AI Adoption in Medical Affairs

Interim Results from a Survey

Introduction

I recently shared a short questionnaire on LinkedIn aimed at professionals in the pharmaceutical industry to explore the adoption of #AI tools within #MedicalAffairs. The survey focused on understanding the accessibility of AI tools, confidence in their use, and their perceived impact on productivity. This report summarizes the interim results, and I encourage more Medical Affairs professionals to complete the questionnaire, which remains open (see the link below).

Results

Of the 9 respondents from seven different companies, 5 are based in the Netherlands, with Sweden, Switzerland, and 'Europe' accounting for the other locations. The majority (8/9) of respondents indicated that their company supports the use of AI tools to enhance efficiency. However, 2 out of 9 participants reported that their company blocks access to tools such as ChatGPT and Claude.

Key AI Tools Used

The following AI tools are used by respondents (multiple answers were possible):

Other or custom AI tools often include in-house tools, primarily based on ChatGPT, which are used for tasks such as information retrieval from intranet systems or competitive intelligence gathering.

Purposes of AI Tool Usage

Respondents use AI tools for the following purposes:

Training and Confidence

Over half of the respondents (5/9) feel they are not adequately trained to use the available AI tools. Regarding confidence in the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated outputs, most respondents reported feeling 'somewhat confident'.

Challenges and Concerns

Participants highlighted the following challenges and concerns related to AI usage:

1. Limited AI capabilities in handling specific tasks: 5 respondents

2. Lack of transparency in AI decisions: 2 respondents

3. Data privacy and security concerns: 2 respondents

4. Organizational resistance to AI adoption: 1 respondent

5. Other concerns (e.g., data standards and quality, lack of references): 3 respondents (1 each)

Impact on Productivity

Most respondents find that AI tools either slightly (4/9) or significantly (4/9) improve productivity in Medical Affairs.

Conclusion

AI tools show promise in improving productivity within Medical Affairs, but challenges remain, especially regarding training, confidence in AI accuracy, and addressing specific concerns about AI capabilities and data security. Further efforts to address these issues will be essential to fully harness the potential of AI in Medical Affairs.

Link

1.????? Questionairre (still open): https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/peter-van-winkel_fill-ai-adoption-in-medical-affairs-activity-7242107526270304257-rglL?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop