Short Takes

Video Interviews With Industry Leaders

The Digital Health Coalition partners with a wide array of pharmaceutical industry leaders and key stakeholders to facilitate and disseminate insights on a range of topics related to digital pharmaceutical marketing innovation. 

Recent Short Takes

Short Takes Archive

Paul Murasko

Head of Digital Innovation & Marketing Operations, Azurity Pharmaceuticals
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In this Short Take Mark Bard interviewed Paul Murasko, the current Head of Digital Innovation and Marketing Operations at Azurity.  The two discussed what it will mean to be a leader in digital innovation in the pharmaceutical industry in 2025. Murasko emphasized that being a digital pioneer isn’t just about chasing new technologies, but about improving internal processes and getting the basics right before innovating. He also advocated for a test-and-learn culture that rewards both success and failure, rather than setting arbitrary innovation quotas. Paul shared how he plans to apply the concept of “true north” by staying focused on the company’s mission of serving overlooked patients while driving growth through multiple product launches.

 

Dorothy Gemmell

Chief Commercial Officer, GoodRx
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In this Short Take interview with Mark Bard, Dorothy Gemmell, CCO at GoodRx, highlights the evolution of digital healthcare and the importance of improving patient access and affordability. She identifies four major trends in healthcare: virtual care, care at home, consumerism and e-commerce, and AI-driven hyper-personalization. She shares her perspective on the value of partnerships within the industry towards connecting patients, healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical companies to address affordability challenges. Gemmell expresses optimism about the future of healthcare, citing the convergence of digital infrastructure, AI, and platforms enabling virtual care as drivers for accelerated improvements in healthcare outcomes.

 

 

Amar Duggasani

CEO, HealthLink Dimensions
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In this Short Take interview, Mark Bard speaks with Amar Duggasani, CEO of HealthLink Dimensions, about current innovations in healthcare data management and the impact of leveraging advanced technology to realize enhancing communication between healthcare organizations and professionals. Duggasani shares insights into the future of healthcare data solutions and the importance of data accuracy in improving patient care.

Check out HealthLink Dimensions’ 2024 NPs and PAs Communications Report HERE

 

Nandini Nayar

Global Digital Health and Innovation Lead, Sanofi
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Mark Bard, with DHC Group, and Nandini Nayar, Global Digital Health and Innovation Lead, Sanofi, discussed the evolution of patient-centricity, patient experience, and overall digital health trends in the pharmaceutical industry. The conversation also discussed challenges in the clinical trial processes and the potential for innovation in patient access for specialty medications. They also explored the potential for pharmaceutical companies to fund the creation of models and care pathways to improve patient diagnosis and control, and the importance of integrating these tools into physicians’ workflows.
 

Desiree Priestley

Health Experience Officer, Otsuka Precision Health
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Mark Bard, DHC Group, and Desiree Priestley, Otsuka Precision Health, discussed Desiree’s experiences on the commercial side of pharma and the challenges and opportunities in the current and future generations of patient support and customer experience programs. They also explored the evolution of patient experience and support in the pharmaceutical industry, the growth of digital therapeutics, and the importance of direct-to-patient (DTP) and customer experience overall.
 

Shwen Gwee

#GenAI4Pharma
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Mark Bard, with DHC Group, and Shwen Gwee, founder of #GenAI4Pharma, discussed the potential of AI in the pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on content generation, startups, intelligent automation, patient support programs, and its impact on the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). They also explored the potential of generative AI to create operational efficiencies across various functions in the industry, including drug development, creative and educational content, and patient support programs. The conversation also discussed the importance of regulatory compliance in the use of generative AI and commercial content and programs.
 
