Advancing patient-centricity in Medical Affairs: A survey of patients and patient organizations

Abstract

Current guidance on advancing patient-centricity in Medical Affairs is insufficient. A framework was previously proposed from a Medical Affairs perspective, without direct patient input, featuring five focus areas: medical strategy; medical communication; evidence generation; patient engagement; and patient care experience. We conducted a literature review to evaluate and provide background on those focus areas. Consequently, two new focus areas were identified: digital health and patient medical education. Because the patient perspective provides an important value-add, we consulted on the seven priority areas identified with patient and patient organizations through questionnaires. The gathered responses implied that they were accurately prioritized to increase patient-centricity. However, this must be tested on a larger sample size to validate its feasibility.