Medical Legal Regulatory (MLR) Review Process in Pharma Posted on July 25, 2024February 4, 2025 by Andrii Nikulin The medical, legal, and regulatory (MLR) review is undoubtedly one of the most important procedures in the pharmaceutical industry. Yet, it is also one of the most complex and time-consuming as well. For many experts, especially in pharma marketing, MLR review often feels a bit drawn-out due to old methods and outdated software. Still, it remains a huge element of any content validation process. Learn all the basics of MLR reviews, their challenges, and their benefits in our guide. What is MLR Review? MLR review, or medical, legal, and regulatory affairs review, is an important process in the healthcare industry that helps companies ensure that all their content complies with current standards and laws and can be published without posing any risks to patients and healthcare professionals. The Role of MLR in the Pharma Industry Regulatory hurdles in pharma rank among the top three biggest challenges in the industry. Even the smallest misstep can lead to significant problems. This is why medical, legal, and regulatory (MLR) reviews exist: to help companies create digital content that won’t harm their patients’ health or the company’s reputation. Let’s take a look at a few more reasons why MLR is so important in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. Ensuring the accuracy and authenticity of all your content Every pharmaceutical or healthcare organization, company, or even small business that creates and publishes any type of content faces a huge responsibility: providing both healthcare professionals and patients with true information backed by facts, studies, and other evidence. Even the smallest mistake can put someone’s life in danger, which makes an optimized MLR review an important part of any content creation process. Promoting content worldwide When a pharmaceutical company publishes content, it often considers the norms and laws of the country in which it operates. But what if this company decides to expand worldwide? How can it ensure compliance with the laws it is not familiar with? This is where MLR reviews play a huge role. With the right MLR process, pharmaceutical companies can ensure compliance in medical marketing not only in their country of origin but anywhere in the world as well. Adhering to legal regulations Distributing inaccurate and misleading information can lead to serious repercussions. The pharmaceutical industry is very strict about complying with the laws; even the smallest mistake could result in huge fines. When an organization is found guilty of fraudulent marketing or misrepresenting its content and offerings, it could face fines amounting to millions of dollars, if not more. For example, Pfizer was fined $2.3 billion for the illegal marketing of four of its off-label drugs, which became one of the biggest fraud settlements in the healthcare industry. Maintaining a good brand reputation If your marketing content is inappropriate, filled with errors, contains misleading information, and includes made-up facts, it’s likely that sooner or later, it will make the news. This will put not only your patients but also your entire organization at risk. Your reputation will be severely damaged, and restoring it will be a huge challenge. At the very least, it will be a time-consuming and expensive process, potentially taking many years to settle. Types of MLR Submissions Many pharma and life sciences companies integrate MLR reviews into their workflows in the wrong way. MLR reviews are often conducted when there is a serious paper about to be published or a huge conference coming up where everyone would be listening to what the organization has to say. The truth is that MLR reviews are needed in 90% of cases, whether it is a website blog post or an important research paper. Here are some of the most common types of MLR submissions: Promotional content In many countries, companies might be fined for false advertising. Combined with pharmaceutical industry regulatory standards, it becomes crucial for every organization to ensure compliance in every promotional piece they create, even if it is a small tweet or Instagram post. Educational content This type of content might be used by both patients and healthcare professionals. If there is a mistake in it, many people are likely to remember it and might even subconsciously use this incorrect knowledge in the future. MLR review filters out false information, errors, and other types of mistakes from infiltrating educational content and influencing patients’ health. Scientific publications Even though research is always published by scientists who are experts in their field, their publications should still be reviewed to catch any potential oversights or errors. This includes verifying the evidence presented, the research results, and even the factual information. Compliance documentation Compliance documentation, such as pharma regulatory guidelines for audits and reviews, standard operating procedures, reports, and records, should also be verified by an MLR team. Just a small error could lead to many people adhering to compliance documentation and making the same mistake in their work. Internal communication All in-house communication, such as training documents, newsletters, surveys, and learning programs, often requires review if there is a possibility that any information mentioned in these documents might harm someone’s health or safety. All communication within the firm determines the work of people who are just starting to work there, directly impacting their interactions with patients and healthcare professionals. MLR Review Process Challenges & Their Solutions Ensuring pharmaceutical regulatory compliance is not an easy task. From creating a thriving environment for your MLR review team to meeting all possible deadlines, there are just too many details too important to forget. So, how can you polish the MLR review process, and what are the challenges behind it? Let’s discuss: Unfitting technology MLR reviews heavily depend on the software used to conduct them. If the chosen tools are not up-to-date, don’t consider all current laws and regulations, and simply don’t work well with all formats your organization works with, it’s likely that the final MLR review of your content will be incomplete and even incorrect. Instead of spending money on new tools and an additional workforce for additional reviewing, it’s best to invest in innovative software and tools that are regularly updated, fit your organization’s needs, and are easy to use for everyone who creates and submits content. High workload Speaking of the workforce, companies often rely too much on too few experts who can handle reviews of marketing materials. As a result, two possible issues arise. First, when just a small team of people work on the same important task all the time, it’s likely that at some point, most of them will feel overworked and even burned out. Moreover, when professionals responsible for MLR reviews eventually leave, they will also take all important knowledge with them, such as the location of any documents, specifics, and nuances inherent to an MLR review for a particular company, formatting requirements, the best content approval strategies specific to different types of documents, etc. All of the knowledge accumulated over the years will be gone without a proper management system that allows for not only streamlining MLR processes but also gathering insights from already conducted reviews. Ensure that you create a healthy environment for your employees and integrate proper solutions for MLR efficiency. Lack of communication among reviewers When MLR reviewers barely talk to each other, this causes a number of issues, including transparency problems. To better understand why this is a huge deal, let’s picture a situation. One of the reviewers looked at a piece of content submitted by a marketing team and left a few comments. After going through the document, another reviewer decided to message one of the authors regarding a few issues found in the text. The other reviewer is not aware of these issues and proceeds to contact the author to provide the same feedback, forcing a person to go through the identical process twice. In another scenario, some reviewers might create multiple versions of content without even knowing so, resulting in a lost final version and delayed content delivery. Situations like this happen all the time, and to avoid them, reviewers should treat any task as a collective effort and focus on communicating problems and ideas instead of just doing their jobs separately from others. The time-consuming content review process Content creation is a lengthy process itself, often requiring a lot of resources and time to be finished. And when, after all this time, content gets cut or, in the worst-case scenario, doesn’t even get approved, marketers feel like they have wasted all their time for nothing. For both MLR and marketing teams, situations like this cause a lot of stress, which is why some companies have started to adopt a modular approach to creating content. Instead of being a single unit, modular content can be broken down into different pieces or modules that work interchangeably. This way, marketers save time on content production, and MLR experts can focus on reviewing separate blocks of content. Difficulty coordinating promotional review committee (PRC) meetings Marketers and promotional review committees might not see eye to eye all the time. There is always a risk of a conflict in schedule, opinions, and priorities. For many companies, PRC meetings are quite rare, and when they do happen, there is a high chance that they will be inefficient. Remember that no matter how different everyone might be, they are still colleagues and share the same goals, so it’s best for everyone to focus on distributing roles and responsibilities within the teams and finding the most fitting solutions to the present challenges. For example, if there is a problem meeting deadlines, it might be a good idea for the marketing team and pharma review committee to discuss what both sides can do to speed up content delivery. Summing Up Healthcare marketing has always been challenging. Creating content that offers correct medical information, complies with current regulations, and properly represents the company’s vision is quite a conundrum. However, with the right approach, it’s possible to always stay ahead of the competitors while keeping up with all the trends and staying on the same page with stakeholders. If you would like to learn more about MLR approval in healthcare and how you can create content that will be 100% approved, contact us now. Our experts will provide you with a personalized consultation on the best solutions for pharmaceutical companies.
