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Do Healthcare Providers Really Want to Go Back to In-person Meetings?

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are increasingly seeking flexibility and convenience in their interactions with pharmaceutical and life sciences companies. This shift towards digital and blended approaches presents a valuable opportunity for life sciences organizations to enhance their communication and build stronger relationships with HCPs.

- PMLiVE

It is easy to assume that healthcare providers (HCPs) all want to go back to in-person meetings after having been confined to Zoom and Microsoft Teams meetings during the pandemic years. Anecdotally, however, we heard different things: many HCPs highlighted the convenience of the virtual format and considered this a silver lining from the long months of social and physical distancing. In a recent study by our group, the authors sought to understand this. They asked the very important question: what do HCPs really prefer when it comes to Pharma-sponsored small-group meetings such as advisory boards?

Preferred Meeting Format of HCPs

Male healthcare provider (HCP) attending a virtual meetingWhen asked about their preference for future advisory board meetings, a whopping 76% of surveyed HCPs opted for meetings with a virtual component (hybrid, real-time web, and/or asynchronous meetings). Less than a quarter of respondents preferred in-person–only meetings. Interestingly, the most popular meeting approach was found to be a mix of synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (over-time, anytime) meetings. This finding highlights the importance of using varied formats to cater to all preferences and to avoid digital fatigue.

Another interesting finding was that the preference for hybrid meetings almost doubled between 2022 and 2023, while the preference for in-person–only meetings remained stable. In other words, while many HCPs undoubtedly do still enjoy in-person engagements, giving them the choice of how to attend will help ensure that everyone is happy…

Read the full article here.

 

This content was provided by Impetus Digital

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