What does medical affairs need to know about artificial intelligence? Spend 10 minutes with Jason Smith, CTO at Within3, to find out. We asked Jason three burning questions about AI: what is our relationship to this advanced technology, what are we getting wrong about it, and how can we use it to our advantage?

Show notes
New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html

Show guide
Our relationship with AI [00:00:40]
Discussion on the current state of AI, the impact of chat GPT, and the importance of context in training models.

Understanding AI's capabilities [00:03:00]
The maturity scale of AI in different industries, the difference between AI and augmented intelligence, and the importance of incrementalism in adoption.

Incrementalism in AI [00:04:47]
Explanation of incrementalism in AI, using medical affairs as a case study, and the role of humans in decision-making.

Misconceptions about AI [00:07:20]
Dispelling the misconception that AI is a silver bullet and emphasizing its role in augmenting and automating tasks for faster and more informed decision-making.

Incrementalism and user adoption [00:08:26]
The importance of incrementalism in AI adoption and user adoption challenges in organizations.

AI in medical affairs [00:09:26]
AI's potential to improve efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness in medical affairs, drug development, clinical trials, and patient care.

Within3 Questions: What does pharma need to know about AI?

In this episode of Within3 questions, we talk to Natalie DiMambro, Vice President of Product Commercialization and Training at Within3, about change management in the life science industry. Learn about the importance of customized training to address individual skill gaps and fears associated with change, plus how the risk-averse nature of the pharma industry can hinder innovation. Recommendations include taking incremental steps towards change, creating a milestone list, and looking back on accomplishments to build confidence. Listen in to learn more.

Show guide:
Passion for the human element [00:01:06] Natalie DiMambro explains her passion for the human element in technology and the importance of customized training to address individual skill gaps and resistance to change.

Fear of change [00:02:42] We discuss the fear associated with change and how it is an individual-based fear that needs to be addressed with a customized approach.

Risk-averse nature of life science industry [00:04:11] Natalie talks about how the risk-averse nature of the life science industry affects the way people approach change, particularly around technology, and how it can lead to a lack of innovation.

Reducing risk [00:07:09] Natalie emphasizes the importance of reducing risk to reduce fear and move towards a path of continuous learning and how having a good partner can help make a plan for adoption that is reasonable and reduces risk.

Bonus question: changing mindset [00:08:13] Sarah asks Natalie for one recommendation on how someone in the industry can change their mindset around change.

Enabling change [00:08:29] The personal pursuit of change, self-assessment, identifying skill gaps, and engaging partners for training.

Creating a plan [00:09:18] How to create a culture of learning, find a plan with less risk, and make incremental changes with attainable goals.

Honoring milestones [00:10:46] Natalie emphasizes the importance of reviewing accomplishments, acknowledging milestones, and building confidence for future changes.

Within3 Questions: Pharma teams need good change management to get more from technology

How do in-person conversations work with an insights management platform?

During the all-virtual, all-the-time detour of 2020 and 2021, the innate qualities of in-person professional events came into sharp relief. Yes, you likely accomplished a lot – but you also realized that some nuances of relationship-building, knowledge-sharing, and deal-making could not be fully replicated in a virtual environment. How can live meetings and insights management co-exist?

In returning to those valuable in-person experiences, we lost some critical aspects of information capture that digital tools provide. After years of relying on recordings and transcripts, you might be left wondering: where are the insights going? And how can you put them to work as part of your insights management strategy? Here are three key elements of virtual insight-gathering that we recommend retaining.

Keep most HCP engagements – including ad boards – virtual

Physicians prefer virtual engagements for advisory board engagements largely because they don’t need to spend several days away from patients and family traveling to a meeting that likely only spans a few hours. They still want to contribute their expertise, but not at the expense of other important commitments.

There’s good reason to tailor HCP engagement to physician preferences. According to Ipsos, “The use of digital channels is here to stay, but pharma needs to learn to personalize digital tactics to meet HCPs’ needs using a synergistic mix of channels, designed to target the right HCPs at the right time in the right way.”

Pharma companies don’t need to do away with in-person engagements, but the choice of virtual or not should be a matter of what best supports the end goal. The venue is secondary to how insights are captured and integrated into strategy.

Data-driven insights will fuel [a data-driven] approach and allow for pharma to track and shape their strategies accordingly. – Ipsos

Make the most of in-person opportunities with virtual elements and reporting

When in-person is the right choice, you can ensure participants are prepared to be productive. Lack of this preparation – and the time wasted trying to stay on track or getting everyone up to speed – is a consistent pain point for medical affairs and commercial teams.

Creating a space to share goals and set intentions before an in-person opportunity is respectful to all participants. Establishing priorities and offering relevant literature or data in one location means everyone arrives at in-person meetings ready to contribute. Your team will be closer to advancing your goals with actionable insights.