Health Data Management: Everything You Need to Know Posted on July 17, 2024February 28, 2025 by Andrii Nikulin Over the past decade, biopharmaceutical researchers have made significant progress in discovering innovative drugs. Once-deadly diseases, like melanoma, multiple sclerosis, and malaria, have become more understood and manageable. Despite these breakthroughs, many life sciences companies search for a more comprehensive approach to discovering drugs and predicting which therapies will be effective for which groups of patients. The industry faces challenges in collecting and organizing high-quality, abundant human data that allows researchers to form hypotheses and, by using technology, discover trends and patterns invisible to the human eye. Effective health data management enables pharma to unravel disease biology and advance prevention and treatment. That is why the Viseven team wants to share insights on the importance of health data and best practices for managing it correctly. What Is Health Data? Before we dive into the core aspects of health data management, let’s discuss the key types of health data. Typically, data falls into two main categories: Traditional data includes information gathered through research, healthcare providers (HCPs), healthcare organizations, and public health agencies. Expanded data encompasses socioeconomic, behavioral, environmental, and lifestyle factors. For instance, health data might include information about an individual’s education, wearable sensor readings, or lifestyle habits. Combining these types of health data allows pharmaceutical companies to understand a person’s health and genetic profile better, thereby improving the quality of healthcare products and services. What Is Health Data Management? Pharma companies deal with enormous amounts of health data. According to the Deloitte report, the volume of health data rose by 40% between 2010 and 2020 and is predicted to climb even higher by 23% by 2025. Yet an overwhelming 97% of data generated by healthcare facilities stays unused. To shake the dust off the dormant data, companies must learn how to manage it to their advantage. Health data management presupposes systematically collecting and organizing data on a digital platform and preparing it for analysis to support drug research and development while safeguarding privacy. Key examples of health data management include electronic health records (EHRs), health data platforms, and even healthcare providers’ notes scanned into a digital library. Why Does It Matter? Taming large volumes of health data offers numerous benefits. Let’s explore some of them: Accurate differentiation between disease stages By tracking data from healthy individuals, those newly diagnosed, and those who have been living with a condition for some time, researchers can more accurately differentiate between disease stages. This, in turn, helps to better predict the onset of diseases and contributes to a finer understanding of disease progression. Holistic care Collecting and organizing large-scale human data can reveal how different factors, such as nutrition, behavior, or medical devices, can be integrated and sequenced to address specific patient conditions holistically. Moreover, data collected from different health systems ensure a bird-eye view of the patient’s state and a more comprehensive approach to treatment. Improved disease biology understanding High-quality data enables pharmaceutical companies to understand disease biology better and develop hypotheses for conditions that were previously difficult to treat and manage, such as dementia. It also helps meet the specific needs of patients with manageable conditions, like therapy complications. Personalized medicine Data analytics is an indispensable part of effective data management. Thanks to data insights, personalized medicine is no longer science fiction, and the days of trial-and-error medicine are numbered. Typically, HCPs establish a most likely diagnosis and prescribe a medication, often a blockbuster drug, and choose dosage based on the patient’s body weight. If it does not help, they change the dosage or choose another drug if possible. In contrast, personalized medicine enables providers to identify a disease at the outset and determine the right drug and dosage based on the patient’s unique physiology and ability to metabolize drugs. Better research & development process The research and development process can become less challenging and risky. More complete real-life evidence would help generate and validate hypotheses more quickly, accelerating the release of new drugs. Health Data Management Challenges The past decades have been truly transformative for the pharmaceutical industry, shifting from paper-based data organization to digitalization. However, even with most data now digitized, it has become hard to consolidate and manage its ever-growing volume. Here are some of the key challenges the industry faces: Fragmented data Health data can live in various databases and spreadsheets and come in different formats, such as text documents, video, and audio files. This data is often duplicated and collected by hundreds of different HCPs, pharmaceutical companies, insurance bodies, public health agencies, and others. This results in silos within healthcare systems, which hinders artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms from correctly analyzing the data and leads to a “one size fits all” approach to patient treatment. Life sciences brands need a single source of truth to ensure the AI model’s outputs are complete and accurate. Data collection costs From the first challenge, it is clear that consolidating all data onto one platform is crucial. The issue is that the more data you collect, the more expensive the solution becomes. In the context of drug discovery, it may cost up to $27,200 to gather data on a single person. This sum can skyrocket to $27.2 billion with at least one million participants. However, these costs are justified. This platform has the potential to generate around $25 billion annually within 20-25 years, even with slow innovation. Ever-changing data Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, once said, “Nothing is constant but change,” and we could not agree more, especially when it comes to health data management. Patients undergo treatments, surgeries, and various tests, causing their health states to change and their therapy courses to evolve. They relocate and change their HCPs, and new medical treatments and screening methods are developed, producing volumes of new data. These changes in data necessitate innovative data management methods. Companies need to find effective ways for data standardization to keep it relevant and updated easily over time. Legal compliance As hacker attacks become more frequent, it is crucial for life sciences businesses to focus on legal compliance to improve their data security measures. Evidence shows that last year was particularly bad for healthcare organizations, with a staggering 239% increase in attacks. Unfortunately, it is not just the number of hacker attacks that has skyrocketed; these data breaches are also becoming more serious and costly. Pharmaceutical companies must comply with stringent government regulations, like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) in the United States or GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe, to safeguard sensitive data from hackers’ eyes: HIPAA provides a structure to ensure the privacy of patients’ medical records and other protected health information. It outlines how medical data should be used, protected, and disclosed. GDPR treats healthcare data as a type of personal information and offers guidelines for its protection. This regulation sets rules for accessing, editing, and deleting health data and requires healthcare organizations to have legal permission to process it. Notably, the GDPR applies to many industries, not just healthcare. Best Practices for Healthcare Data Management The question now is how to overcome these challenges and fully leverage your health data. Here are some tips to help you on your journey: Prioritize data governance Effective health data management begins with robust governance. This involves overseeing processes, employee conduct, and technology use throughout its lifecycle so that health data remains accurate, secure, and usable. With proper data governance, internal policies are established to govern data collection, usage, and disposal. Equally important is to comply with external standards set by government agencies and industry bodies. However, none of these policies can be effectively implemented without a culture of transparency. Holding the entire organization accountable for maintaining ethical standards and meeting regulatory requirements becomes a task with a caveat when stakeholders are unaware of organizational processes. Transparency is key to maintaining a sense of accountability among employees, continuous improvement, and role understanding. Merge health data management systems Patient care needs to be holistic, meaning all healthcare providers should work together to deliver the best possible outcomes. When data is siloed, professionals are left in the dark about what interventions and therapies their colleagues have already prescribed. Even though each provider’s treatment might make sense on its own, combining different approaches without coordination can harm the patient. It is like they say, “The operation was successful, but the patient died.” You need data interoperability to ensure all efforts are well-coordinated. This means different systems can interact seamlessly and exchange data quickly. As a result, pharmaceutical companies can gather and process large datasets from various platforms, speeding up drug discovery, ensuring patient safety, facilitating clinical trials, and improving the organization’s efficiency. Additionally, efficient data exchange minimizes redundant procedures and processes, leading to substantial cost savings. Therefore, you should also pour resources into interoperable systems that “talk” to each other, regardless of the vendor. Do not forget to deliver proper training for all stakeholders on how to use the technology correctly. It is also crucial to follow data exchange frameworks and regulations to ensure data transmission is fully secure. Ensure data privacy Neglect this aspect of data management, and you risk significant financial trouble and irreparable reputational damage. Unfortunately, your employees remain one of the main weapons in hackers’ hands. This does not necessarily mean your workers are directly causing data leaks, but their negligence and lack of data security education do. Security awareness training enables the organization to make smart decisions when storing and transmitting patient data. Access management is another important consideration in ensuring data security. It is essential to track who accesses which information to prevent your data from leaking into unauthorized hands. Multi-factor authentication is the way to go to protect your data with various validation methods. These include anything from a PIN number, password, facial recognition, or even eye scanning. Data encryption is also one of the most effective ways to minimize the risk of data breaches. Even if hackers gain access to sensitive information, they would not be able to decipher or make sense of it. Industry regulations like HIPAA provide guidelines on implementing encryption methods, but they allow healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to select measures that align with their unique business goals and needs. Facilitate data storage and retrieval Effective data storage and retrieval processes enable life sciences companies to boost operational efficiency, accelerate decision-making, and improve research and development efforts. This allows them to access data quickly and reduce downtime, speeding up clinical trials and the release of drugs to the market. Whether you advocate for moving to the cloud or prefer more traditional on-premises solutions, your storage solution should be secure, scalable, and cost-effective. The next step is to tag all your data for efficient retrieval. For example, we developed a content experience platform, eWizard, which uses AI to break down information into logical chunks and tag them automatically. This helps our clients navigate the vast amounts of data generated during marketing activities more effectively. We also recommend making regular backups to ensure no data sets are lost. eWizard auto-tagging engine Turn raw health data into insights There are three types of data analytics: descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive. Descriptive analytics lets you summarize historical data to identify patterns and trends that would otherwise be lost in the vast sea of information. For example, descriptive analytics lets scientists trace the connection between disease pathology and environmental factors. When it comes to predictive analytics, machine learning can be used to anticipate future outcomes. For instance, researchers can utilize big data to predict the onset of a condition or pandemic. This could be an invaluable advantage, especially after what we have learned from COVID-19. Prescriptive analytics, on the other hand, provides actionable insights to help you make the most effective and rational decisions. For example, with medical data on when and where a disease will occur, pharmaceutical companies can proactively develop and stockpile the right medications. Make sure your employees can easily digest health data and quickly spot patterns and trends. Use clear visualizations like diagrams, charts, or graphs. Interactive dashboards are also great, especially if you want to customize the visuals to different job roles. Final Thoughts Given the complex nature of disease biology, researchers need advanced technology to uncover patterns that explain various conditions. Proper medical data analysis is crucial, but it is also essential to securely store, collect, retrieve, and visualize information. This blog post is designed to provide an overview of the core aspects of healthcare data management to help you start and navigate your own data management journey. Trust the numbers and hands-on expertise. With over 14 years of experience in developing digital solutions for health data management, the Viseven team creates robust native, hybrid, and web apps that automate health data collection and organization, improve health outcomes, and personalize patient care. Our solutions comply with GDPR, HIPAA, and numerous other industry standards. We also pride ourselves on a 95% client satisfaction rate, with 80% of our clients coming from referrals. If you are looking for a reliable service provider, do not hesitate to contact our experts.
