The traditional hierarchical model of healthcare has given way to a more dynamic and peer-to-peer approach, where HCPs engage in collaborative decision-making and scientific exchange.

Advances in medical science, evolving treatment modalities, and an explosion of healthcare information (which I referred to in my last article as an ‘infodemic’) have created a dynamic environment enabling healthcare providers to stay updated with the latest medical advancements, and enhance their overall professional development.

Digital solutions have emerged as indispensable tools for fostering peer-to-peer dynamics and have become catalysts for revolutionizing how HCPs interact and share knowledge in this dynamic environment. The following are examples of digital solutions Medical Affairs can play a pivotal role in facilitating and shaping:

Virtual and Hybrid Event Platforms

Medical Affairs teams can leverage hybrid platforms, like Frontiers Health, to bring together global experts, thought leaders, and practitioners to discuss the latest research, treatments, and medical advancements. Virtual events (in particular) provide a cost-effective and efficient way for professionals to share their knowledge, ask questions, and engage in meaningful discussions without the constraints of geographical boundaries. Moreover, the availability of on-demand recordings allows HCPs to access valuable content at their convenience, fostering continuous learning and peer-to-peer interactions beyond the live event. These platforms not only provide user-centric benefits to HCPs but help field forces better understand what the next conversation with their customers should be.

Peer-to-Peer Online Communities

The rise of online communities dedicated to various medical specialties has created a digital space for HCPs to connect, collaborate, and seek advice from their peers. Medical Affairs teams can actively participate in these communities by providing accurate and up-to-date information, sharing research findings, and engaging in discussions. By doing so, they not only establish themselves as reliable sources of information, building trust within the industry, but also encourage peer-to-peer interactions among HCPs.

Medical Apps and Mobile Platforms

Medical apps and platforms designed for HCPs are becoming increasingly popular. These offer a wide range of functionalities, from clinical decision support and drug information to medical calculators and educational resources. Medical Affairs can partner with app developers to ensure the inclusion of evidence-based content and facilitate peer-to-peer interactions within these applications. For example, HCPs can use medical apps to share challenging cases, seek second opinions, and discuss treatment options with their peers. Such platforms promote collaboration, enhance clinical decision-making, and strengthen the overall healthcare ecosystem.

Social Media and Professional Networks

Social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn have become valuable tools for HCPs to connect with colleagues, stay updated on the latest medical news, and engage in discussions. Medical Affairs teams can establish a strong online presence by sharing scientific content, organising live chats with experts, and participating in relevant healthcare #hashtags. Furthermore, professional networks like Doximity and Sermo, to name a few, provide specialized spaces for HCPs to connect with peers in their respective fields. These platforms facilitate knowledge exchange, foster collaboration, and enable Medical Affairs to build relationships with key opinion leaders.

Telemedicine and Virtual Consultations

The adoption of telemedicine has surged in recent years (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic), with the likes of Teledoc, Amwell, and Paginemediche leading the way. Medical Affairs can support the integration of telemedicine into healthcare practices by providing guidance on best practices, compliance, and patient engagement strategies. Telemedicine not only improves patient access to care but also offers HCPs the opportunity to consult with specialists and seek expert opinions conveniently and efficiently.

Data Analytics and Insights

Digital solutions also offer Medical Affairs teams the ability to gather and analyse data on peer-to-peer interactions. By tracking engagement metrics, identifying popular topics, and understanding the unmet needs of HCPs, Medical Affairs can tailor their content and initiatives to better fill professional educational gaps. Applying adult learning principles helps us assess not only what they retain but what they can practically apply in clinical settings.

The integration of digital solutions into the realm of Medical Affairs has opened up new avenues for collaboration, scientific exchange, and relationship-building. Virtual and Hybrid event, online communities, medical apps, social media, telemedicine, and data analytics all contribute to strengthening peer-to-peer interactions. As technology continues to advance with, for example, the adoption of AI and ChatGPT, the field of Medical Affairs must remain adaptable, innovative and risk-averse and harness the full potential of what digital solutions can deliver in terms of personalized care.

In fact, Medical Affairs played a key role in providing evidence based scientific data during COVID-19 vaccine trials and also accelerating the unprecedented rollout and adoption of the vaccine. The adoption aspect is especially important to note as the decision did not solely lie with clinicians, but very much with patients, payers, and policy makers (Stakeholders). Medical Affairs had the responsibility to not only educate and inform clinicians but also influence all Stakeholders to agree, adopt and comply with the vaccination protocols to reach rapid and unprecedented herd immunity on a global scale. This could only be achieved by communicating both the efficacy and value (HEOR) of the data and establishing trust within a global population (excluding the minority of anti-vaxxers).

This feat demonstrates not only where Medical Affairs stands today but where its role and responsibilities lie in the future. There are three main focus areas that Medical Affairs teams should prioritize to not only maintain momentum but drive innovation within the industry.

Technology

The first focus area is embracing what technology brings to data analytics and insights analysis and finding ways to collaborate with ‘big tech’ who, in many cases, own this data (RWE and Genomic companies for example). Real-time information is being increasingly analyzed by artificial intelligence, something Medical Affairs needs to monitor and supplement to ensure compliance and accuracy. Patients, or better yet, “all of us” are increasingly empowered to take charge of our health and well-being. We are more informed, and with access to unprecedented information online and technology such as digital platforms, diagnostic tools, wearables and chatbots, we are equipped with in-depth information about our health which, in some cases, surpasses what clinicians have time to access. When managed with the right scientific vigor by Medical Affairs teams, technology enables the fast curation of evidence-based information, allowing Stakeholders to make more timely and collaborative decisions.

