Oxford PharmaGenesis insights into patient-reported outcomes (PROs), health literacy and patient-centricity were the subject of the September edition of the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) online education series, ISMPP University (ISMPP U). The webinar, presented by Commercial Director Richard White and Medical Writer Lizzie Perdeaux, was attended by more than 200 medical communications and pharma industry professionals worldwide, an even greater number than attended the prize-winning ISMPP U presentation on real-world evidence delivered by Oxford PharmaGenesis last year.
In the first half of the webinar, Richard gave an introduction to PROs, describing how they are developed and used, and the publication opportunities they provide, and he concluded with a ‘jargon-busting’ section on how to communicate PRO data effectively. Lizzie then described the issue of low health literacy, and presented solutions to the challenges of making health information understandable to patients. Lizzie closed the session with guidance on simple ways that publications professionals can be patient centric, such as publishing in open-access journals and providing lay summaries of clinical trials.
When asked to rate their level of confidence in their understanding of PROs and patient engagement in an interactive poll at the start of the webinar, the majority of attendees said that they were either ‘not very confident’ or ‘not confident at all’. Nevertheless, not a single respondent said that this area was not relevant to their role, suggesting that ISMPP members would like to learn more about patient engagement and PROs.
“Engaging with the patient perspective and communicating effectively with patients are key objectives for all healthcare stakeholders,” said Richard White. “Oxford PharmaGenesis specialist practices have extensive experience in communicating PRO data to a wide range of audiences, to support publications, regulatory approval, and product reimbursement and utilization.”
“I have seen first-hand the enormous difference that accessible information can make to patients and am delighted to support our clients in producing information that genuinely helps patients and their families,” said Lizzie Perdeaux. “It was great to have the opportunity to share some of our expertise in this area with our peers”.
Richard and Lizzie are grateful to the ISMPP U Organizing Committee for their invitation to deliver the webinar, and to Jennifer Ciafullo, Celeste Williams-Hughes, Laine Capaccio and Donna Simcoe at ISMPP for their excellent management of the logistics and facilitation of the event.
To hear the webinar for yourself, see the YouTube video below. To find out more about our expertise in communicating and understanding the patient perspective, please contact us or visit our stand at next month’s Patient Summit Europe in London (17−18 October).