Medical Writing in Enhancing Healthcare Communication Posted on July 10, 2024February 4, 2025 by Andrii Nikulin Ever wondered how complex medical jargon gets translated into something we can all understand? The answer is medical writing. It’s like a bridge connecting the intricate world of medical science to everyday healthcare communication. As a specialized field, medical writing encompasses the creation of various documents, from regulatory submission documents to medical journal articles, that convey critical medical knowledge to diverse audiences. In an era where accurate and timely information can critically impact patient outcomes, effective communication in healthcare becomes paramount. Medical writers, thus, serve as key intermediaries between researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and the broader medical community. Today, let’s explore the multifaceted role of medical writing in healthcare communication, delve into how competent medical writers contribute to spreading medical science awareness, and facilitate the approval process for new treatments. Importance of Clear and Accurate Medical Writing Let’s talk about why clear and accurate medical writing is a big deal. Imagine a game of telephone, but instead of funny phrases, we’re passing along critical medical information. Scary thought, right? That’s why medical writers, whether they’re crafting promotional materials for pharmaceutical companies or penning articles for medical journals, need to be spot-on with their words. A single misplaced comma or ambiguous phrase could lead to misunderstandings that put patient safety at risk. It’s not just about using fancy medical terminology, it’s about translating complex medical concepts into language that healthcare professionals and patients alike can grasp. This crucial role explains why the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10% from 2024 to 2032, potentially reaching $2.57 billion by 2032. Clear writing can make the difference between a patient following their treatment plan or getting confused and failing. For medical device companies and research organizations, precise technical writing in clinical study reports or efficacy summaries can speed up the approval process for life-saving innovations. So next time you breeze through a well-written healthcare website or easily understand a scientific publication, thank a competent medical writer. They’re the unsung heroes making sure medical knowledge flows smoothly from research data to real-world application, keeping the wheels of health communication turning smoothly. Key Roles of Medical Writing in Healthcare Communication Medical writers are the oil that keeps the engine of healthcare communication running smoothly. Whether it is a patient reading a pamphlet, a researcher poring over a journal article, or a doctor consulting treatment guidelines, all of them are benefiting from the expertise of medical writers. Medical writers make sure that vital medical knowledge doesn’t get lost in translation, playing a crucial role in advancing medical science and improving healthcare for all of us. Enhancing patient education Medical writing plays a vital role in enhancing patient education by bridging the gap between complex medical knowledge and the general public. Skilled medical writers transform technical medical terminology and clinical research data into accessible, easy-to-understand information for patients. These writers create a wide range of educational and promotional materials, like brochures, healthcare websites, and informational leaflets. They work closely with medical practitioners, pharmaceutical companies, and medical device firms to ensure accuracy and relevance. By simplifying medical concepts and describing research results in layman’s terms, medical writers help patients better understand their conditions, treatment options, and preventive measures. For instance, a competent medical writer might develop a patient-friendly guide explaining a new medication’s benefits and potential side effects. They may also create comprehensive healthcare websites that break down complex medical procedures or clinical trial protocols into digestible information for patients. By enhancing patient education through clear, concise, and informative materials, medical writers contribute significantly to improved health communication and patient outcomes. Their work empowers patients with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health, ultimately supporting better overall healthcare delivery. Supporting clinical research As the number of clinical trials has grown significantly over the past two decades, with over half a million studies conducted every year worldwide, the demand for competent medical writers has increased. Medical writing is a cornerstone of clinical research, playing a vital role throughout the entire process. From drafting study protocols and informed consent documents at the outset, to preparing clinical study reports and regulatory submissions upon completion, medical writers are integral to every stage. They assist in documenting ongoing trials, analyzing and presenting research data, and crafting manuscripts for publication in medical journals. Their expertise is crucial in translating complex scientific information into clear, accurate documents for diverse audiences, including regulatory bodies, healthcare professionals, and patients. Medical writers contribute to post-market activities such as pharmacovigilance reporting and developing educational materials. Their work spans pharmaceutical companies, research organizations, and medical device firms, requiring a deep understanding of medical terminology, research methodologies, and regulatory requirements. Increasingly, medical writers are also becoming adept at omnichannel communication, ensuring that their content is effectively distributed across various platforms and mediums to reach target audiences more efficiently. By bridging the gap between scientific data and comprehensible communication, medical writers play an indispensable role in advancing clinical research, facilitating drug approvals, and ultimately improving patient care. Their contributions ensure that the growing number of clinical trials worldwide are properly documented, analyzed, and disseminated, driving forward the progress of medical science. Facilitating regulatory compliance Medical writers help with facilitating regulatory compliance throughout the clinical research process. They prepare essential documents like trial protocols and clinical study reports, ensuring accuracy and consistency across all materials while adhering to current regulatory guidelines. These professionals excel at interpreting complex regulations and translating scientific data into clear, concise language for regulatory review. They implement rigorous quality control measures and work collaboratively with research teams to accurately represent study findings. As regulations evolve, medical writers must adapt quickly, updating documents and processes to maintain compliance. Their expertise in standardization, ethics, and transparency helps streamline the submission process and supports ethical research conduct. By fulfilling these crucial functions, medical writers enable pharmaceutical companies and research organizations to navigate the intricate regulatory landscape effectively, ultimately contributing to the successful development and approval of new treatments. Improving healthcare professional communication Medical writers develop useful tools like clinical guidelines, treatment protocols, and drug information summaries. These help doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers make informed decisions quickly. By creating consistent, well-written materials, they help ensure that all healthcare professionals follow the same best practices. Furthermore, medical writers continuously produce educational materials for medical journals, helping healthcare workers stay current with the latest developments in their field. Most crucially, they summarize and present research findings in a way that helps healthcare professionals apply the latest evidence to their work. Challenges in Medical Writing Medical writing is a challenging and complex field that requires a unique blend of scientific knowledge, communication skills, and regulatory understanding. Medical writers face numerous obstacles in their profession, including: Rapid evolution of medical research: Staying in touch with the latest medical science and clinical research developments is crucial. Medical writers must continuously update their knowledge to ensure their content reflects the most recent advancements. Regulatory compliance: The life sciences industry requires strict adherence to regulatory guidelines. Medical writers must create regulatory submission documents, clinical study reports, and other materials that comply with technical guidelines set by international committees. Diverse audience expectations: Medical writers must tailor their content for different target audiences, from medical journal editors to patients accessing healthcare websites. Technological adaptation: Medical writers need to keep up with evolving tools and platforms used in medical communications and technical writing. How can medical writers overcome these challenges? At Viseven, our medical writers stay at the cutting edge of medical knowledge by actively participating in conferences and workshops. The writers benefit from mentorship within the company, leveraging the expertise of team members with MD degrees in various specialties and pharmaceutical industry experience. This internal knowledge-sharing, combined with our extensive network of healthcare professionals, provides Viseven’s medical writers with valuable insights and opportunities. Furthermore, our team is proficient in using various omnichannel tools, enabling us to create and distribute content effectively across multiple platforms. This commitment to ongoing education, skill development, and technological advancement ensures that our writers consistently produce high-quality, scientifically accurate, and compliant content across all therapeutic areas, from cardiology to rare diseases, while maximizing reach and engagement through diverse communication channels. Best Practices for Effective Medical Writing Effective medical writing stands on a couple of essential fundamentals that add to its clarity and impact. To create materials that are credible, accurate, and succinct, it’s crucial to master these fundamentals. EMWA even provides a checklist to help medical writers review and improve their work. Maintain clarity and clear structure Clarity is the cornerstone of effective medical writing, a principle emphasized by organizations like the American Medical Writers Association and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Competent medical writers employ plain language, avoid unnecessary jargon, and eliminate ambiguity to ensure their target audience effortlessly understands the intended message. Structuring information logically is another key aspect of effective medical writing. Whether working on clinical trial protocols, sales force training manuals, or healthcare websites, medical writers enhance comprehension and facilitate knowledge retention by organizing content clearly. Utilizing headings and subheadings enables readers to navigate complex documents easily, whether they’re healthcare professionals reviewing clinical research data or patients seeking to understand their treatment options. Think about your audience Medical writers must consider their audience when creating content. For instance, when writing for medical practitioners or producing content for medical journal articles, using specific medical terminology is appropriate. However, when developing health communication materials for patients or the general public, it’s essential to translate complex medical knowledge into layman’s terms to ensure comprehension. Verify and stay consistent In the medical writing profession, accuracy and consistency are of utmost importance. Whether working for pharmaceutical companies, research organizations, or medical device firms, competent medical writers must meticulously verify information and cite credible sources to maintain the highest standards of accuracy. This rigorous approach helps prevent misinformation and ensures the validity of the information presented. Consistency in medical terminology, formatting, and style is equally vital. Adhering to established guidelines promotes uniformity across various materials. This consistency is essential whether writing for healthcare professionals, developing educational medical writing materials, or preparing regulatory submission documents. Final Thoughts As the field of medical science continues to advance, the importance of clear, accurate, and accessible medical writing will only grow. It remains an indispensable tool in ensuring that life-changing medical knowledge reaches those who need it most — from researchers and healthcare professionals to patients and the general public. In this era of information abundance, skilled medical writers will retain their value, translating complex data into knowledge that saves and improves lives. As we’ve explored, the role of medical writers extends far beyond mere translation of technical jargon, they are essential contributors to patient education, clinical research, regulatory compliance, and professional communication among healthcare providers. In this landscape, companies like Viseven play a crucial role in supporting the life sciences industry. Offering a comprehensive suite of medical writing services — from publications and educational content to promotional materials and digital solutions — we can help you with the multifaceted nature of modern medical communication. Moreover, our context experience platform, eWizard, allows pharma marketers to plan, create, modularize, and distribute digital content at scale. Fill out the form below, and we’ll contact you shortly to help you start and navigate your journey.
