DECEMBER - JANUARYLIFE SCIENCES REVIEW8IN MY OPINIONBy Matt Pugh, PhD, SVP of Medical and Scientific Services at Ashfield MedComms, an Inizio Medical CompanyTHE EVOLUTION OF MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS:ENABLING AN INCREASED STRATEGIC ROLE FOR MEDICAL AFFAIRS FUNCTIONShere is an abundance of available commentary on the changing role and growing importance of those who work in medical affairs in strategically supporting research and development (R&D) and commercialisation teams. The rapid advancement of digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI), coupled with an exponential increase in data, is also reshaping the medical affairs landscape. We have witnessed this evolution at Ashfield MedComms (AMC), an Inizio Medical Company. There is more change to come, as outlined by Stephen Jones, director of client engagement at AMC:`Medical affairs teams are now expected to embrace a more strategic role within their organisation and are already looking at faster ways to generate insights from rich data pools and speed content generation and approval. At AMC, we are increasingly being asked how we could bring AI-driven insights into medical communication strategies and advise on AI-content support tools.' Whilst the heightened strategic role of medical affairs in connecting R&D and commercial teams is undoubtedly exciting, it also impacts the role of medical communications agencies, such as AMC. Scientific rigour, writing excellence, and dedication to customer service remain core to our business. However, clients now expect access to multidisciplinary teams offering broader skillsets and strategic consultancy ­ working relationships have evolved to be far more collaborative than transactional. AMC has diversified to meet these changing demands; we actively collaborate with colleagues in our sister group, Arguably, the hottest topic currently within healthcare communications is the growing influence of AI, which will likely have a far-reaching impact across our industry over the coming yearsTMatt Pugh
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