8 TECH OUTLOOKJune 2016By Matt Lasmanis, VP & CIO, GSK USMobile health, industry consolidation, and the rapid expansion of health data are driving towards a healthcare landscape that is more connected and information intensive. In this new future, pharma and life sciences firms must ask themselves what role they should play. Their CIOs must know the answer.Welcome to the Real [Digital] WorldOver the last 15 years most industries have adapted to the new reality of providing on demand, digital access to information and services wherever their customers are. In healthcare, this trend is in full swing. The vast majority of US healthcare providers (HCPs) are now using smart phones, tablets, and mobile apps for professional purposes (most studies cite upwards of 80 percent). Consumers are following suit, with most studies estimating a third of the population are now using their mobile devices for health-related purposes (for example downloading mobile health apps, searching for information, and other use cases).In contrast, although growing steadily, use of digital channels by pharma and life sciences companies remains limited, estimated at only 3 percent of annual spending. By far, firms still rely primarily on the use of sales representatives to engage HCPs in person, a practice that first emerged in the 1950s. Companies also continue to pay external experts to speak about their medicines on their behalf, typically to peer groups of doctors in external venues on dates that may or may not be convenient for HCPs' busy schedules. These events have raised questions around whether they are in the best interest of the companies hosting them or our customers and patients. At GSK, we have taken steps to bridge this divide and modernize. As of January 1 of this year, we no longer pay external experts to speak about our prescription medicines. We are the first pharma company in the world to take this step. In parallel, we launched a new global webinar platform that enables our internal medical experts to engage virtually with HCPs at times most convenient for them. The platform also includes a global HCP information portal with click-to-chat capability in select markets, allowing HCPs to ask questions of our internal experts in real time. These are the first steps into our new reality ­ convenient, on-demand, digitally distributed content and events that are provided by GSK medical professionals.Some Assembly RequiredAt the macro level, the healthcare industry is in a period of significant change. In pharma and biotech alone, In My OpinionKnocking on the Door of a New Reality
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