Top 7 AI Mistakes Pharma Companies Make Posted on July 5, 2024February 4, 2025 by Andrii Nikulin AI can do all sorts of marvelous things these days. It can create beautiful images, craft excellent articles, and even write great songs. Even though the technology is capable of many things, it definitely cannot prevent its users from making bad decisions and huge mistakes. From Google’s Bard AI chatbot making accusations about Big Four consulting firms to deep fakes about famous singers and politicians flooding the internet, many controversial AI incidents impact our society. So, who is to blame: the AI or its user? Our guide will tell you more about AI failures and mistakes and what you can do to resolve these issues and make the most out of artificial intelligence in the pharma industry. What Are AI Mistakes? Artificial intelligence is a truly revolutionizing technology, but it is not flawless: its mistakes can take many shapes and forms. It’s not just about AI giving you the wrong output; it can be any type of error, from biased information to data leaks. It’s sometimes hard to say who’s responsible for some mistakes: a company that implemented AI incorrectly, a developer of a particular AI-powered solution, or just a coincidence that led to big problems. No matter the answer, AI incidents, and mistakes can happen at any time with both small and large language models. Even big corporations might suffer from poor AI decisions: Microsoft had to cancel the launch of CoPilot+ Recall due to backlash over users’ data being continuously recorded and archived, and Netflix was accused of using AI-generated images in a true crime documentary. It seems like almost every other big company has faced negative reactions from society because of AI, and most of the time, it’s poor decision-making to blame. Understanding AI Errors and Incorrect Answers AI, just like any other technology, is far from flawless. Many things about it can make it a dangerous tool, especially in the wrong hands. Let’s take a look at the nature of AI errors and why they happen. Why mistakes occur Even though there are many types of AI failures, we can generally divide them into two categories: mistakes made by machines and mistakes made by humans. We’ll discuss the later ones in another section, but what about the situation where the AI system fails? The reason behind every AI failure is rooted in many limitations and challenges in AI development and deployment. For instance, AI systems trained on poor-quality data will carry over those errors, leading to consistently inaccurate results. Other factors, such as overfitting/underfitting, explainability issues, and the complexity of the tasks, also increase the risk of mistakes or incidents occurring. To understand why something might go wrong, it’s important to understand what types of AI errors there might be, which we will discuss next. Types of AI errors This list will go over some of the most common mistakes. Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive, and your unique workflows might have other problems and vulnerabilities. Bias AI is capable of being biased, all because it is often trained on biased data. For example, a study by The Conversation exposes how Midjourney, a generative artificial intelligence tool, displays bias in the different types of images it creates. In some pictures, women were mostly shown younger than men and had fewer wrinkles; all images were conservative in how they portrayed different people, showing no tattoos, piercings, etc. Lack of common sense Common sense is innate to human beings, and it is not found anywhere else in either the natural or human-made world. It’s common sense for us that it’s dark at night and light during the day. But is it the same for AI? It does not “think” the way people do, meaning that it doesn’t have common sense. It’s trained on certain sets of data, which can be of bad quality, causing AI to sometimes spur out nonsensical information and untrue facts. AI hallucination Have you ever asked an AI chatbot, like ChatGPT, a question only to receive an answer that sounded both adequate and inadequate at the same time? If that happened to you, it’s okay: things like that occur more often than you might imagine. This type of error happens due to the AI’s ability to generate content even when it does not know the right answer. Its response might sound coherent, but the factual part of it will be far from the correct answer. This is an especially important mistake to remember since many users believe that AI, since it’s trained on large datasets, will never give you faulty information. Catastrophic interference Neural networks, inspired by the human brain, help machines learn and understand information and make predictions based on that knowledge. Unlike the human brain, a neural network may struggle to connect new information with previously learned data. This is a so-called catastrophic interference or catastrophic forgetting, and because of it, it might be harder to train some AI models. While humans can retain previous knowledge even as they learn new information (e.g., knowing that 1 + 1 = 2 or that the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening), many neural networks struggle to connect all the information they learn after being updated. However, methods such as meta-learning, regularization techniques, parameter isolation, and other approaches can help mitigate catastrophic interference. TOP AI Mistakes Companies Make That Are Worth Your Attention Mistakes are not only about errors in how machines think and operate; many failures and incidents also occur due to human factors. Let’s take a look at some of these and discuss how they can be overcome. The shiny object syndrome When any type of technology becomes popular, sooner or later, everyone tries to integrate it into their workflows. Right now, numerous pharmaceutical companies are investing in AI tools that don’t align with their goals, and they do that without even realizing the problem behind this investment. AI is great, and everyone uses it to stay ahead of the competition, right? Well, this is only true if artificial intelligence is used correctly. Your company doesn’t need another expensive software if it’s not clear what kind of value it will bring. So, how can you leverage the capabilities of AI without making unnecessary investments? Know your goals. Define what you’re trying to achieve with the help of AI, and seek the right tools that will help you meet your goals. Based on the proven results, scale gradually and expand AI integration. Data dilemmas So many businesses rush into AI implementation that they forget to assess the risks the technology poses, including concerns regarding data access and safety. There is still a lot of bias towards the use of AI in many industries, and for a good reason: AI-based projects might go in a completely wrong direction due to inaccurate and incomplete data, and all of this can happen just because of one simple mistake that can go unnoticed just because the companies trust AI too much. Of course, the described situation sounds a little bit too dramatic. However, let’s not forget that whenever there is a new tech, there are many worries about data safety. If you want to make the most of AI and mitigate all possible risks, invest not only in AI-powered software but also in some security measures and data governance. AI-generated content risks According to the reports, 73% of marketers these days use AI to create different types of content. Almost everyone in the marketing field utilized artificial intelligence to some degree. For sure, AI-generated content has many benefits, such as faster content delivery, increased efficiency, and reduced content production costs. Still, there are many issues AI-generated content entails, such as factual inaccuracies, ethical and compliance concerns, lack of emotional connection, and plagiarism. GenAI is excellent at assisting content creators, but it is not yet a perfect solution for standalone content generation. To avoid creating and distributing misleading content that might cause reputation damage, focus on the usage of specialized AI models and maintain human oversight of all processes delegated to AI. Remember that there are no AI systems capable of fully replacing humans, nor should you do as well. Navigating regulatory minefields with custom tools Artificial intelligence can assist companies in the early detection of safety risks and other issues related to compliance. Everything sounds great on paper until the benefits of AI turn into disadvantages. Many custom solutions, especially made by third parties, can result in validation, compliance, and transparency challenges, putting companies at risk of data leaks and breaches. AI-based projects might be delayed or even derailed due to regulatory problems, often tied to unsafe utilization of technology. To prevent anything like this from happening, it’s important to work with regulatory agencies and follow industry guidelines, even if it sometimes seems too much. The talent gap Many companies are having difficulty attracting and retaining experts in the current competitive market due to talent shortages. In 2024, the hiring gap for all AI positions was estimated to be around 50%. Moreover, according to Deloitte, only 17% of organizations are looking for solutions to the problem. Both junior-level workers and seniors in many industries are experiencing difficulties getting used to the new technology, and for some, it is especially hard to adjust to the changes. The scarcity of experts in the new technology is a common problem. This happened many years ago when computers were first introduced to the general public. The first companies to solve this problem were those willing to invest in training their staff rather than solely searching for newly educated experts. If you’re dealing with the same problem, consider partnering with reliable technology vendors instead of seeking new people outside of your organization. Lack of change management The world never stands still. New technologies emerge, and old traditions go away. It’s important to always remember that and change your ways as the world evolves. Many companies are now making the same mistake again: instead of preparing their organization for AI adoption, they choose to either completely ignore it or force their employees to figure out everything by themselves. AI is here to stay, and the sooner you develop a comprehensive change management plan that covers all aspects of staff training and support, the better. Misaligned incentives Many businesses rush into AI implementation without even considering their goals. As a result, they don’t get any long-term value from the AI tools and solutions they choose and focus on short-term gains instead. For example, some companies deploy AI too quickly, which is already a huge problem itself, and don’t create any training programs for the employees. Even though organizations still receive the desired solution as soon as possible, in this case, without adequate staff training, it is impossible to achieve high-quality, long-term outcomes. Here is another example. Let’s say a clinic decided to implement a facial recognition system. Immediately, the establishment would improve their safety and increase patient identification. Also, such a system would save the clinic a lot of money. But is it everything a facial recognition system can do? In the long term, it can provide data-driven insights that can help the clinic personalize its greetings and services, which would definitely increase patient satisfaction and loyalty. No matter what type of AI solution you decide to implement, aligning it with patient-centric goals and considering the broader impact on your patients is crucial. With AI-powered analytics, organizations can learn more about their customers and deepen their relationships. Keep your patients and their needs in mind every time you consider introducing a new strategy or integrating different tools into your workflows, as all of it will have just as much impact on your customers as it has on your employees. Closing Thoughts Don’t underestimate human capabilities, and don’t overestimate AI’s. This technology is still evolving, and even when it does reach its peak, it will still need us, humans, to fully unleash its potential. You should not only embrace AI but also learn its strengths and weaknesses. Hundreds of thousands of businesses are looking for the best AI solutions right now. If you are ready to implement artificial intelligence into your workflows, contact us today to start your transformational journey. Our experts are always ready to provide you with detailed information on all AI-driven solutions we offer.
Healthcare Data Security: Protecting Patient’s Info Posted on June 26, 2024February 28, 2025 by Andrii Nikulin With the rapid digitization of medical records and increasing reliance on electronic systems, the importance of data security in healthcare cannot be overstated. Healthcare organizations are entrusted with vast amounts of highly sensitive information, including medical histories, diagnoses, treatment plans, and personal identifiable data. A single breach or data security issue in healthcare can have devastating consequences, jeopardizing individuals’ privacy and the integrity of clinical decision-making. One of the biggest threats to the security of healthcare data is the potential for unauthorized access by malicious actors or inadvertent mishandling of sensitive information. The latest data from the Office for Civil Rights shows 315 cyber attacks on the medical sector in 2024. Alarmingly, the most prevalent type of data breach has been hacking/IT incidents, highlighting the persistent threat posed by malicious actors exploiting vulnerabilities in healthcare organizations’ digital infrastructure. This underscores the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures and proactive threat prevention strategies to safeguard patient data and mitigate the consequences of cyber attacks targeting the medical field. Let us figure out what data protection means for healthcare organizations and how you can achieve higher levels of security for sensitive data within the clinical environment. What is Healthcare Data Security? Healthcare data security refers to the measures and practices implemented to protect sensitive patient data, health information, and digital data within healthcare organizations. It encompasses a wide range of safeguards and security protocols aimed at preventing unauthorized access, data breaches, and security incidents that could compromise protected health information. Effective data security requires a comprehensive approach that addresses both technical and administrative aspects. This includes implementing robust data encryption techniques and role-based access control (RBAC) measures to ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive patient data. Additionally, it involves establishing rigorous policies, security management processes, and ongoing security awareness training for healthcare practitioners to cultivate a culture of data protection and privacy. The healthcare sector remains a prime target for cyber attacks, with malicious actors continuously seeking to exploit vulnerabilities and gain unauthorized access to valuable patient health information. Successful data security in healthcare requires a proactive approach to threat prevention, regular risk assessments, and the implementation of strong security measures to protect patient data and safeguard patient safety. By prioritizing data security for healthcare and implementing robust security protocols, healthcare organizations can not only protect sensitive patient information but also maintain data integrity, foster trust, and facilitate secure medical research and healthcare services. What are Related Challenges to Consider? Establishing adequate data security in healthcare is an uphill battle fraught with numerous challenges and risks. The sheer value of healthcare data, encompassing personal details, financial information, and comprehensive medical records, makes it an irresistible target for cybercriminals. This data can be exploited for identity theft, financial fraud, or sold on the dark web, making healthcare organizations high-value targets for sophisticated attacks and complex security breaches. Complexity of the healthcare ecosystem The complexity of the healthcare ecosystem, with its dense network of providers, insurers, and technology vendors, further amplifies vulnerability. Each participant in this interconnected web represents a potential entry point for cyberattacks, and the diverse nature of their systems and cybersecurity preparedness complicates the security landscape. As data flows across this ecosystem, the risk of exposure multiplies, necessitating stringent measures and collaborative cybersecurity strategies. Rapid adoption of digital technologies The rapid adoption of digital technologies, such as electronic health records, telemedicine platforms, and remote patient monitoring tools, expands the attack surface and creates new vulnerabilities. Legacy systems The prevalence of legacy systems in healthcare settings also makes them more susceptible to cyber attacks, as these outdated systems often lack regular security updates and patches to address emerging threats. This increased digital footprint demands robust cybersecurity measures to protect patient data and ensure service continuity. Regulatory compliance Compounding these challenges are stringent regulatory demands, with