The demand for accurate and timely medical information has never been greater. As healthcare providers and patients navigate an increasingly complex landscape of therapies and treatments, the need for accessible and reliable MI is critical to delivering quality care. Organizations are moving away from traditional call centers and embracing artificial intelligence-enhanced digital solutions to meet these growing demands. This shift addresses the rising volume and complexity of inquiries and ensures compliance, builds trust and transforms the way MI is shared across the healthcare ecosystem.
Where’s the Information Coming From?
The surge in medical information creates a critical need for AI-powered solutions. The rapid pace of medical innovation, fueled by advances in therapies and the introduction of new treatments, is driving unprecedented demand for MI. Patients and healthcare providers are seeking timely and accurate guidance, which is putting increased pressure on organizations to meet these growing needs. There is also a significant preference for self-service channels, such as web and mobile platforms, contributing to the rise in inbound MI data.
The volume of MI is a significant challenge for organizations, but it’s only part of the equation. The increasing complexity of MI is compounding the difficulty of its effective use. HCPs and their patients now demand more detailed and nuanced information, pushing MI teams to address intricate queries while maintaining the same rapid response times expected in the past.
MI teams are left with no choice but to adopt innovative strategies and leverage cutting-edge technologies. Automation, AI, machine learning and natural language processing are effective tools to help streamline the intake and triage of MI inquiries, but the true potential is at the unification of these technologies.
Bringing the Focus Back to the Patient
When freed from routine administrative tasks, MI teams can refocus on complex cases that demand human expertise. AI-powered self-service portals and intelligent chatbots are enabling healthcare providers and patients to independently find answers, easing the strain on MI staff and allowing them to prioritize higher-value interactions.
Pharmaceutical companies face mounting pressures as the MI landscape evolves. Rising costs, global communication demands and the need for precise compliance and accuracy challenge even the most robust systems. Sharing product information across languages and regions while addressing disparities in local expertise further complicates global operations. Inefficiencies caused by siloed departments add yet another layer of difficulty.
Promise of AI Integration
The integration of AI into MI systems offers promise but requires careful planning to ensure accuracy, compliance and ethical application. Advanced treatments like biosimilars and cell and gene therapies have raised the stakes, demanding that human MI agents possess deep knowledge of complex biological processes — an expectation that drives up training costs and operational expenses.
As regulatory requirements and linguistic challenges grow, traditional, human-only call center models are increasingly unsustainable. To navigate this complexity, pharmaceutical leaders must embrace innovative approaches that balance cost efficiency, customer engagement and cutting-edge technology.
The Impact of Advanced Technologies on Modern Care
MI teams are increasingly leveraging AI, machine learning and natural language processing to streamline inquiry intake and triage. When unified, these technologies enable MI teams to prioritize complex cases while empowering healthcare providers and patients to find answers independently through self-service portals and intelligent chatbots. This reduces repetitive tasks and allows teams to focus on nuanced inquiries.
Pharmaceutical companies have begun exploring advanced AI solutions that move beyond the limitations of traditional digital tools. These innovations address rising inquiry volumes by automating repetitive processes, ensuring consistent engagement and meeting the demand for on-demand, self-serve information. However, success lies not in deploying technology for its own sake but in adopting capabilities that align with the complexity and compliance requirements of modern MI operations.
Blending AI with Human Expertise
The future of MI blends AI efficiency with human expertise. Scalable AI solutions allow MI teams to manage unpredictable spikes in inquiry volumes while maintaining compliance and cost-effectiveness. Human oversight remains critical, ensuring that AI-generated responses based on approved content meet stringent accuracy and quality standards. This partnership between AI and human judgment creates a customer experience that makes users feel confident engaging with AI as part of their quest for information.
Enhancing Pharmacovigilance and Quality Processes
Intelligent AI systems do more than streamline operations; they also enhance pharmacovigilance and quality processes. Automating the intake of adverse events and product complaints frees agents to focus on patient engagement. Meanwhile, AI-driven data extraction and reporting improve safety monitoring and reduce risk of missed events. Voice-to-text transcription and real-time sentiment analysis further optimize workflows, enabling teams to efficiently manage vast amounts of patient data while identifying areas for content and educational improvement.
Strengthening the Customer Experience
The potential benefits of automated systems extend beyond operational efficiency. By eliminating phone hold times, dynamically adjusting resources to meet inquiry demands and providing tailored, compliant responses, AI helps deliver a superior experience to healthcare providers and patients. These advances position pharma companies to enhance customer satisfaction, uphold post-marketing compliance and strengthen their reputations in a competitive market.
What’s next?
Traditional, human-only models are no longer sufficient to handle the growing volume and complexity of MI inquiries. To adapt, organizations must partner with experts experienced in implementing healthcare-grade AI capabilities. This approach ensures that technologies are integrated seamlessly, meeting both operational needs and evolving expectations from patients and providers.
As demand for accurate and timely MI continues to rise, the pharmaceutical industry must embrace a balanced approach that unites advanced AI with human oversight. This strategy supports compliance, enhances customer engagement and positions companies for success in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.
About Simon Johns
Simon Johns has over 26 years of experience supporting customer projects across all stages of drug development and the full product lifecycle. As Director of Medical Information (MI) and Marketed Product Safety at IQVIA, he has been managing global MI projects focused on process optimization and technology enablement that drive enhanced efficiency and customer engagement. Simon is a member of the European DIA Medical Information and Communications Training Team, advising pharmaceutical companies on best industry practices, innovation and automation. He speaks regularly on topics ranging from implementing suitable technologies and innovations to optimize Medical Information to the benefits of integrating MI and pharmacovigilance to increase compliance and product value, leveraging IQVIA’s Local Affiliate Product Services (LAPS), which provide full support for MI and local country pharmacovigilance requirements