Adult Learning Principles

The second focus area is to embrace best-in-class adult learning principles to not only educate Stakeholders but ensure they retain the information and more importantly allow them to apply what they learn. As an example, Oncologists, are flooded with extraneous information, some refer to as an ‘infodemic’, and medical affairs have the responsibility to adopt a stakeholder-centric (some call it omnichannel) approach to ensure the right information is delivered to the rightstakeholder, on the right channels (of their choosing), at the right time (always on, live or on-demand). This is critical to moving Stakeholders along the adoption ladder making sure they all end up in the same place.

Creative Storytelling

The third focus area is creative storytelling, meaning how we, as an industry, exchange complex scientific information with Stakeholders. Medical Affairs have typically delivered scientific information in conservative lengthy linear formats which are scientifically rigorous but lack compelling narratives. Simply put, they don’t tell a story. Creative storytelling has been used since prehistoric times to communicate with and educate populations. The creative combination of words, sound, and imagery (more recently moving imagery) has moved masses over the centuries to take collective action and influence life-changing moments. The key to engaging Stakeholders is to deliver a creative narrative that triggers an emotional response, which in turn helps gain their trust and eventually their loyalty.

Medical Affairs stakeholders are increasingly digitally savvy and have the opportunity to showcase their leadership within Pharma, biotech and MedTech when it comes to leveraging technology, digital platforms, omni-channel communications, and data analytics. Strategic insights can be derived from these activities, generating qualitative and quantitative metrics, which provide actionable outcomes. Medical Affairs have a key role and responsibility to engage beyond prescribers by collaborating with all Stakeholders to improve patient outcomes and improve the overall trust people have in the Pharma industry.

Never overlook the power of a good story. This is what people will remember about your work.
Jane Maher, Chief Medical Officer, Macmillan Cancer Support

As long as we’ve had campfires, humans have gathered around them to share stories.

Stories are why we stay up later than we’d planned to finish a book. Or why we binge watch the latest Netflix series. Stories are how we make sense of the world.

And video is one of the most powerful storytelling tools available to us – think of it as the modern day digital campfire. It’s no coincidence that the top 100 global brands each produce around 80 videos a month. They know from experience (and hard statistics) that great video content is crucial to engaging their customers.

Video can be a powerful medium for storytelling and engagement in the health sector.

Health video works

“All right, so here we are in front of the elephants.” With those words, Jawed Karim introduced the first ever YouTube video in 2005. 18 seconds long, this seemingly inconsequential video foretold the future of online media.

Today, YouTube is not only one the most used video-sharing platforms but – more interestingly – it’s the second most used search engine after Google. That statistic tells you something fundamentally important about digital behaviour – people are hungry for information delivered through video. (Jawed Karim had a hunch this was the case – he was a cofounder of YouTube.)

Health videos in particular are popular. And not just popular, but effective:

• Two-thirds of physicians use online videos to keep up to date with clinical information.
• 85% of those physicians are taking action as a result of that video engagement, such as sharing with colleagues or even making treatment decisions.
• On the patient/consumer side, 1 in 3 people watch health-related videos online, and 93% take action as a result.

The gift that keeps on giving

Crucially, video isn’t a one-time wonder. 30% of video views come a year after the video has first been published. This means that video presents a unique opportunity to engage people on an ongoing basis and create longevity in relationships with customers as they consume content over time.

But on the flipside, if you don’t think strategically about video, you could be missing a major opportunity.

Our top 5 video tips

To realise the potential of video for your brand or therapy area, you need to become a master of the digital campfire. Here are some key considerations you need to address before going near a video camera:

Tip 1: Be clear who you’re talking to (and why)
Be laser focussed on defining your target audience and the purpose of your video. This will help inform the overall approach and style – animations, roundtable discussions, documentary-style stories, etc. An internal rep training video is likely to be produced very differently to a disease awareness video for doctors or patients, for instance.

Tip 2: Define your story
Decide from the get-go on what you want your audience to feel or what exact action you want them to take. Video gives you the chance to emotionally connect like no other medium – use it.

Tip 3: Production values matters
We’ve come a long way since those 18 seconds of grainy YouTube video. The age of Netflix has increased expectations of production quality (not to mention quantity). Put simply, if the videos aren’t well produced, no one will watch them.

Tip 4: Talent counts
Many healthcare videos benefit from using a host to facilitate conversations. But nothing says ‘boring video’ more than a boring host. Your host needs to have charisma, a clear understanding of the subject matter and media training.

Tip 5: Think interactivity
Just watching a video isn’t always good enough in the digital age. With HTML5 video, you can overlay contextual overlays that audiences can interact with. And these actions can be measured.

Bonus tip: Respond to your regulatory landscape
Digital solutions such as geo-restricting players or special opt-ins for HCPs can help you navigate the regulatory landscape. Just make sure you think about them early.

The power to connect

Done right, video has the potential to communicate beyond the written word and speak to your audience’s innate appetite for stories and storytelling.

Those who master the digital campfire are those who will most likely succeed in connecting with their audience and inspire action.