Three Critical Questions Medical Affairs Professionals Are Asking in Today’s World

Caroline Ojaimi, Director, US Medical Affairs, Strategy and Operations

In late 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, our Medical Affairs team at Eisai realigned our priorities. We agreed that it was time to drive innovation forward and explore new ways to engage. Our mission was to go digital, boldly. We knew that virtual and digital integration would be a critical aspect in moving forward in this fast-changing industry; slowly, we started putting plans in place to do so. The idea was inspiring, and we looked forward to the challenge.

And then, without warning, COVID-19 entered the scene. Its arrival abruptly accelerated our shift to a virtual reality before we had the chance to fully work through all the details. Instead of shifting to a digital world in a systematic way based on interest, we were thrust into the situation by necessity.

Immediately, we were faced with more questions than answers in this new socially distanced environment—the biggest being: how do we ensure success now that the landscape has changed so quickly? At the time, we were uncertain, but we were determined to figure it out.

Fortunately, in the past few months, we’ve had the opportunity to work through some of the initial growing pains of transforming the traditional in-person model into a virtual one. What we’ve learned is, regardless of how much progress we make, there will always be critical questions medical affairs professionals will need to address when it comes to advancing our work and efforts in today’s world.

Here are the top three questions that remain and what we’re doing to address them:

Solution: Embrace the virtual world with an open mind, and proceed carefully but not fearfully.

The truth is, medical affairs professionals have always played an integral role in providing education and support within the industry, and that hasn’t changed just because the technology has. Instead of fearing change, we need to embrace it—without letting worries about the unknown stifle our growth.

Yes, there will be growing pains and challenges along the way—but we can learn and grow from those opportunities.

At Eisai, we’ve really embraced this challenge and have begun to test a multitude of virtual tools that have enabled us to continue to deliver value to health care professionals. We’ve learned that some tools are excellent for hosting virtual ad boards, while others are better suited for one-on-one engagements. We’re still exploring various methods, and, through that process, our efforts will only become more effective.

Solution: Take time to understand health care professionals’ evolving priorities—and remember, we’re all in this together.

What we learned quickly is that we’re not in this alone. When the pandemic forced us into a new, socially distanced reality, it affected us all. Just like medical affairs specialists, health care professionals have had to work through this new model. They’ve had to reinvent the way they treat patients, conduct research and interact with colleagues. This environment has become a universal “new normal” for everyone.

These days, everybody understands the need to be flexible. And, in life, there are never guarantees—but that shouldn’t stop us from innovating.

Through partnering closely with health care professionals, we’ve been adapting our approach based on their unique needs, the guidelines set forth by their institutions, and their evolving priorities. As social distancing restrictions begin to ease up in certain regions, we’ll continue to work closely with health care professionals to find a blended, hybrid approach incorporating virtual and in-person engagements that best suits their availability and interests. And, together, we can seamlessly shift our engagement model to a more flexible, supportive system that works for everyone.