Medical Affairs Organization- MAPS

  After returning to the UK after five years working as an outback doctor in Australia, David Williams had culture shock. Instead of diving back into practice, he joined Boehringer Ingelheim as a medical advisor, working through many roles to find the best fit. Twenty one years later, he’d been Real-World Evidence lead for Sanofi, held positions in China, and had worked in various regional/country Medical Director positions. “I did my apprenticeship from the base, up,” David says. Here MAPS speaks with David about the need for a new, personalized approach to engaging healthcare providers and other key opinion leaders, and how VISFO could help lead this effort. MAPS:  David, how in the world did you decide Medical Affairs professionals should be able to read minds? David:  At VISFO we’re very nerdy – like the  Big Bang Theory  but more so. With tongue in cheek and a British sense of humor, we had conversations in the office around,  If you could have any sup...

  ABSTRACT In the Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) community, external medical education can be categorized based on the extent of influence and industry involvement; however, it should always have the ultimate goal of optimizing patient care and improving health outcomes. Medical Affairs (MA) professionals take the lead to reach this goal by establishing external education programs to address knowledge, competency, or performance gaps. Educational strategies are implemented while fully complying with all applicable laws and codes and considering variables such as regional differences. External medical education demands are continuously evolving, and MA needs to continue to evolve with these changes to establish effective education strategies. Furthermore, the swift change to virtual education platforms due to the current COVID-19 pandemic requires speed and agility across stakeholders. The adaptation of medical education tactics will ensure effective healthcare professi...