frameworks like HIPAA, GDPR, and HITECH Act setting baseline standards for data protection and severe penalties for non-compliance. Adhering to these regulations while safeguarding patient privacy and upholding service integrity and availability is a continuous endeavor for healthcare organizations that requires effective compliance management. Role of HIPAA and HITRUST Compliance for Healthcare Organizations HIPAA and HITRUST compliance is paramount for healthcare organizations to ensure robust data security and safeguard sensitive patient data. Here’s an overview of their significance in the context of data security in healthcare. HIPAA HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) serves as the cornerstone of healthcare data security in the United States. This federal law establishes the legal foundation for protecting sensitive healthcare data and electronic protected health information. Privacy and Security Rules – HIPAA’s Privacy Rule protects patient health information, while the Security Rule focuses on safeguarding electronic health records (EHRs) and other digital data. Breach notification – Requires healthcare organizations to report data breaches involving protected health information (PHI) to affected patients and relevant authorities. Access controls – Mandates that only authorized people can access sensitive patient information, promoting the principle of role-based access control. Data encryption – Encourages the use of data encryption to secure patient records and health information during storage and transmission. HITRUST HITRUST (Health Information Trust Alliance) plays a pivotal role in enhancing data security and ensuring robust data protection practices across the healthcare sector. At its core, HITRUST offers a comprehensive framework known as the Common Security Framework (CSF), which provides healthcare organizations with a standardized approach to managing security and privacy. This framework incorporates various healthcare regulations, offering a unified solution to address the complex landscape of data security in healthcare. Risk management – Helps healthcare institutions assess and mitigate data security issues in healthcare more effectively. Certification process – Offers a rigorous certification that demonstrates an organization’s commitment to healthcare data protection and information security. Threat prevention – Regularly updated to address evolving cyber attacks and security incidents in the healthcare sector. Third-party assurance – Provides assurance to patients, healthcare workers, and business associates about an organization’s data security practices. Top Healthcare Data Security Best Practices To significantly enhance your data protection efforts and reduce the risk of breaches and other security incidents, consider implementing these nine top healthcare data security best practices. Implement strong access controls: Utilize role-based access to make sure that only authorized users can access sensitive patient data. This includes multi-factor authentication and regular access audits. Develop and maintain security policies: Create clear, detailed security policies and procedures aligned with HIPAA Security Rule requirements. Ensure all healthcare workers are trained on these policies regularly. Encrypt sensitive data: Utilize robust data encryption for both data at rest and in transit. This applies to electronic health records, protected health information, and other sensitive medical data. Conduct regular risk assessments: Perform comprehensive security risk analyses to identify vulnerabilities in your health information technology systems and processes. This helps in proactively addressing potential data security issues in healthcare. Keep systems updated: Regularly update and patch all software, like operating systems, applications, and medical devices to protect against known vulnerabilities and cyber attacks. Train staff on security awareness: Conduct regular training sessions to educate healthcare workers about data security best practices, phishing threats, and the importance of protecting sensitive patient information. Have a robust incident response plan: Develop and regularly test a comprehensive plan for responding to data breaches or other security incidents in compliance with HIPAA breach notification requirements. Carefully manage third-party vendors: Healthcare companies frequently rely on third-party vendors for a variety of services. Ensure that all business associates and third-party vendors adhere to the same rigorous data security standards to maintain the integrity of your healthcare data protection efforts. For instance, our eWizard platform recently enhanced its security with penetration testing. Backup data securely: Regularly backup all critical health data and store backups securely, preferably off-site or in a secure cloud environment, to ensure data integrity and availability in case of a security incident. Healthcare Data Security Insights and Trends Healthcare data security is evolving rapidly in response to technological advancements and emerging threats. Let’s discuss. Switch to electronic records The transition to electronic health records (EHRs) has been a pivotal development in health information technology, dramatically improving the efficiency of patient care. However, this digital transformation has also expanded the attack surface for cybercriminals, making healthcare organizations high-value targets for data breaches. The widespread adoption of EHRs, which surged from 6.6% to 81.2% in the decade leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, underscores the urgent need for enhanced data security measures to safeguard sensitive patient information. Rising threats Cybersecurity threats in healthcare continue to rise, with phishing attacks emerging as the most prevalent method for compromising data security. The increasing sophistication of these attacks, potentially leveraging artificial intelligence for more convincing phishing campaigns, poses a significant challenge to healthcare institutions. To combat these threats, organizations are turning to AI-powered security solutions for advanced threat detection and real-time incident response, helping to mitigate the risk of healthcare breaches. Unique nature of healthcare data The unique nature of healthcare data adds another layer of complexity to data security challenges. Healthcare organizations handle vast amounts of sensitive patient data, often stored across multiple systems and providers. This diverse and unstructured data, accounting for about 30% of the world’s data volume, creates interoperability issues and multiple points of vulnerability. To address these challenges, emerging technologies like blockchain are being explored to ensure data integrity and prevent unauthorized modifications to protected health information. IoMT security The rise of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is another significant trend impacting healthcare data security. As more medical devices become connected, securing this expanding network becomes crucial for protecting patient safety and privacy. Healthcare organizations must implement robust security measures to safeguard these devices and the sensitive healthcare data they transmit and store. Cloud security As healthcare organizations increasingly migrate to cloud-based solutions, ensuring robust cloud security becomes paramount. Cloud security measures must be implemented to protect electronic protected health information and maintain HIPAA compliance in these distributed environments. Final Remarks The healthcare sector faces unprecedented challenges in data security, driven by technological advancements, evolving cyber threats, and regulatory changes. To address these challenges, healthcare organizations must adopt a multi-faceted approach to data security, leveraging emerging technologies like AI and blockchain, implementing strong access controls and encryption, and fostering a culture of security awareness among healthcare workers. Crucially, this commitment to data security must extend beyond the organization itself to encompass all vendors and collaborators in the healthcare ecosystem. It’s essential that every entity with access to sensitive healthcare data adheres to the same rigorous cybersecurity standards. At Viseven, we exemplify this commitment to healthcare data security. As an ISO-certified company, we regularly train our employees on the latest cybersecurity policies and best practices. Our solutions undergo rigorous testing to ensure they are robust and secure, providing our healthcare clients with the confidence that their sensitive patient data is protected to the highest standards. By staying on top of these trends, implementing comprehensive healthcare data security solutions, and partnering with security-conscious vendors like Viseven, healthcare organizations can better protect sensitive patient information, maintain regulatory compliance, and ensure the integrity and confidentiality of healthcare data in an increasingly digital landscape. This holistic approach to data security in healthcare not only safeguards patient privacy but also fosters trust and enables the safe adoption of innovative health information technologies that can improve patient care and outcomes.
Data-Driven Storytelling in Healthcare Marketing Posted on June 19, 2024February 4, 2025 by Andrii Nikulin With vast amounts of information pouring in from electronic health records, wearable devices, and genetic testing, healthcare organizations are swimming in data. However, raw numbers and statistics alone mean little until they are transformed into compelling stories. Data storytelling allows healthcare marketers to take complex data and craft narratives that resonate with their audiences. By combining insights from data with powerful storytelling techniques, healthcare organizations can help diverse stakeholders better understand the human impact behind the numbers. Effective data storytelling fosters deeper comprehension of critical healthcare issues and inspires actions that ultimately improve patient care. What is Data-Driven Storytelling, and Why Is it Important? Data-driven storytelling is the practice of using data and analytics to create compelling narratives that help communicate insights, trends, and findings in a way that resonates with the audience. It combines the power of data visualization and storytelling techniques to transform complex datasets into engaging and easy-to-understand stories. This approach is increasingly being used in pharma content marketing to effectively communicate the benefits and value propositions of pharmaceutical products and services. In the context of healthcare, effective data storytelling is crucial for fostering understanding among stakeholders. Healthcare data can be vast, complex, and often overwhelming. Storytelling with data helps break down intricate information into digestible pieces, making it easier for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and patients to grasp the significance of the data and its implications. Furthermore, data storytelling empowers decision-makers to base their choices on evidence and insights derived from the data. By presenting data in a compelling and relatable manner, this approach contributes to evidence-based practice and quality improvement efforts in healthcare. It also enhances patient engagement by using storytelling with data examples to educate patients about their health conditions, treatment options, and the importance of adherence to care plans. Well-crafted narratives can help patients better understand their personal health data, leading to increased engagement and better patient outcomes. Data storytelling plays a crucial role in healthcare analytics as well, helping communicate complex analytical findings to diverse audiences. It bridges the gap between raw data and actionable insights, facilitating data-driven decision-making across various healthcare domains. Additionally, data and storytelling can be powerful tools for advocating change in healthcare policies, practices, or resource allocation. By presenting compelling narratives backed by data, healthcare organizations can build a strong case for necessary changes and drive positive transformations. Main Elements of Data-driven Storytelling Data-driven storytelling revolves around three key elements: data, narrative, and visuals. Data The foundation of data storytelling is the data itself. This includes raw data from various sources, such as electronic medical records, clinical trials, patient surveys, wearable devices, and other healthcare data repositories. Effective data storytelling requires careful data collection, cleaning, and analysis to extract meaningful insights and patterns. What is the core message or insight you want to convey? What is the most compelling or surprising finding from the data? What problem are you trying to address or what opportunity are you highlighting? Who is your target audience? Narrative The narrative element is what transforms raw data into a compelling and relatable story. It involves crafting a coherent storyline that connects the data points and insights in a way that resonates with the target audience. A well-structured narrative should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, guiding the audience through the data while highlighting the key messages and implications. The narrative should also incorporate storytelling techniques, such as using analogies, metaphors, and emotional appeals, to make the data more accessible and memorable. Effective content operations strategies ensure data-driven narratives are consistently produced and distributed across channels. Source: SAP Visuals While data and narrative are essential, visuals play a crucial role in making the two more engaging and easier to understand. Studies suggest that as much as 78% of students are visual learners. Data visualization techniques, such as charts, graphs, infographics, and interactive dashboards, can help simplify complex information and reveal patterns that may not be immediately apparent in raw data. Effective visuals should be clear, intuitive, and aligned with the narrative, enhancing the storytelling experience rather than distracting from it. How to Craft a Compelling Narrative Using Data Stories in Healthcare Marketing Effective data storytelling in healthcare marketing is not just about presenting data, it’s about crafting a compelling narrative that inspires action, fosters understanding, and ultimately contributes to better patient outcomes and healthier communities. Here’s a roadmap to crafting a compelling data story. Know your audience Tailor your narrative to resonate with your target audience. Consider their level of data literacy, background knowledge, and personal experiences. Creating a content map can help structure your narrative for the specific audience. Adapt your storytelling approach accordingly, using language and examples that will resonate with them. For instance, if you’re writing for policymakers, it’s best to concentrate on the big picture, like recommendations and implications of the data you’re presenting. And if you’re writing for researchers, you may be more specific and dive into details, like methods and limitations of your various data sets. Identify the core message It’s crucial to define the central message you want to communicate through your data story. This could be highlighting a successful treatment approach, demonstrating the impact of preventive care, or raising awareness about a particular health issue. Ensure that your core message is clear and aligns with your marketing objectives. Build a captivating story Like any good story, your data narrative should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Start by setting the context and introducing the