Medical Information
Delivered via customized, flexible staffing models and leading-edge technology.
Global implementation, local expertise
Operating globally and in more than 20 languages, our Medical Information capabilities are built on an unmatched commitment to quality and over 20 years’ experience.
Through 17 state-of-the-art contact centers and 450 staff, our teams deliver vital medical information for patients and healthcare professionals.
Our services cover all major therapeutic areas, including specialty, rare disease and medical devices.
We’re proud to be trusted by the world’s major pharmaceutical companies and have built a reputation for excellence that has made us one of the globe’s leading providers of Medical Information services.
Overall quality score across Medical Information
Right first time AE/PQC case reporting
Average customer satisfaction score
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Medical Information services
Our dedicated, shared and hybrid staffing models combine with omnichannel technology to deliver high-quality and compliant services.
Medical and technical information request handling
Our Medical Information services include initial intake, documentation, and responses to general, business, medical, scientific, and technical inquiries from all customer types. Intake and responses can be provided via multiple communication channels including but not limited to: phone, chat, video conference, email, fax or hard mail.
Adverse event (AE) intake and reporting
Our contact center teams receive potential adverse events through a variety of channels and handle in accordance with manufacturer-specified guidelines. This includes the identification, intake, data collection, documentation and timely reporting of events to manufacturers’ pharmacovigilance partners to ensure adherence to compliance requirements and guidelines.
Product quality complaint intake and reporting
Product Quality Complaint (PQC) services include the identification, intake, data collection, documentation and timely reporting of potential complaints from all customer types to manufacturers’ safety and/or quality partners. Support may also involve facilitation of product replacement, reimbursement or refund requests and/or outreach to follow up on requests for additional information as part of complaint investigations.
Follow-up and after-hours services
We provide 24/7/365 full contact center services through a variety of after-hours options, including live call handling, on-call services, and voicemail.
Conference support
Our trained medical specialist experts can provide medical conference support through face-to-face (onsite) or virtual attendance at conferences. This includes representation at conference booths to manage intake and responses to medical inquiries, as well as identify and report potential reportable events or quality complaints.
REMS and patient registration support
We support REMS programs through the intake, documentation, and response to inquiries from all customer types related to elements of a REMS program. This support may include screening for REMS adherence through patient and pharmacy counseling and training, as well as registration into these programs and outreach to ensure compliance.
Compassionate use support
We support Compassionate Use Programs by responding to inquiries from all customer types, pre-screening of eligibility criteria, and assisting with eligibility determination for product acquisition.
Crisis management
We provide flexible solution design and implementation of disaster recovery contact center services to customers for anticipated or unexpected high volume situations such as product recalls, drug shortages, safety events, or any other market events.
Clinical trial support
We support the pre-screening of participants interested in clinical trials through various channels. Services may include inquiry intake, documentation and determination of eligibility along with the registration of patients at clinical trial sites.
Medical writing and content creation
Our team of experienced medical writers provide content development for both standard and custom responses as well as creation of frequently asked question (FAQ) documents.
Omnichannel communications
With our secure, customer-centric technology, we create a cohesive, personal experience that reaches across the right channels for every individual.
We implement core channels across all programs, with the ability to integrate a breadth of additional interaction points as required. Additional channels include chatbot, SMS, video conferencing, and more.
Omnichannel communications
With our secure, customer-centric technology, we create a cohesive, personal experience that reaches across the right channels for every individual.
We implement core channels across all programs, with the ability to integrate a breadth of additional interaction points as required. Additional channels include chatbot, SMS, video conferencing, and more.
Best-in-class technologies
Technologies play a key role in creating an ideal experience for patients, healthcare professionals, and our clients.
That’s why we invest in advanced voice analytics and other industry-leading technologies from the likes of Five9, Verint and WebIRMS, ensuring quality, security, and simplified reporting.
Robust training and rigorous quality standards
All our teams are trained and certified to the highest standards, with a firm focus on continuous improvement.
To maintain rigorous quality levels, we carry out at least 48 checks per agent per year, compared to the industry average of just eight.
Robust training and rigorous quality standards
All our teams are trained and certified to the highest standards, with a firm focus on continuous improvement.
