When making clinical decisions, healthcare professionals (HCPs), patients, and payers rely on multiple sources and channels to gather insights into medical data and information. An omnichannel approach enables organizations to coordinate communications across functions, ensuring stakeholders benefit from a personalized, integrated, and holistic experience across these multiple modalities.

Advancing communication using an omnichannel approach is essential due to a rapidly evolving healthcare and medical communication landscape, the increasing volume and complexity of scientific information, and shifting stakeholder preferences for accessing and receiving this information. With this coordinated strategy, Medical Affairs can deliver accurate, unbiased medical content to the appropriate audience through their preferred channels and formats at the optimal moment.

The journey toward true omnichannel engagement will be iterative—involving a gradual evolution as new technological solutions, strategic approaches and innovative processes are adopted—catalyzed through closer cross-functional collaboration. Development remains a high priority for many life sciences organizations but achieving it will be as much about a shift in mindset towards stakeholder-centricity, as it will be about technological capabilities.

This white paper seeks to demystify the term “omnichannel engagement,” outline a pathway to achieving it, clarify the role of Medical Affairs within a broader collaborative framework, establish a vision for the future, and identify the key elements needed for long-term success. It is intended for Medical Affairs professionals across all levels and functions, particularly those involved in brand strategy, external stakeholder engagement—including HCPs, patients, and payers—and medical communications.

About This White Paper

This white paper draws on the collective expertise of ten leading professionals in scientific communications and stakeholder engagement, as well as members of the Medical Affairs Professional Society. Their areas of specialization include medical and scientific communications, omnichannel engagement, digital strategy, and field medical operations.

Key Learnings:

• What omnichannel engagement is—and what it is not, and why cultivating a stakeholder-centric mindset is crucial.
• How the organization-level approach to external engagement is evolving from fragmented, separate activities to an integrated cross-functional strategy, the value this approach brings to organizations, and how the role of Medical Affairs is key.
• The elements needed for future success—such as technologies, modular content, and advanced analytics—before omnichannel goals can become a reality.
  Challenges and barriers to implementing a true omnichannel engagement model, along with solutions being developed by various teams.
• How MedTech companies are advancing toward omnichannel engagement, with early adopters already reaping the benefits.
• Expert insights on emerging trends, including how omnichannel engagement efforts are likely to evolve with advancements in technologies such as AI.