Within a robust insights management platform, pre-event agendas and post-event consensus-building are opportunities to get answers to key questions rather than a fragmented collection of email threads that might never reach important stakeholders. Creating a stronger scientific narrative is easier when everyone can access every observation rather than just a slice of the whole conversation.

Give your team the ability to course-correct rather than start over

Impediments to launch or milestone achievements don’t follow your schedule. After investing months preparing for an in-person event, last-minute changes like new clinical data can derail your carefully planned interaction. However, insights management technology enables you to send updates, share new data or other information, and even add pre-work before an advisory board meeting. If something changes after the meeting, you can follow up efficiently or add a new virtual advisory board to understand how changes impact your work.

Read the post on our site:
https://within3.com/blog/live-meetings-insights-management-technology

Listen Instead: How do in-person conversations work with an insights management platform?

We’re joined by Caroline Schaffrath Demarco, Director of Insights Strategy and Innovation at Within3, who explains that pharma social media listening can grant teams access to a layer of insights they might otherwise miss.

By capturing unscripted and unprompted reactions to data releases and presentations, social listening can help organizations make more informed decisions and reduce the “fear of missing out” from limited resources on the ground during the event.

Listen to learn how social listening in pharma helps teams follow the legitimate scientific exchange around congresses, enables them to capture conversations and reactions that happen beyond the walls of the event, and even provides a way to look back in time and understand changes and fluctuations in trending topics.

Show guide:

Social listening and medical congresses [00:01:10]
Caroline explains how social listening can provide valuable insights into the reactions and opinions of attendees and stakeholders during medical congresses.

The value of looking back [00:05:08]
Caroline discusses the importance of being able to look back at previous congresses and how social listening can provide real-world data and evidence.

Social media as a source of real-world data [00:09:10]
Caroline explains how social media can be seen as a source of real-world data and how social listening can help build the real-world evidence story.

Benefits of social listening for pharma and life science companies [00:11:20]
Caroline explains how social listening can provide valuable insights into the reactions and opinions of attendees and stakeholders at medical congresses.

Importance of socializing data and shaping scientific narrative in real-time [00:12:11]
Caroline discusses the importance of socializing data and shaping scientific narrative in real-time during medical congresses.

Advice for companies not using social listening as part of their congress strategy [00:12:45]
Caroline advises companies to engage a team they trust and find a strong technology partner to help filter and extract relevant insights from social listening data.

Within3 Questions: Eavesdropping on congresses? The secret to pharma teams’ success

If you’ve heard more about insights management lately, it’s no surprise: the topic is at the forefront of many industry conversations. We’ve compiled some guidance to help you as you look for an insights management vendor.

Amid an increasing awareness that a lack of insights can threaten critical business processes, pharma teams need a way to integrate fragmented technologies and unify disparate processes into a more cohesive strategy.

Some innovative teams are investing in insights management platforms explicitly built for the life science industry. But pharma leaders want to know: how will another technology investment work with the tools I already have and need to use? What does my team need to know? And how will a new solution support security and compliance?

Selecting the right insights management platform begins with asking the right questions. If you’re considering a solution, it’s critical to get a clear understanding of what a long-term partnership with a prospective vendor will look like.

While some tools will solve part of your insights management challenges, few will help you move closer to an end-to-end solution on their own. Here’s how to determine if the solution you’re evaluating has everything you’re looking for.

Does the company have a strong strategic vision?
Investing in technology means finding a solution that helps you now and will support you as your organizational needs change. What are the company’s plans to address emerging industry trends, and how does the vendor roll out new features to customers?

How is customer support defined?
Does the platform you’re looking at include support for your critical projects, or must you purchase an additional support package? Does customer support only include tactical and technical questions or are clients set up for ongoing strategic success?

What’s the timeline for return on investment?
Understanding how technology will help you and within what timeframe can help you make an investment decision. Ask if the vendor has processes to ensure your team will get the most out of the platform.

How does the vendor ensure compliance?
Questions about data security and privacy should be the top priority. Don’t forget to thoroughly understand how any solution helps you stay compliant.

What’s the solution’s impact on strategy?
Many tech solutions help organize or store information. But pharma teams need a way to extract insights – real turning points that change behavior – from the wealth of information they collect. Ask vendors how their solution will help your team reduce the time spent on tactical tasks so you can focus on strategy and how any product features will move you toward a deeper understanding of your competitive landscape.

Read the post on our site:
https://www.within3.com/blog/questions-to-ask-your-insights-management-vendor

Listen Instead: 5 important points to understand about your insights management vendor

Listen Instead: Hearing every voice – Galapagos initiative puts the focus on patients

In most pharma engagements, the focus is on traditional KOLs – prominent physicians with hefty publication credentials. But teams are increasingly aware of the value added by other types of healthcare providers, including nurses, technicians, pharmacists, and other allied health professionals.