problem or opportunity. Then, present your data-driven insights and evidence, building towards a climax or turning point. Finally, conclude with a compelling call to action or resolution. Effective storytelling involves more than just presenting facts. Utilize techniques such as character development, conflict and resolution, emotional appeals, and descriptive language to captivate your audience and make your data story more memorable. Connect your data story to tangible outcomes and real-world implications. Demonstrate how the insights derived from your data can improve patient care, enhance treatment efficacy, or drive positive changes in healthcare practices. Select the right visuals Visuals play a crucial role in bringing data stories to life and enhancing their impact in healthcare marketing campaigns. Here are some effective visuals you can consider incorporating into your data-driven narratives: Charts and graphs Infographics Heat maps Pictograms and icon arrays Annotated images and illustrations Video and animation Where possible, incorporate interactive elements into your data story. This could include clickable visualizations, multimedia components, or opportunities for audience participation. Interactivity can enhance engagement and create a more immersive experience. Revealing Insights and Deriving Value: Examples of Data Storytelling We’ve talked a lot about how influential data storytelling can be and how to achieve a good narrative and visualization. But let’s show and discuss data storytelling examples. UNODC Source: UNODC The alarming rise of synthetic drugs, such as opioids and methamphetamines, has escalated into a global health crisis, demanding immediate attention and action. Recognizing the urgent need for awareness, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has crafted an interactive page that captures the far-reaching impact of this issue across the globe. This awareness campaign exemplifies effective data storytelling, seamlessly blending data visualization and compelling narratives. As you navigate through the interactive page, you are immediately drawn to a world map. Scrolling down, information unfolds layer by layer, detailing the realities of substance abuse, linked to the countries it afflicts. As you delve deeper into the page, the world map becomes a tapestry of data points, each contributing to the overarching narrative — a sobering reminder that this crisis transcends borders and affects nations globally. Spotify Spotify is known for its data storytelling. Just think of the Spotify Wrapped we get each year that turns our listening habits into dynamic visual and audio experiences. It’s similar for the artists, and Spotify’s 2022 Fan Study is a prime example of good data storytelling. This report provides musicians with relevant data insights into how listeners’ habits and engagements can influence their follower count and music streaming numbers. The main page seamlessly blends data visualizations, such as infographics and line charts, with concise explanations, offering a comprehensive understanding of the data trends. One of the key components of a good data story is the ability to provide context and tell a compelling story with the data. Spotify for Artists achieves this by breaking down the report into subsections like engagement, merch, and release, each section offering data-driven insights and tips to help musicians grow their fanbase and reach a wider audience. Successful data storytellers not only present the data but also evoke an emotional response by highlighting the human element behind the numbers. Spotify’s report achieves this by focusing on the personal connections between musicians and their listeners, emphasizing the importance of understanding and catering to their audience’s preferences. Furthermore, the user experience is enhanced by creative visuals, such as animated text on scrolling, making the data presentations more engaging and memorable. National Geographic The National Geographic article, “Visualizing 500,000 Deaths from Covid-19 in the US,” is a poignant example of effective data storytelling. When dealing with large and abstract numbers, such as the staggering loss of human lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be challenging to comprehend the true magnitude of the data. This article masterfully addresses this challenge by employing data visualization techniques that make the data relatable and emotionally resonant. In a good data story, it’s also important to provide context and frame the data in a way that resonates with the audience. In this case, National Geographic achieves this by comparing the 500,000 COVID-19 deaths in the US to familiar subjects and settings that people can easily visualize and relate to. For instance, the article visualizes the loss by comparing it to all fast food cooks in the country. By anchoring the data in relatable contexts, the article enables readers to grasp the sheer scale of the loss in a way that raw numbers alone cannot convey. Summing Up By harnessing the power of compelling narratives, data visualizations, and emotional connections, pharmaceutical companies can effectively communicate complex healthcare insights, treatment effectiveness, and data trends to a wide range of stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the general public. Effective data storytelling in the pharmaceutical industry goes beyond mere data presentation, it involves uncovering key insights, providing context, and weaving a cohesive narrative that resonates with the audience. This approach not only enhances understanding but also fosters trust and credibility, essential components in an industry where lives are at stake. As data scientists, pharmaceutical companies must master the art of data visualization, utilizing tools such as infographics, line charts, and interactive dashboards to bring their data to life. By presenting complex data in a visually compelling and easily digestible manner, they can communicate intricate concepts, highlight patterns, and show key ways to drive informed decision-making. Looking ahead, the role of data storytelling in the pharmaceutical industry will only continue to grow in importance as the industry grapples with an ever-increasing volume of data and the need for effective communication across diverse stakeholder groups. By embracing the art of storytelling with data, pharmaceutical companies can unlock new avenues for innovation, foster trust and transparency, and ultimately contribute to better health outcomes on a global scale. We here at Viseven can help you create data-based storytelling that is bound to make your audience interested. Our content experience platform, eWizard, enables you to create powerful content, and reuse it on multiple platforms, not only providing an exciting visual experience to your audience but also saving you time and resources. Contact our team below to get a full demo!
AI-Powered Analytics for Life Sciences Marketing: What You Need to Know Posted on June 12, 2024January 7, 2025 by Andrii Nikulin Leading life sciences brands have joined the AI race over the past few years. Why? Because it gives them superpowers to walk in customers’ shoes, deliver value faster, and even predict what their audience might need next. While it might seem like all you need is a subscription to an AI tool, we know from experience that undergoing digital transformation takes time, a strong vision, and hard work. In this article, the Viseven team will discuss the benefits of AI analytics, show how to leverage it effectively and offer real-world use cases to illustrate its impact. Benefits of Using AI-Powered Analytics Life sciences industry leaders pursue the fastest and the most efficient adoption of AI-powered solutions in their daily operations. Does it mean you should do the same? Well, the most straightforward answer is yes, you should. Right now, artificial intelligence is the major enabler of growth and development for businesses across sectors, and it is likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future. So, it is important to know what value AI-driven analytics provides in your specific business case. To find this out, let’s look at its key benefits: From storytelling to story-making Lack of content personalization creates noise for healthcare providers (HCPs), adds to their workload, and, most importantly, distracts from patient care. This is one of the main reasons why the life sciences industry shifts from storytelling to tailored story-making. What’s the difference, you might ask? A storyteller aims to share their views to educate, persuade, or entertain. While this is valuable, it often overlooks the audience’s perceptions. On the other hand, story-making involves creating messages based on customer feedback, making them the protagonists of their own story. For instance, if you notice that an HCP has clicked on certain emails or visited specific pages in the past, you can use this information to tailor content to their unique needs. This approach makes the campaign feel more personalized and less like pushy or too salesy life science marketing. Doing this can foster empathy, create an emotional connection, and build lasting relationships. Real-time engagement Traditionally, campaigns involve a lot of upfront planning, with budgets, target segments, and marketing channels set months in advance. This leaves pharmaceutical companies little to no wiggle room to adjust mid-campaign. AI-driven analytics not only personalizes customer experiences but also does so in real time. In other words, it allows for moments-based life science marketing when brands satisfy customers’ needs in the precise moment of interaction. If life sciences companies understand their customers, what they do, and what they need at a specific moment, they can deliver more value and build stronger relationships. Prediction of trends AI analytics does not just show what is happening; it anticipates what will happen next. This helps brands stay better prepared for changing customer preferences and market disruptions. Machine learning (ML) algorithms can apply data analytics to identify industry trends and patterns in HCPs or patients’ behaviors that might go unnoticed by the human eye. This technology highlights which channels, campaigns, and messages will resonate with your target audience. Businesses can then accurately allocate budgets, refine campaigns, and improve product positioning and pricing. Some pleasant side effects include enhanced customer satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty. How to Use AI Analytics for Successful Life Science Marketing To successfully implement AI analytics across your organization, you should make the following key steps: 1. Set your goals The first thing on your list should be defining your goals with AI analytics. Are you looking to enhance customer experience or predict market trends? Or are you aiming to improve resource spending or content quality? Take a moment to answer these questions and set clear key performance indicators before moving on to the next step. 2. Get everyone on board Some employees may resist organizational change, fearing AI will replace them. Communicate the benefits of AI analytics and the human role in the process. Explain that AI solutions are only as good as their training data and a human touch is necessary to avoid errors. Employees should also understand what’s in it for them to foster their intrinsic motivation. Emphasize that AI analytics will minimize repetitive manual tasks and allow them to shift to more creative ones. 3. Handle your data with care Your data needs to be clean and complete to get accurate analytics results. This involves standardizing it, removing duplicates, and filling in missing values. It is crucial to collect data from different sources like social media, sales, customer engagement metrics, and so on. Equally important is ensuring ethical marketing practices. Some demographic groups might need to be more represented in your data sources. So, you might need help from human experts to eliminate bias and get the whole picture. Without regulatory compliance, you consciously risk losing your sensitive data to hackers. You must follow GDPR, HIPAA, and other relevant regulations for storing and managing customer data (the type of regulation depends on your location). 4. Implement your digital marketing strategy Now, it is time to integrate the technology into your life science marketing strategy. The use of AI analytics will depend on the goals you set at very first stage. At this point, ensure that your team members have all the necessary support and promptly arrange meetings to address any questions or concerns they might have. Also, make sure to turn your raw data into user-friendly visuals. Graphs and diagrams help make a bunch of numbers easier to understand, analyze, and share with others. Just look at the picture below to feel the difference. 5. Track the campaign performance Monitor the performance of your life science marketing campaign and adjust it when necessary. Real-time insights will help deliver a more valuable and tailored experience to your target audience. Conduct A/B testing to compare your digital marketing strategies and determine the most successful ones. If you rely on a modular approach, you will want to reuse content assets that resonate most with your customers. AI Analytics Use Cases in Pharma The Viseven team has deep expertise in leveraging AI-powered analytics across life science companies. Let’s see how technology works in real life. Personalization of Broadcast Emails Broadcast emails are often seen as impersonal, but we can show you otherwise. Our clients use eWizard, our content experience platform, to send tailored bulk emails to many customers. With eWizard, a life sciences marketing team selects parameters like HCPs’ specialty, content type, or desired tone. Then, the large language model (LLM) generates targeted text based on the data in your digital asset management (DAM) system. It is worth noting that AI analytics prioritizes content that has performed well in past campaigns, ensuring a message resonates. The beauty of eWizard is that it shows you exactly which assets informed the generated text. This eliminates AI’s “black box” mystery and adds transparency to the process. Real-Time Interaction Management To personalize HCP experiences, we go beyond traditional demographics. We use advanced analytics to understand past interactions, preferred communication channels, and real-time needs. The journey begins with selecting the right channel (email or messenger). Following the link in the message, an HCP lands on the website tailored to their specific interests. This way, a professional encounters information relevant to their current needs. Then, HCP’s actions trigger personalized emails with a real-time content population. The given data is fed back into the client’s CRM system. This empowers sales representatives with the next best action, providing tailored suggestions based on the HCP’s preferences. Trust Your Analytics to Viseven Crafting marketing strategies without robust AI-driven analytics can cause your campaigns to fall through the cracks. This technology lets marketers understand customers in real time, personalize their experiences, and prepare for future disruptions and challenges. If you are looking for a MarTech service provider, look no further. Viseven has been securely delivering accurate data insights for over 14 years. Our life sciences marketing experts know how to collect, organize, and visualize data so you can enhance marketing efforts, tailor offerings, and assess your business performance. Our clients report a 95% satisfaction rate, with 80% of new clients coming from referrals. Please reach out today to let our team know about your plans for AI analytics.
