CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR MEDICAL INFORMATION

Professional Information recognises that rapid changes are taking place in the environment within which the Medical Information Department operates. The range of services that must be provided to internal and external customers, and indeed the opportunity to positively impact the business, are developing rapidly.

With so much change taking place, it can sometimes be difficult for management to step back from the action to ensure that an optimal, quality, cost-effective service is provided at all times.

Faced with this challenge, a number of pharmaceutical companies have commissioned consultancy services from Professional Information.

The Company can provide consultancy support on behalf of the diverse needs of its Medical Information customer base:

• In-depth consultancy evaluation of the entire Medical Information structure and function
• Focussed review of a single service element from within the entire Medical Information portfolio
• A 1-2 day round-table discussion of "where we are now" and "where we are going"
• Consultancy as an alternative approach to training

As a contract organisation that is absolutely specialised in the field of Medical Information, the Company is in the privileged position to have had exposure to a wide range of practices and processes - from the truly excellent to the "not quite so good". This experience positions Professional Information well to conduct an in-depth review and to make recommendations for realistic strategies for short and long-term service enhancement.

An in-depth consultancy evaluation can cover the structure, processes and practices of Medical Information, assessing the performance of the Department in its own right as well as how it is interacting with other groups within the Company and with external customers. The focus can be quality and/or effective use of resources, evaluating opportunities for "quick hits" as well as longer-term improvements.

Following a detailed management briefing, the review progresses with a series of structured interviews involving a cross section of personnel, usually from Medical Information as well as representatives from a broad range of internal customer groups. Following evaluation of the interview notes, secondary interviews are organised with selected individuals to explore in greater depth key areas of concern or opportunities for improvement that have been identified during the preliminary discussions.

The results and conclusions are documented in a detailed report that is then presented to management during an interactive, round-up meeting.

This type of review follows a similar procedure to that outlined above. Depending on the needs of the customer, this review may draw upon the experience within Professional Information to a greater extent, supplementing this and testing hypotheses with a far more limited series of interviews.

This discussion forum is based on having identified in advance the specific topics for discussion as well as the goals - generally relating to the questions: "Where are we now?" and "Where are we going?" Robust facilitation ensures that all participants are given a full opportunity to contribute and that the discussion - although being encouraged to range widely - remains focussed on the objectives that have been identified at the outset. The role of Professional Information is to organise and facilitate the discussions as well as to prepare a report and action plan based on the discussions and conclusions.

For some organisations - especially smaller companies and newly established groups with limited Medical Information experience - a short consultancy contract is often considered preferable to formal training courses as a means of updating on current thinking and practice within Medical Information or for advice on the establishment and development of a new Medical Information Department.

For further information on consultancy services, please contact Professional Information.