You can learn more about Shwen’s event series here!
There is an upcoming #GenAI4Pharma event scheduled for Dec. 12 at the Insilico Medicine office in Cambridge, MA (1000 Massachusetts Ave)

Yin Ho

Health IT CEO and Entrepreneur
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Mark Bard, DHC Group, and Yin Ho, MD discussed the emergence, evolution, and future of AI in the delivery of medicine and clinical decision making. Yin also discusses her upcoming book about the history of health information technology and its implications for AI. Topics covered include the potential of AI to revolutionize healthcare, with a deep dive on the integration into Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and the challenges and solutions for this deep integration. Lastly, they discussed the involvement of physicians in the development and implementation of AI in medicine, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and the integration of AI in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Mark Gaydos

Regulatory Expert, Former Sanofi
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Mark Bard spoke with Mark Gaydos, former Sanofi, about the the latest trends in regulatory, promotion, and digital. The conversation begins with a review of trends for the year ahead – including genAI – as well as a review of the challenges and opportunities with dynamic and modular content for customers. They close the session out with a review of how regulatory thinks about HCP Social Influencers and how to successfully structure those relationships with KOLs and brands.

Andrew Burns

Chief Revenue Officer, DrFirst
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Mark Bard spoke with Andrew Burns, DrFirst, about the challenges with medication adherence and the potential of technology to connect disparate parts of the system to ease the friction and pain points for patients. The discussion also touched on how to facilitate collaboration throughout the system to drive and optimize compliance and adherence overall.

Dr. Shivang Joshi

Sermo Medical Advisory Board, Neurologist, and Director of Clinical Research at Community Neuroscience Services

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Dr. Shivang Joshi joins Mark Bard of DHC at Sermo, a social network platform for physicians that allows members to connect with other physicians, earn money for their insights, solve challenging patient cases, and contribute to the world’s largest database of drug ratings.

In this conversation, Mark and Dr. Joshi discuss the challenges and potential solutions for pharmaceutical companies working with physician influencers. Dr. Joshi emphasizes the importance of authenticity and credibility in these relationships. They suggest focusing on general discussions about the disease state and products, rather than directly pitching specific products.

Chris Neuner

President, Throtle

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Mark Bard of DHC is joined by Chris Neuner from Throtle, a company specializing in identity resolution for healthcare. Throtle aims to unify various digital identifiers (like cookies and IP addresses) to create a comprehensive and privacy-compliant digital identity.

In this conversation, Mark and Chris focus on the importance of this technology in the evolving digital landscape, particularly in the context of future scenarios and the need for alternative identifiers. The discussion highlights the critical role of accurate and scalable identity solutions in enhancing marketing and data measurement efforts.

Bill Veltre

EVP, Head of Media, Deerfield Agency 
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Mark Bard and Bill Veltre discussed the evolving landscape of digital trends and data-driven strategies within the pharmaceutical industry. Veltre emphasized the importance of unlocking the potential of data and utilizing it to drive brand success through attribution and collaboration across various touchpoints. They also explored the transition from traditional to digital mindsets in marketing and the significance of partnerships between agencies and pharmaceutical companies in delivering purposeful and meaningful interactions with healthcare professionals. Looking ahead, they highlighted the necessity for agility, innovation, and a deep understanding of evolving customer expectations to drive business impact in the rapidly changing healthcare landscape.

Hansa Bhargava, MD

Chief Clinical Strategy & Innovation
Healio
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This interview between Mark Bard, Co-Founder of The DHC Group and Dr. Hansa Bhargava, Chief Clinical Strategy and Innovation at Healio, covers several key topics related to healthcare and technology. Dr. Bhargava discussed her motivation for pursuing medicine, particularly in pediatrics.

Dr. Bhargava highlights physician burnout as a major issue, citing administrative burdens like EMRs as a leading cause. She expresses excitement about the potential of AI and emerging technologies to reduce burnout and improve clinical efficiency through applications like transcription, prior authorization, and clinical decision support. She also addresses the double-edged nature of patient access to online health information, emphasizing the need for vetted, trustworthy sources. Additionally, Dr. Bhargava speaks about using technology to reach underserved populations, improve clinical trial diversity, and enhance access to care through solutions like telehealth and digital therapeutics – however, stressing the importance of involving physicians in the development of new technologies and providing proper education to ensure responsible adoption of AI tools.

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