Maximizing Impact with eDetailing: Our Practical Guide for Pharma Posted on June 11, 2024February 28, 2025 by Andrii Nikulin Looking for ways to revolutionize your communications with healthcare professionals? Our eDetailing Guide is your roadmap to personalized, data-driven engagement that gets results. Inside, you’ll discover: How to craft personalized eDetailing experiences that resonate with HCPs and drive results. Personalization in eDetailing goes beyond simply addressing HCPs by name. It involves tailoring the entire experience—from the content presented to the interactions facilitated—to each individual HCP’s specific preferences, interests, and needs. This can be achieved by leveraging data from various sources, such as past interactions, online behaviour, and professional profiles, to create detailed HCP profiles. These profiles can then be used to dynamically adjust the eDetailing content, ensuring that each HCP receives the most relevant and engaging information. Our guide delves into the strategies and technologies that enable this level of personalization, ultimately leading to more meaningful conversations and improved outcomes. A step-by-step checklist for implementing personalization strategies that make a real impact. Implementing personalization in eDetailing requires a structured approach. The guide provides a comprehensive checklist that outlines the key steps involved, from defining clear objectives and integrating data sources to developing tailored content and deploying the necessary technology. This checklist serves as a roadmap for pharmaceutical companies, guiding them through the process of creating and delivering personalized eDetailing experiences that resonate with HCPs and drive measurable results. The secrets to leveraging storytelling and interactive content to boost HCP engagement. Storytelling and interactive content are powerful tools for capturing and maintaining HCPs’ attention in the digital age. The guide explores how to combine these elements effectively within eDetailing presentations. It emphasizes the importance of crafting narratives that are not only informative but also emotionally resonant, making the information more memorable and impactful. Additionally, the guide provides insights into incorporating interactive elements, such as quizzes, polls, and simulations, to create a more engaging and immersive experience for HCPs. How to choose the right digital content factory model for your needs. Pharmaceutical companies have varying needs and resources for eDetailing content creation. The guide presents three distinct digital content factory (DCF) models: white-glove, hybrid, and self-service. Each model offers a unique approach to content production and management, catering to different budgets, timelines, and levels of in-house expertise. The guide helps companies assess their specific requirements and select the DCF model that best aligns with their goals and capabilities. An overview of the top self-service platforms for eDetailing creation. The guide provides an overview of the leading DCF platforms available in the market for companies opting for a self-service approach. It highlights each platform’s key features and benefits, such as eWizard, Shaman, and IQVIA OCE Digital, enabling companies to make informed decisions based on their specific needs and preferences. We covered aspects like content creation tools, localization capabilities, analytics, and integration with other systems, empowering companies to choose the platform that best suits their eDetailing workflow. A guide to selecting the perfect agency to bring your eDetailing vision to life. Partnering with an agency can be a strategic move for companies seeking external expertise in eDetailing creation. The guide offers a comprehensive framework for selecting the right agency partner. It emphasizes the importance of considering factors such as experience, technical capabilities, creative approach, regulatory knowledge, client references, cost, and ongoing support. By following this guide, companies can confidently choose an agency that understands their vision and has the skills and resources to bring it to life, ensuring a successful and impactful eDetailing production and delivery. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to boost your HCP engagement. Download our guide and unlock the full potential of eDetailing today!
Patient Support Programs: What Are They & What They Offer Posted on June 4, 2024February 4, 2025 by Andrii Nikulin We’ve all been there: one day you get sick and a physician prescribes multiple medications to put you back on your feet, each with specific instructions and potential side effects to monitor. On top of that, you’re faced with navigating the maze of insurance approvals, high out-of-pocket costs, and a general lack of understanding about your own treatment options and plan, all while being sick and dazed. Sounds familiar and quite overwhelming, doesn’t it? This is the reality for many patients, which is why an increasing number of pharmaceutical companies are rolling out Patient Support Programs (PSPs) — comprehensive initiatives designed to empower and guide individuals through their healthcare journeys. These programs go beyond just providing medication, they offer a multifaceted approach to supporting patients from diagnosis to managing their condition long-term. Let us take a closer look at the Patient Support Programs, their development and implementation process, the different types, challenges they face, and their future within healthcare delivery. What are Patient Support Programs (PSPs)? Patient Support Programs (PSPs) are initiatives, that often come in the form of custom mobile apps, offered by pharmaceutical companies to provide education, resources, and services to patients prescribed certain medications or undergoing specific treatments. Source: Deloitte, Common patient support activities At their core, patient support programs aim to break down common barriers that hinder successful treatment outcomes. Many PSPs provide financial assistance, copay assistance, or free drug supplies for eligible patients. Patients struggling with adherence will find medication reminders, symptom trackers, and direct nurse support lines. Educational resources and counseling services are available to help patients better understand their condition and regimen to avoid confusion. But PSPs don’t just benefit patients, they’re a strategic investment for pharmaceutical companies as well. By enhancing medication adherence and persistence, PSPs drive increased product utilization and revenue. They also allow companies to collect invaluable real-world data, build brand loyalty, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to improving lives beyond the bottom line. How Pharma Companies Can Implement Patient Support Programs Source: IQVIA To develop the best-in-class patient support programs, you need to collaborate closely with stakeholders like business strategists, and medical, pharmacovigilance, and sales teams. Program development — Pharma companies first identify medications or disease areas that would benefit from enhanced patient support. They assess the needs of those patient populations and design the services or resources to be offered through the PSP. This includes any financial assistance, educational materials, app development, nurse counseling services, other features. Contracting vendors — Many pharma companies outsource part or all of the PSP operations to specialty vendors and third-party service providers. These vendors are contracted to handle tasks like operating call centers, distributing copay cards, developing apps and websites, and providing nursing staff. Data integration — The patient support services generate valuable data that needs to be integrated back to the pharma companies. This requires building data platforms and processes to aggregate information from vendors on patient demographics, medication utilization, clinical outcomes, and patient-reported data. Enrollment channels — Pharmaceutical companies work to create easy enrollment channels so patients can access the PSP. This includes physician outreach so providers can refer patients, as well as direct-to-patient channels like websites and call centers. Staff training — On the pharma side, internal staff like sales reps and medical liaisons are trained on the details of the PSP offerings so they can appropriately educate providers and patients. Patient outreach — Pharma companies conduct direct-to-patient outreach and marketing to drive awareness and utilization of the PSP services. Tactics like social media, targeted advertising, and advocacy group partnerships are employed. Metrics and analysis — PSP performance is measured through ongoing data analysis of metrics like program enrollment, persistency rates, patient satisfaction surveys, and ROI calculations looking at the PSP’s impact on medication adherence. Continuous improvement — Based on patient feedback and operational data, pharma companies continually refine and enhance their patient support program offerings over time to optimize their investments in these comprehensive patient support initiatives. While PSPs require significant cross-functional coordination, pharmaceutical companies see them as valuable pharma marketing tools for improving product performance and patient outcomes. Types of Patient Support Programs PSPs differ based on the therapeutic sector and particular medications, however, their main goal is to provide access and help patients overcome barriers to healthcare access and adherence, ultimately improving their health outcomes. Patient assistance programs Patient assistance programs are mainly offered in the U.S. to lessen the financial burdens and help patients and their caregivers get the medication. These programs help review the current insurance coverage, assist with prior authorization if needed, provide trial and copay card information, and check if a patient is eligible to enroll in a financial assistance program. Patient education programs Patient education programs aim to improve patients’ and caregivers’ understanding of the disease and the medication or devices that treat it. Patients and caregivers can receive instructional assistance from medical providers over the phone or via digital platforms. In addition, medical writers create patient-friendly visual educational materials. Patient education also entails adherence outreach meaning patients are followed up to share their experiences and struggles in order to be assisted and encouraged to stay adherent. Provider support A crucial strategy of patient support programs is equipping healthcare providers with resources to streamline patient access to medications and enhance education. Programs supply providers with sample products, device demos, FAQ materials, visual guides, copay cards, financial assistance info, and more. This allows providers to initiate therapy seamlessly. Additionally, PSPs assist providers by providing billing and coding support to ensure proper reimbursement for medication administration services. Challenges Associated with PSPs for Pharma Different types of PSPs offer a wide variety of benefits to life science businesses and healthcare facilities. So why doesn’t every company and clinic just use one? Well, there are certain challenges to implementing patient support programs that we must look at. One major challenge is the substantial cost and resource intensiveness involved in developing and operating comprehensive PSPs. Funding components like call centers, copay assistance, technology solutions, and nursing staff support can be extremely costly, especially when trying to scale these programs. Integrating data from multiple vendors and platforms delivering PSP services is technically complex. Creating unified views of the patient journey and outcomes requires robust data management capabilities. Ensuring regulatory compliance around areas like product promotion, privacy, data sharing, and avoiding improper inducements is also an ever-present obligation. PSPs have to meticulously follow the rules and implement tight compliance processes to steer clear of any violations. Quantifying the return on investment is another major hurdle. While PSPs aim to improve medication adherence and overall outcomes, pinpointing their precise impact is difficult given the many variables at play in disease management. Even with promotional efforts, driving patient awareness and adoption of PSP offerings can be an uphill battle, particularly among harder-to-reach populations. Personalizing the experience to diverse patient needs, health literacies, and preferences is resource-intensive. Coordinating priorities and sharing data among all the stakeholders — pharma companies, providers, payers, and vendors — adds another layer of complexity with so many parties involved. Sustaining long-term engagement is tough too, as patients’ circumstances continually evolve. And in an increasingly crowded PSP market, differentiating your program and delivering a truly superior experience gets more challenging by the day. Overcoming these hurdles demands strategic long-term planning, investments in robust technology platforms, effective vendor management, and a commitment to continually enhancing offerings based on real-world insights over time. It’s a major undertaking, but one that pharmaceutical companies are prioritizing to support patients and steward their product portfolios effectively. Future of PSPs in Custom App Development There’s no denying the growing demand for digital patient services in the pharmaceutical industry these days. 48% of adults are already using or interested in pharma’s digital offerings, and a whopping 68% of physicians are more likely to prescribe a product backed by solid patient support and services. Pharmaceutical companies clearly recognize this trend, with most, if not all, rolling out various digital engagement programs in recent years. And it’s not just about checking boxes anymore. New technologies are opening up fresh channels and enabling more holistic, comprehensive patient support initiatives. A recent study highlighted a clear shift away from that transactional mindset focused solely on enrollment and training. Instead, there’s a move towards more collaborative, integrated programs laser-focused on truly empowering patients to live well with their conditions. Think tailored interventions, behavior modification, and support extending to caregivers and beyond. These trends, coupled with digital innovations and better access to patient data, present an exciting opportunity for pharma. They can now craft bespoke healthcare solutions finely tuned to the unique needs of different patient groups in a targeted, value-additive way. And the potential upsides are huge — online disease management services have been shown to improve chronic care outcomes by up to 10%. Final Thoughts At the end of the day, patients crave simplicity and customization so they can take ownership of their wellness journey. They want solutions intuitive enough to fully participate in their own care. By tapping into new technologies, pharma can finally deliver on those desires with patient-centric digital offerings that resonate on a personal level. Patient support programs by themselves do not drive differentiation or boost trust and engagement. Programs have to be well-designed and provide patients with personalization. Fortunately, the technology is there to help pharmaceutical companies achieve these goals. If you want to develop a user-friendly custom healthcare app to boost your patient support program, don’t hesitate to contact Viseven. We have nearly 20 years of experience in pharma solutions development and can make your vision a reality.
