phactMI Benchmarking Survey on Content Development and Inquiry Management.

BACKGROUND: Medical information (MI) departments across pharmaceutical companies respond to medical inquiries about a company's products to healthcare providers, payors, patients, and caregivers. Responses provided are constructed to be relevant, accurate, scientifically balanced and delivered in a timely manner. Benchmarking surveys of MI groups have been conducted in the past to assess current trends and identify areas of optimization that ultimately benefit the customers. METHODS: From December 2017 to February 2018, 27 U.S. pharmaceutical member companies of phactMI™, Pharma Collaboration for Transparent Medical Information, were provided a survey of 307 questions divided among nine topics to capture attributes of pharmaceutical industry medical information organizations, including inquiry management and content development. RESULTS: At the time of the survey, a total of 27 phactMI member companies existed and completed the survey. Detailed results are provided on the inquiry response process, including contact center services, escalation processes, use of unique delivery channels, and reported key performance indicators. The evolving nature of content formats and features, including page length, custom responses, and enhancements are addressed. Finally, resourcing and structure of these two areas are also detailed from the 27 member companies. CONCLUSION: The findings from this comprehensive benchmarking survey provide insights into the current state of inquiry response processes and content management. There continue to be opportunities to demonstrate and increase the value of MI to ensure that companies are meeting the expectations of the ever-changing needs of our customers. phactMI and the member companies continue to seek innovative ways of providing medical information in their commitment to enhancing patient care.

Opinions and Trends of Healthcare Providers Concerning Scientific/Standard Response Documents.

BACKGROUND: One of the main roles of the medical information (MI) department within a pharmaceutical company is to develop scientific/standard response documents (SRDs) to provide comprehensive medical information to healthcare providers (HCPs). This study seeks to gain HCP feedback on the various elements in the format of an SRD. METHODS: This study surveyed 400 healthcare providers (200 physicians, 100 pharmacists, and 100 nurse practitioners/advanced practice nurses and physician assistants) regarding their opinions and preferences on the structure, content, layout, and delivery options of SRDs. The survey also included questions assessing where HCPs access their medical information, their trust in the medical information they receive from MI Departments, and alternative methods for receiving medical information. RESULTS: HCPs often self-search for medical information via an electronic device, which allows for SRDs to serve as a key resource. HCPs, who had prior contact with a pharmaceutical company's MI department, have a high degree of trust in the SRDs that they had received. However, perception of bias can have an impact on their level of trust. HCPs prefer all relevant data such as real-world evidence, adverse drug reactions, and clinical trial data, while abstracts and data on file may not be needed, but the overall length should only be three to five pages. HCPs find value in various SRD formatting characteristics, such as charts, tables, and infographics. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, HCPs seek medical information resources, such as SRDs, to aid in the delivery of personalized patient care. HCPs prefer SRDs to be concise, but include comprehensive, unbiased medical information. Through HCP feedback, MI Departments of pharmaceutical companies can continue to develop and update their SRDs to increase uptake and potentially impact clinical practice.