Medical affairs leaders reveal key takeaways and future focus: MAPA-MAPS Summit

Medical & Science: The Medical Affairs Professionals of Australasia (MAPA) is pushing the boundaries of how medical affairs professionals leverage digital innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve patient outcomes.

Reflecting on the Summit, Jodi Tainton, Vice President of MAPA, noted the importance of developing a digitally proficient workforce.

“Adam Spencer’s keynote on the digital challenge underscored how crucial it is for us to not just adopt new tools, but to build our own digital and AI literacy,” Tainton told Health Industry Hub.

“Staying at the forefront of our profession means preparing our future leaders with the right skills for an increasingly complex healthcare environment. We need to invest in their development to ensure they’re ready to navigate these challenges.”

Tainton also emphasised the need to rethink how medical affairs professionals measure their impact.

“Beyond traditional metrics, we should be exploring new ways to evaluate our field impact,” she said. “Static metrics don’t capture the full scope of what medical affairs contributes in today’s dynamic field.”

Dr Krishan Thiru, a MAPA Executive Committee Member, highlighted the release of a draft competency framework by MAPA’s working group as “a milestone”.

“One critical capability we’re focusing on is real-world evidence – our profession is uniquely positioned to lead evidence strategy, planning, and execution from start to finish. It’s essential for us to engage deeply with this process,” he told Health Industry Hub.

Dr Thiru further pointed out how AI adoption is reshaping the profession, saying “It’s encouraging to see our field as early adopters of AI, especially in the area of field medical operations and insight analysis.”

Jan Lewis, MAPA Secretary and this year’s Summit convenor, shared insights into the theme of innovation.

“We wanted the Summit attendees to walk away with a clear understanding of how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping patient access to innovative therapies and how medical affairs can be a driving force in this change,” he stated.

Lewis added that AI offers a chance for medical affairs to play a critical role in analysing and harnessing vast data sources beyond traditional clinical trials.

“Leveraging real-world data through AI could be a game-changer, especially in overcoming regulatory and reimbursement hurdles. By identifying patterns in the data – what the PBAC consistently looks for or barriers raised in public summary documents (PSDs) – we can strategically address these gaps, ultimately improving access to new therapies,” Lewis said.

“To succeed, we also need investment and the support of our commercial counterparts. This calls for us, as medical affairs leaders, to communicate effectively with senior leaders to align on our shared goals.”

Looking ahead to the 2025 Summit, Thiru expressed his vision for building on this year’s themes, specifically around AI integration.

“Next year, I anticipate even more focus on practical AI applications, such as prompt engineering for real-world medical use cases.”

Tainton concurred, emphasising the need for MAPA to remain agile and responsive to the fast-paced AI advancements.

“As we plan six to 12 months in advance, it’s on us to ensure we’re bringing current, relevant insights to our attendees,” Tainton explained. “This includes emerging topics like the governance of AI tools such as ChatGPT and the role of digital opinion leaders.

“Medical affairs professionals must be ready to engage with HCPs in new, influential ways, where our role goes beyond traditional HCP engagement of providing fair and balanced information.”

Looking toward next year, Lewis stressed the importance of maintaining vigilance around the ongoing HTA (Health Technology Assessment) review process.

“The reality is that we may not see the tangible outcomes of this review right away, so our focus will have to remain on driving innovation,” he remarked.

He underscored that patient-centricity, while sometimes seen as a buzzword, is essential to MAPA’s mission.

“Patient-centricity is a reality we need to fully integrate, understanding deeply what truly matters to patients,” he explained. “The HTA review also highlighted the importance of capturing impact from a patient’s perspective, and we need to be more inclusive in the data we generate, ensuring that equity is part of our approach.”

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