VIRTUAL 16th Annual Meeting of ISMPP

Summary: 
The purpose of this session is to highlight the importance of open science in the next decade; its impact on how we communicate research and with whom; and the implications for industry as it seeks to navigate this new world. The paradigm shift will be particularly important for industry as mandates around data, code, protocols, etc change rapidly and patients and practitioners expect more and faster access to research findings.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit

Learning Objectives:

• Understand what open science is
• Understand how open science and open access related
• Understand the impacts of this paradigm shift
• Understand how publishers are navigating this shift

Summary: 
Rhetorical studies of science and medicine offer tools for scientific communicators who seek to prevent misunderstandings across different audiences. Drawing on the published rhetorical literature, the speaker will describe specific elements of rhetorical study with potential importance to scientific communication functions such as publication planning, manuscript preparation, lay summaries, and editorial feedback. Of particular interest will be a description of differences in expectations between scientific audiences and those with a more normative understanding of medical terms. Further, the speaker will outline specific strategies and rationales for ethically integrating publication and communication planning into translational medical settings.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit

Learning objectives:

• Leverage rhetorical strategies to improve communication in an open world
• Identify critical terms and phrases that can benefit from additional explanation for lay and other non-expert audiences
• Strategize more effective integration of publication planning across the development pipeline based on communication needs

The shift in health care towards precision medicine, patient-centricity, and improving health is disrupting the way we think about medical publications and scientific communications. This session focuses on the critical need to individualize communications to connect with our audiences on a human level, based not only on highly personalized clinical scenarios, but tailored to each individual’s content and channel preferences, to motivate positive changes in clinical decision-making, behaviors, and practices. We will also explore how we can form new types of partnerships and use current and emerging innovations to connect with and inspire our audiences.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit

Learning objectives:

• Appreciate what precision medicine means for disease classification, with the possibility that every disease will become a rare disease with unique communication requirements
• Understand the principles of evidence-driven scientific storytelling, based on deep audience understanding and appreciation of adult learning principles to connect with our audience on an individual level
• Recognize how partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders can support individualized communications
• Appreciate how current and emerging communication innovations are changing the way we think about scientific communications on an individual level

Author and scientist-turned filmmaker Dr. Randy Olson will speak to the importance of science communication. Scientists are often poor communicators because of how they have been trained and need to be taught how to tell their science story in a way that their message is heard. This keynote will underscore the importance of effective communication and provide a tool that everyone can use to improve scientific communications.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit

Learning objectives:

• Appreciate the importance of being taught how to communicate effectively
• Be knowledgeable about the factors that contribute to effective communication to a wide range of audiences
• Understand the principles of the ABT communication method

Summary
Current methods are not always effective in communicating research findings. The #betterposter movement is challenging the way we communicate research at physical science conferences. But are these posters really better? What are the opportunities and barriers to using this format? And what should we be doing in a virtual congress setting?
This session focus on the topic of research posters and how they can be improved to communicate science more effectively for industry-sponsored research. Debate will explore whether our profession should be re-examining its approach to scientific posters. Examples from those who have utilized the Poster 2.0 approach and other more visual formats, as well as potential challenges, will be discussed.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit

Learning objectives:

• Recognize the current deficiencies in the traditional scientific poster format
• Understand the benefits and challenges with a more streamlined poster design
• Recognize poster format preferences among Congress attendees
• Consider poster requirements in a virtual setting

Summary
There is a growing demand from patients and the public for increased involvement in all stages of the medicine development lifecycle. Medical communications spans many of these stages, and practical guidance is needed to ensure ethical and effective patient involvement. This session will bring together stakeholders in this space to share their expertise throughrole play in 3 interactive scenarios, inviting the audience to bring any questions that they have.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit

Learning objectives:

• Be aware of the scope of medical communications activities where patients can be involved
• Understand best practice considerations (and approaches to avoid) for 3 activities: patient authorship of a peer-reviewed publication, patient involvement in an advisory board, and patient presentation at a scientific symposium
• Consider perspectives from key stakeholders: patients, industry, and publications professionals
• Be equipped to apply the practical guidance to discuss, plan and implement patient involvement activities in their own organizations

This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit

• Plain language summaries (PLS): how are we doing? Assessment of readability in peer-reviewed journals
• Man or mouse: are lay-media headlines and scientific-publication titles true to the study population? - Jason Gardner, PhD, Head of Scientific Services, CMC Connect

Summary: 
This session will be devoted to challenges/pitfalls/best practice and innovative approaches to setting up the author/contributor panels, developing and executing (in the articles) meaningful patient perspectives, and rolling out the content (open access, patient advocacy websites, and so on) of projects/initiatives to develop "patient-driven" publications.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit

Learning objectives:

• Be able to identify considerations when approaching patient-advocates/patients for participation in patient-driven content development initiatives
• Be able to plan content-development initiatives that involve participants with potentially disparate backgrounds and capabilities (with regards to medical publications) so that the resulting content is accessible by experts and lay readers (ie patients) alike, all within a collegial environment where appropriate compliance requirements are met
• Recognize the diverse needs – including rationale – for publication dissemination of patient-driven content

Summary: 
“If you’ve seen one patient, you’re an expert. If you’ve seen two patients, you’re a world-renowned expert.” This opinion, expressed by an expert in an ultra-rare disease, underscores the intrinsic communication challenges for rare diseases. Rare diseases are often misdiagnosed, or there may be a significant delay between the presentation of symptoms and diagnosis. Additionally, there are very limited clinical trial data, magnifying the importance of effectively communicating available data. Despite these challenges, the passion of patients, caregivers, and physicians associated with rare diseases provides opportunities to reach beyond the traditional dissemination of trial endpoints.

