Where are We Now in Providing Medical Information in the Digital Space? A Benchmark Survey of PhactMI™ Member Companies.

Objective: The Pharma Collaboration for Transparent Medical Information (phactMI™) benchmarking survey was conducted to evaluate the use of technology and websites associated with the medical information (MI) departments of 27 biopharmaceutical companies in the United States.

Methods: The e-survey was administered to phactMI™ members between December 2017 and February 2018 and included closed and open-ended questions with 7 distinct categories: existence of a MI website, content type available following a search query, website functions, search engine optimization (SEO), website traffic, internal communications/analytics, and additional technology capabilities.

Results: Survey findings noted that 20 companies own a MI-specific website through which MI services are provided to healthcare providers (HCPs).

US Medical Information Websites Benchmarking: How Is the Industry Fairing in Usability?

Objectives: This study of 23 US-based biopharmaceutical medical information (MI) websites was conducted to assess usability and identify best practices and areas of potential improvement.

Methods: In this systematic review, websites were evaluated from June 22-November 1, 2016, and awarded points based on content, functionality, and navigation (maximum score of 42). Low-, mid-, and high-range usability scores were ≤13, 14-27, ≥28, respectively.

Canadian anaplastic lymphoma kinase study: a model for multicenter standardization and optimization of ALK testing in lung cancer.

Introduction: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is currently the standard for diagnosing anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged (ALK+) lung cancers for ALK inhibitor therapies. ALK immunohistochemistry (IHC) may serve as a screening and alternative diagnostic method. The Canadian ALK (CALK) study was initiated to implement a multicenter optimization and standardization of laboratory developed ALK IHC and FISH tests across 14 hospitals.

Referral source, symptoms, and severity at diagnosis of ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma in various practices.

Objective: To evaluate the severity of glaucoma at presentation and the relationship to referral source and presenting symptoms.

Design: Prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional, study.

Participants: Patients newly diagnosed with ocular hypertension (OH) or open-angle glaucoma (OAG).

Aromatase inhibitor therapy: toxicities and management strategies in the treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive early breast cancer.

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence and are widely used today as adjuvant therapy in women with early stage endocrine-responsive breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors may be prescribed as initial hormonal therapy, sequentially following 2-3 years of tamoxifen, or as extended adjuvant therapy (following 5 years of tamoxifen). Aromatase inhibitors are generally well tolerated; however, certain side effects, particularly arthralgia/musculoskeletal symptoms and gynecologic effects, may result in poor adherence to treatment.

A Canadian multi-centre, open-label long-term study of Pegvisomant treatment in refractory acromegaly.

Purpose: Acromegaly is a rarely diagnosed condition with potentially serious complications including accelerated heart disease and reduced survival. After a mean interval of nearly 9 years from onset of disease, a significant proportion of patients are diagnosed with invasive adenomas precluding complete surgical resection. Furthermore, strict normalization of the growth hormone (GH) target insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) cannot always be achieved by adjunctive medical therapy with somatostatin analogues.