When the Message Gets Lost: How Disconnected Scientific Communications Undermine Physician Confidence and Clinical Adoption

Author(s): Stephen Dukacz & Lily Sung & Ify Onyeaso

Medical Affairs has transformed significantly over the past two decades. What was once often positioned as a support function, focused on reactive medical information, scientific support, and ad-hoc physician engagement, has become a strategic pillar with direct influence on clinical practice and patient outcomes. This evolution has strengthened scientific credibility and helped pharmaceutical companies engage as genuine scientific partners.

But growth has created an unintended structural consequence. As the function expanded, scientific communications moved from smaller, more centralized teams to specialized groups with different reporting lines, planning cycles, review processes, and external partners. The result? Often, the medical communications that get deployed in the field become detached from the core strategy behind them. This paper:

• Explains how that happens
• Outlines why it can cause problems
• Describes five design principles to help solve the issue