions. Our omnichannel engagement strategies and content should take this into account. This conference highlighted the amazing opportunities medical affairs has to create a better experience for internal stakeholders, HCPs, and patients through omnichannel. Be sure to check out upcoming events. You will be sure to learn something to help you and your team!
Written by Patrina Pellett, PhD
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