In the Journal of mHealth, Within3 Senior Director of Client Success Annika Voss responds to the UK government’s Women’s Health Strategy, which lays out a stark problem with a broad solution – governmental action over the next decade. Still, the timeline seems short for the severity of the issue: 51% of people face barriers in getting the care they need, and 84% of women feel that they are not properly listened to in healthcare settings. What is the role of pharma in women’s health?
Voss writes that technology may be the tool to solve these problems, particularly in the realm of clinical trials, where women are underrepresented due to social factors like childcare and work commitments. “As pharma companies continue to embrace decentralized trials – trials that don’t rely on fixed sites – virtual engagement platforms are unlocking access for underrepresented groups.”
Other advanced technologies can also play a role in ensuring an equal share of voice. Natural language processing – a component of artificial intelligence – is the ability of a computer program to understand human language as it is spoken and written. Pharma teams, says Voss, can use natural language applications to analyze expert conversations and surface important threads that could be lost when left to subjective human interpretation or memory.
This analysis could lead to a more thorough understanding of considerations for protocol design and other aspects of a successful clinical study.
While the Women’s Health Strategy puts the impetus for change on the government, the work doesn’t end there. Pharmaceutical companies can take action now to explore insights management technology and reduce the barriers women encounter in pursuit of better health.
