Did you attend Reuters Pharma Europe 2021 which took place virtually on 11 – 22 October?
Our team did and they captured some interesting takeaways on the hottest themes and key case studies.
Here are their top 6 highlights from the conference:
- ‘Hybrid’ transformation
The transition to a ‘hybrid’ environment where we’re seeing a mix of physician and digital interaction is not dependent on the pandemic, it’s here to stay. Technology has evolved at a rapid pace due to the pandemic and the question is now “which platform?” and not “how do I use this platform?”
- Patient-centricity
Patients are more informed and empowered than ever before. Patient-centricity will continue to increase, and pharma companies need to collaborate and engage with patients more often during the product development cycle. As part of this, digital innovation needs to focus on going back to basics: where in the patient journey is there an unmet need we can address? How can we really understand opportunity spaces when innovating? This emphasises the need to capture high-quality patient insights throughout the product lifecycle.
- Recent progress on HCP channels
There were many conversations around omni-channel (utilising bespoke content through multiple channels) vs. multi-channel (the same content through multiple channels). The challenge here is that when MSLs have strong, established relationships with HCPs the transition from in-person to virtual is easy. But for new contacts, building a relationship virtually is a challenge, so hybrid will be key to this. Our overall takeaway is that the engagement needs to be tailored/personalised based on the needs of who you are working with.
- Less progress on HCP content
HCPs are highly selective in their content consumption. Most trusted sources are established platforms, publications and recommendations from peers. There are opportunities to support the decision-making process by enhancing evidence-based articles with videos and infographics. A consideration should be around making sure that content is shorter and easier to digest in a virtual setting vs. in-person. Supporting materials should also tell a story and not just be data focused, and field reps need the skills (questioning and listening skills) to deliver the content most successfully.
- Digital solutions
The digital solutions and most prominent buzz words mentioned at the conference were not new to us. They key digital buzz topics were:
- NLP
- Chatbots
- Virtual voice assistants
- Predictive modelling
- Digital education programs
- Digital platforms
- Healthcare apps
- Digital biomarkers and connected medical devices
- Diversity
It wasn’t surprising to see that pharma companies are having an internal push to drive cultural innovation whereby employee diversity brings different perspectives and experiences. There is also an emphasis on recruiting more diverse patients for clinical trials.