The Role of Advanced Portals in Modern Healthcare Posted on May 29, 2024February 28, 2025 by Andrii Nikulin Healthcare providers (HCPs) must stay up to date on the latest research, clinical trials, and innovative medications to deliver high-quality, safe patient care. The main challenge, however, is finding time for self-education. On average, a physician sees 20 patients a day. Add electronic health records keeping, administrative tasks, and personal obligations, and the time crunch for learning becomes evident. HCP portals were designed to address this issue. These platforms offer personalized summaries of the most critical findings in the field, freeing up time for professionals to focus on what matters most: their patients. In this blog post, the Viseven team will explore the benefits of HCP portals in healthcare and offer real-world examples of how they make a difference. What Are HCP Portals? HCP portals are digital solutions that allow healthcare professionals to stay abreast of current trends and news relevant to their specialty or area of interest. These tools often provide personalized online health information on clinical trial updates, medication releases, upcoming conferences, and networking events. Healthcare portals can also serve as platforms for communication with industry peers and have additional features such as patient data management and analytics. Biggest challenges HCPs currently face Today, HCPs face many challenges, from administrative burdens to a need for more informed decision-making. Let’s discuss them in more detail. Administrative burden: HCPs are overwhelmed with paperwork and bureaucratic tasks. According to the latest findings, professionals spend approximately 4.5 hours daily on electronic health records (EHRs). Unsurprisingly, this workload reduces their time for direct patient care and impacts the quality of healthcare services. Being unable to spend sufficient time with patients, they often experience a lack of fulfillment, chronic fatigue, and burnout. Staying up-to-date with the latest research: HCPs are drowning in to-do lists; unfortunately, continuing education often stays on the back burner. Instead of being exposed to targeted updates on what is relevant to them, they are bombarded with irrelevant studies, events, sales pitches, and invitations. The HCPs need relevant info on the latest discoveries in their fields, drug developments, and relevant patient-doctor cooperation techniques. Medical web portals have the potential to resolve this challenge for HCPs and help them improve the quality of medical services. Communication security: HCPs often share patient information with their peers to seek second opinions or offer their perspectives. However, this data is highly sensitive and vulnerable to hacker attacks. Providers face the challenge of finding compliant communication platforms that ensure fully secure communication. Lack of informed decisions: The sheer volume of data, like demographics, medical history, and treatment plans, makes it hard for HCPs to see their patients’ overall health status. Because they cannot easily spot patterns in the data, specialists may not arrive at the optimal evidence-based care for a patient. Role of Advanced Portals in Modern Healthcare We brought up all these challenges for a good reason. Now, we want to show you how advanced medical portals can mitigate them successfully: Enhancing HCP productivity An advanced health portal often streamlines HCPs’ workflows by automating routine tasks, like sending reminders or scheduling appointments. Integrations with billing platforms or EHR systems allow them to manage administrative tasks more accurately and efficiently. This means they no longer have to manually create invoices, track payments, or update patient health records. Automation enhances their productivity while lowering the error rate to almost zero. Making self-education easy Health portals provide centralized platforms with valuable content, such as clinical guidelines, articles, news, online courses, and references. By storing highly personalized information in one place, health professionals save time when conducting research. Safeguarding health information exchange Compliant HCP portals enable specialists to communicate without compromising patient confidentiality. Health care portals or employee health portals must comply with relevant regulatory legislations such as HIPAA or GDPR. That is why developing web portals in healthcare requires technical expertise and full compliance on the software vendor’s side. Professionals can message their senior peers to consult on complex cases or rare diseases and share lab results. At the same time, experienced and knowledgeable HCPs can offer expert advice when needed. Supporting data-driven decision-making A siloed patient care, where HCPs are unaware of medical histories or prior treatments, can lead to poor clinical outcomes. With HCP portals, all pieces of the puzzle come together, allowing healthcare professionals to view relevant patient data and take a holistic approach to therapy. This helps identify correlations and trends that might otherwise be overlooked, predict the course of the disease, and find the most effective treatment based on the patient’s unique needs. Advanced portals may also offer data visualization features. A single dashboard or graph can convey more than a thousand figures and words. By simplifying complex information, HCPs can effectively communicate insights with industry peers. Things to Consider When Developing an HCP Portal To make your portal truly valuable to HCPs, it is essential to pay attention to the following aspects: Data Security Data security is pivotal, and the statistics prove it. Over 500 healthcare facilities suffered data breaches in the past year, affecting more than 112 million patients. On average, it takes 236 days to recover from a breach, not to mention the $500 cost per compromised health record. Your HCP portal must comply with HIPAA or GDPR to prevent authorized access to sensitive patient data. In other words, you must implement robust security measures, like encryption and authentication, to ensure that only HCPs access private information. Access controls are important in controlling who accesses what information. User Experience Pharmaceutical businesses can alienate HCPs with designs that are cumbersome and difficult to navigate. User-unfriendly elements, such as poorly placed icons or verbose language, can overwhelm HCPs and drive them to abandon the portal. As noted, HCPs are occupied with patient care and EHR-related tasks. They do not have time to learn how to use a complex portal. That is why it is essential to have intuitive navigation and concise language that mimics natural conversation. Besides, a user-friendly portal must be adaptable to HCPs’ unique accessibility needs, like adjustable fonts, high contrast settings, or multilingual support. Relevant Content Consumers tend to get annoyed when companies bombard them with marketing-centric content. This creates an impression that profits are the major motivator rather than customer satisfaction. A recent study reveals that 62% of HCPs believe pharmaceutical marketing materials consist solely of advertisements. This finding highlights the HCPs’ frustration and wish for more personalized information that brings value to their practice. Data analytics and AI help life sciences brands craft engaging, tailored content for HCPs. AI algorithms shed light on complex data patterns and trends, letting them capitalize on HCP preferences for content type or format. On top of that, the omnichannel approach to marketing helps businesses to liberate their content from the constraints of platforms and formats and focus on a hyper-personalized experience for the audiences. For instance, businesses can now publish purely informative content on healthcare platforms for HCPs and then supplement it with more marketing-oriented materials across other media. Such an approach is at the core of Viseven vision for the future of content marketing in Pharma. Real Life Healthcare Portal Examples that Improve the HCP Experience The Viseven team has spent more than a decade developing robust HCP portals, and now we want to share some of their success stories: Medical Portal for Boosting HCP Loyalty Our client, a global biopharmaceutical brand, approached us to help build an HCP portal showcasing its unique expertise. The portal had to feature valuable content on the latest research, training, and events. One key goal was strengthening the brand’s position as a trusted resource. To achieve this ambitious goal, we had to ensure their content was safe and evidence-based. Our experts integrated the portal with one of the leading content management systems (CMS) for easy online access to Medical Legal Regulatory (MLR)– approved materials. Additionally, we implemented Google Analytics to understand how HCPs engaged with the platform: how long they stayed on the page, what links they clicked, and which articles had high bounce rates. These insights helped us tailor content specifically to the HCPs’ areas of interest and needs. As a result, the pharmaceutical company saw enhanced engagement among HCPs, who would value access to valuable scientific content over intrusive advertising. This way, the HCPs should come to trust the company more and become loyal customers over time. Healthcare Portal to Drive Higher HCP Engagement Our client, an international pharmaceutical company with a presence in over 140 countries, wanted to build a web portal to deliver engaging content for HCPs. They also needed consolidated storage where marketers could easily find materials that have already undergone the MLR process. We created a secure portal that integrates with both a CRM system and a CMS, providing easy access to MLR-approved content. Additionally, we provided marketers with a custom analytics tool for deeper insights into HCP preferences. For local administrators, we ensured a user-friendly WordPress interface for adding podcasts, videos, articles, and even managing events. The company saw significant improvements thanks to this approach to HCP portal development. Storing approved assets became much easier, saving both time and effort in creating quality content. Powerful analytics tools helped them not only increase engagement with HCPs but also build stronger, lasting relationships. It is no surprise that more than 20,000 HCPs became loyal portal users. Build a Robust HCP Portal with Viseven Today’s HCPs want easy access to relevant content without worrying about data security. Therefore, pharmaceutical companies that deliver secure, user-friendly HCP portals stand apart from competitors, position themselves as thought leaders, and foster strong customer relationships. As a leading MarTech service provider with over 14 years of experience in life sciences and pharma, we have helped numerous clients launch robust HCP portals. Our dedication to client satisfaction is reflected in their consistent 95% positive feedback rate. Viseven has assisted over 100 world-renowned brands in navigating marketing transformation, driving engagement, and enhancing brand recognition. If you also need help, feel free to reach out to us, and we will discuss the ways to empower your digital transformation.