By utilizing innovative medical communications strategies to reach diverse audiences and report on patient data, we can empower patients and physicians to recognize and care for patients with rare diseases. In this session, we will discuss several case studies that examine the roles of medical affairs, medical communications, and publication groups in medical education and scientific dissemination of rare diseases.

These case studies will highlight the development and modification of common tools, such as publication plans and scientific platforms, to suit the needs and opportunities of communicating on rare diseases. Additionally, we will provide examples of how medical communications can be used to expand and enhance physician networks and prepare others for appropriately diagnosing and treating patients. By the end of the session, the audience should gain knowledge about the communication challenges that are unique to rare diseases and be prepared to address these in several ways.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit

Learning objectives:

• Tailor scientific platforms and plans for publications and medical affairs for rare diseases
• Identify innovative ways to reach audiences
• Leverage patient-level data to tell the scientific story
• Use disease state education to expand the rare disease community

Factors such as the rise of preprints and supplemental data, coupled with other changes, call for a nuanced approach to scientific writing and publishing. Corinne Williams, PhD, Senior Science Editor for the Journal of Clinical Investigation, will speak to manuscript expectations in the current day. Come learn how to be best prepared as we usher in a new decade of scientific exchange.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit

Learning objectives:

• Appreciate the influence of factors such as the rise of preprints and supplemental data on the publication landscape 
• Understand the current expectations of editors and publishers for scientific manuscripts
• Be aware of how to successfully navigate these changing expectations

Summary
Despite best efforts, scientific reproducibility remains low and contributes to the ultimate failure of many clinical candidates. The National Academy of Science has placed a particular focus on combatting this, producing three reports on the topic in as many years.  The most recent, "Reproducibility and Replicability in Science," was the subject of a working discussion designed to generate a consistent set of minimum standards. In this session, delegates from this recent work group will provide a crash course of the discussions, focused on what medical publishing professionals need to know. Open discussion will follow to encourage member perspective.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit

Learning objectives:

• Generate research products that fit minimum standards frameworks on the horizon
• Synergize efforts to achieve scientific transparency by providing the industry/medical communications point of view in open discussions
• Predict research and manuscript preparation strategies necessary for addressing upcoming initiatives in scientific transparency

Summary:
Navigating common questions and potential challenges associated with medical communications can be difficult. While guidelines exist to support our industry, many issues we face fall within a ‘gray area’ that is not clearly defined. Our panel of expert pharmaceutical biotech and agency medical communications professionals will share their insights and discuss various approaches to addressing some of these everyday questions. Topics for inclusion in the panel presentation will be determined based on an ISMPP member-driven survey using ISMPP’s LinkedIn group site or membership database. Respondents, which may include individuals from pharmaceutical biotech companies, medical journals, health care associations/societies, and medical communications agencies, will be asked to share their top 5 questions and potential challenges associated with executing medical communications.

Potential topics may include navigating copyright permissions, identifying desirable attributes of a strategic agency or collaborative industry partner, troubleshooting compliance challenges in the use of publication management tools, circumstances surrounding removal of authors, adherence to timelines, pros and cons of streamlined versus more traditional poster formats, and advising authors on conflict-of-interest disclosures. A few informational slides on the selected topics will be shared before our panel discusses their practical strategies and solutions to these common challenges. Case examples will be used when appropriate to engage and promote interaction. Additional questions for the panel and polling may be obtained live via an audience response system, if deemed appropriate by ISMPP.

Through this session, attendees will gain practical insights into navigating some of the common questions and potential challenges surrounding medical communications.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit

Learning objectives:

• Recognize some of the common questions and potential challenges associated with medical communications from both the pharmaceutical biotech and agency perspectives
• Learn various practical solutions to these challenges from an expert panel of medical communications professionals, including both pharmaceutical biotech and agency representatives
• Expand their available armamentarium for executing successful medical communications

Summary
Medical Information and MSL groups are important strategic stakeholders in the publication planning process. Best practices allow an open forum for a bidirectional relationship between these groups and publication planning. Medical Information and MSL groups can provide valuable insights from the field (regional and/or global perspectives) to the publication team for consideration regarding unmet needs and frequent questions that can generate new analyses for subsequent publication development. In turn, publication content is then utilized by Medical Communication, Medical Information, and MSL groups to create content in various formats and to communicate with HCPs, payers, and other stakeholders.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit
 
Learning objectives:

• Recognize the value of establishing a bidirectional relationship between Medical Information/MSLs and publication planning groups
• Identify examples of insights provided by Medical Information/MSLs that can provide the basis for future publications
• Discuss how to establish a cohesive approach to optimize dissemination of consistent medical content

Join us for an interactive panel discussion among industry publications experts around the considerations and challenges for publication planning in support of one of the most rapidly evolving areas of therapeutic development – gene therapies.  Communications around gene therapies may require adjustment from conventional experience regarding timing and scope of publication plans. Panelists will educate on similarities and differences regarding publication planning for conventional therapies vs those for gene therapies and how to best navigate the different requirements.
This session qualifies for ISMPP CMPP credit
This session qualifies for pharmacy CE credit