In our latest podcast, Kristin Kaderli, senior director and client strategy lead at Within3, shares the benefits of engaging these experts within an insights management platform, including increased diversity of perspectives and more nuanced insight into the patient experience.

For pharma teams that want to improve outreach to allied health audiences, Kaderli suggests creating a standing panel of allied health experts to provide quick feedback on materials, guidelines, and protocols. Or, consider engaging with trade groups for nurses, pharmacists, and other professionals. These groups can offer a platform for dialogue and collaboration, helping to gather insights from a wider range of professionals.

Timestamps
The importance of engaging health professionals outside of the traditional physician role [00:00:00]
Discussion on the value of engaging allied health professionals and their unique insights in patient care.

Example of a multi-pronged advisory board [00:01:34]
Exploration of a case where allied health professionals were surveyed to gather feedback on treatment protocols and guidelines.

Recommendations for engaging allied health professionals [00:06:44]
Suggestions for creating a standing panel of allied health professionals and engaging with industry trade groups to gather diverse perspectives.

The importance of engaging health professionals outside of the traditional physician role [00:11:35]
Discussion on the impact of diverse professionals and settings on business decisions, treatment, and access.

Engaging colleagues and health professionals at different stages [00:12:06]
Exploration of the two stages of engagement: feedback on changing protocols and ensuring patients receive appropriate treatment.

The importance of engaging the right people at the right time [00:12:40]
Highlighting the significance of involving the appropriate practitioners at various points in the process.

Within3 Questions: How to improve engagement with allied health professionals

You can read the entire post on our blog: https://within3.com/blog/big-pharma-industry-trends

The twin levers of technological advancements and patient expectations are changing the pharmaceutical industry. Last year, we started tracking and sharing big pharma industry trends alongside resources for additional information about how they affect you and your day-to-day. Now, we’re looking back at 12 months of reports to see which topics have the strongest impact.

The key takeaway? These prevailing trends chart a course for a more patient-centric, equitable, and innovative industry.

Hybrid healthcare delivery: the symbiosis of virtual and in-person care

COVID-19 catalyzed the rapid adoption of telehealth and other digital health tools. Initially necessitated by social distancing measures, the benefits of virtual care quickly became apparent to patients and healthcare providers (HCPs).

Addressing social determinants of health: a patient-centric paradigm

The increasing recognition of social determinants of health (SDOH) among patients, especially younger demographics, is ushering in a patient-centric paradigm. Patients now acknowledge that access to healthy food, living conditions, and socioeconomic factors significantly affect overall well-being.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the pharmaceutical industry, playing a pivotal role in drug development, clinical trial optimization, and patient care.

Pursuit of healthcare equity: battling inequality and enhancing diversity

The imperative to address healthcare inequality and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is gaining momentum. Racial bias and inequality pose significant challenges to drug development and patients.

This trend underscores several crucial aspects:

Economic costs of inequality

The economic impact of healthcare inequality is substantial, costing the US healthcare system billions annually. This underscores the urgency for life science companies to take decisive actions to address DEI across all stages of product development.

Improved clinical trial diversity

Diversity in clinical trials is essential for ensuring treatment effectiveness across different populations. Overcoming barriers to participation, building trust between patients and physicians, and leveraging technology are vital steps toward achieving this goal.

Role of technology in bridging gaps

Technology bridges healthcare gaps for underrepresented communities, including AI and digital tools. Technology creates a more inclusive healthcare ecosystem by addressing structural issues and enhancing trust.

Embracing transformation: the road ahead

The pharmaceutical industry is at a pivotal moment, poised for transformative change driven by these prevailing trends. Hybrid healthcare delivery models, recognizing SDOH, AI-powered innovations, and pursuing healthcare equity are shaping a future where patient outcomes are improved, and healthcare becomes more accessible, personalized, and inclusive. As the industry navigates these trends, collaboration between stakeholders, responsible adoption of technology, and a steadfast commitment to patient well-being will be essential in realizing this transformative vision of healthcare.

Listen Instead: Transforming pharma – a year of top trends shaping the industry's future

Medical affairs teams face an overwhelming abundance of data. While deriving insights from multiple data sources remains a challenge, the true value and impact of insights management lies in the cross-functional sharing and use of actionable insights by other functions in the organization. In a recent survey, 76% of industry leaders said that the way data and insights are shared and stored within their organization has created separate data silos, obstructing generating or sharing insights efficiently. In this 30-minute talk, we'll explore the benefits and challenges of cross-functional insights management and discuss best practices to empower your medical affairs team to select emerging technology for maximum impact.

Demonstrating value and impact with technology tools in medical affairs

Within3 is the world's leading insights management platform for life science companies, from early-stage research and development to product launch. We provide actionable insights to empower better decision-making.

Within3 Questions: What does pharma need to know about AI?

Within3

Related tracks