To maintain rigorous quality levels, we carry out at least 48 checks per agent per year, compared to the industry average of just eight.
Ashfield Engage has played an important role in enabling our company to provide quality medical information. In times of high demand – for example following a product alert of stock shortage – the team is available to absorb this while continuing to provide a quality service.
Medical Information Manager – global pharmaceutical company
Your questions answered
What is Medical Information?
Medical Information teams provide accurate, balanced, and evaluated information on medications and their safe use. Information is typically provided to physicians, nurses, other healthcare practitioners (HCPs), as well as consumers, care partners and patients.
Biopharmaceutical companies are expected to handle complaints about the quality of their products (i.e. product quality complaints or PQCs), and to capture reports of potential adverse events (i.e. AEs) to help ensure patient safety.
Why the need to outsource Medical Information?
Providing such services is a significant responsibility and a complex undertaking. It requires Medical Information Specialists with a blend of medical knowledge and technical expertise as well as customer service and listening skills. These specialists need to translate complex information into customer centric messages for a variety of different audiences across a range of channels such as phone, email, chat and video conferencing.
These skill sets can be difficult to develop as a department within your organization. Utilising Ashfield Engage knowledge and expertise allows us to provide highly skilled and flexible teams with specialist knowledge in the field. An experienced Medical information provider like Ashfield Engage can also provide rigorous quality controls, meticulous oversight, knowledge of local regulatory and compliance requirements, and global reach.
What Medical Information services do you provide?
At Ashfield Engage, we have teams of Medical Information Specialists, many of which work in Medical Information contact centers (or call centers). They act on a pharma company’s behalf to respond to general, medical or technical questions, as well as gather information and submit reports related to product safety and quality.
Our medical call center services include:
- Handling requests for general, technical and clinical medical information about specific products from a variety of customers, including HCPs and patients.
- Collecting information on and reporting adverse events.
- Collecting information and reporting product quality complaints.
- Follow-up and after-hours support.
- Crisis management, such as product recalls.
- Support for Compassionate Use, or Expanded Access Programs
- Clinical trial support.
- Risk evaluation and mitigation strategies, such as educating and ensuring patient registration within REMS programs.
Our other Medical Information services include:
- Support for medical conferences.
- Medical writing and content creation, such as FAQs or standard response letters to HCPs and patients about products.
How big is your Medical Information team?
As a global Medical Information company, we have around 450 Medical Information Specialists across 17 state-of-the-art medical contact centers worldwide. Between them, our Specialists speak more than 20 languages and provide support for more than 500 biopharmaceutical and medical device products across all primary therapeutic areas.
What therapy areas does your Medical Information team cover?
Our Medical Information programs cover a wide range of products and therapeutic areas, including oncology, hematology, vaccines, infectious diseases, CNS/neurology, cardiovascular, metabolic, immunology, diabetes, respiratory, ophthalmology, dermatology, gastrointestinal, medical devices, and rare diseases.
What communication channels do your Medical Information teams use?
Our Medical Information Specialists use multichannel engagement to provide HCPs and patients with the information they need via the communication channel that’s right for them. The channels we can provide and/or interact with customers include phone, video conferencing, web portals, email, fax, mail, live chat, SMS and chatbot/artificial intelligence.
What are the benefits of outsourcing to a Medical Information company?
By teaming up with a strategic partner like Ashfield Engage, you can avoid the significant expense of infrastructure, from permanent staff to training, physical medical contact center space, technology, quality and compliance, operations, and more. You can simply scale up or down the Medical Information services you require at any specific time.
We provide rigorous quality standards and ability to deliver 24/7/365 full suite of contact center services with dedicated, hybrid, and shared staffing models.
How do you become a Medical Information Specialist?
New Medical Information Specialists typically have an advanced scientific degree and/or relevant experience of working in a clinical healthcare setting. Key competencies include research and technology skills, being able to communicate clearly and confidently, and good knowledge of legal and regulatory issues.
At Ashfield Engage, we provide all of our Medical Information Specialists with comprehensive training from disease state to product related, technical, compliance/regulatory and customer service skills.