Globally, we live in a knowledge economy. In what scholars call the “knowledge divide,” individuals and organizations who can access and process information have a distinct economic advantage over those who struggle to do so. The same is true in the healthcare ecosystem when it comes to real world evidence (RWE). Those who are fluent in how RWE can be sourced and used will have an advantage in making smarter healthcare decisions.

The need for, and value of, RWE spans the healthcare ecosystem. Regulators recognize its role in supporting post-marketing requirements. Payers and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) bodies seek to provide clarity around effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and standard of care practice, to name a few. Providers rely on RWE to inform care decisions around sub-populations or endpoints that may be underrepresented in clinical trials, and patients and patient advocacy groups use it to understand the tradeoffs between treatment options based on the patient experience. Finally, life sciences companies use it throughout the product lifecycle – from identifying unmet needs and amplifying the brand value story, to informing trial decisions or strengthening the regulatory submissions.

It’s imperative, then, that key stakeholders in the larger ecosystem, as well as within life sciences companies, understand the fundamentals of RWE, stay abreast of emerging trends, and have the tools and resources to envision the next innovative applications. That’s why IQVIA has developed the RWE Academy On Call, a suite of services designed to close the knowledge divide over RWE and to boost internal buy-in on the value of RWE.

Real world evidence knowledge levels run the gamut

A 2019 IQVIA benchmarking survey conducted among top and emerging biopharma companies revealed that organizations have varying degrees of RWE knowledge (Figure 1). Archetypes range from

• “Follower” companies that purchase real world data (RWD) assets, but lack strategic alignment between those purchases and their portfolio/pipeline
• “Pragmatist” organizations that invest in provider networks to harness data for generating novel outcomes, and that have established evidence platforms to drive high-volume, high-quality evidence generation
• “Industrialist” companies that acquire privileged access to data, tools, and analytical capabilities for use in speeding clinical development and, potentially, transforming their commercial model

This survey indicates that companies recognize the power of RWE. Many are eager to find ways to educate and keep their internal stakeholders up-to-date on RWE trends and news, and believe that it warrants a communication and education strategy. Indeed, industrialist companies are distinguished from followers and pragmatics by their success in educating stakeholders on RWE and disseminating new information around RWE, and by the ingenuity and breadth of their RWE applications. Some respondents have even suggested the need for an internal hub to keep stakeholders informed of RWE trends. Others have sought an interactive way to learn more about innovative RWE applications and perspectives from external stakeholders.

Figure 1: Organizational benchmarking revealed varying degrees in the RWE knowledge base among biopharma

Introducing the IQVIA RWE Academy On Call

In response to a realized need in the industry and from customers, IQVIA established the RWE Academy On Call, a suite of services designed to expand companies’ internal knowledge of RWE, support process implementation, and further RWE communications and applications within a company, as well as to ready the larger stakeholder group to fully assess the value of the RWE generated. The customizable capabilities fall into three general categories of services that all build on one another, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2: A programmatic approach to RWE fluency

• RWE education designed to establish and/or refresh a staff’s foundational knowledge of RWE. The curriculum is tailored and interactive, with training modules ranging from RWE 101, to a course on implementing RWE and creating the necessary SOPs, to a more advanced course on applications and developing a playbook.
  Before developing the approach, IQVIA conducts a skills diagnostic to assess the customer organization’s baseline knowledge and to identify unique training opportunities. Academy staff then develop training materials and a webinar to address the knowledge gaps.
• RWE application development via activities designed to increase stakeholder engagement and reinforce RWE knowledge. These include
• A competitive workshop inspired by the reality TV show, “Shark Tank,” to elicit and evaluate RWE initiatives. The IQVIA team trains and coaches proposal presenters to strengthen their presentations and helps define evaluation metrics, focusing on the strategic impact and identifying the resources needed for implementation.
• Newsletters and videos to highlight emerging RWE trends and feature recent innovative uses, regulatory and HTA guidance, and reports in scientific publications. To gather content, IQVIA casts a wide net among global industry players, academia, HTA bodies, and regulators.
• Access to RWE experts who are on call and available to answer questions. Their specialized expertise in the medical field, regulatory consulting, epidemiology, technology, and privacy protection is just a phone call or click away.
• RWE dissemination activities to spread information on the value of RWE to internal and external stakeholders. These can include convening and managing an RWE Advisory Board, organizing and conducting “train-the-trainer” sessions, producing topical RWE videos, and developing position papers.

Customer Success Stories

In one Shark Tank workshop that IQVIA conducted for a global company, representatives from 11 different markets submitted over 40 RWE studies and initiatives for consideration. Cross-functional leaders served as judges and champions of the five high-priority studies selected for investment and implementation. Teams from each country received training and coaching on how to develop RWE study concepts and proposals, including implementation and resourcing considerations. The three-round competition culminated in selection of shortlisted studies for the operating planning cycle, while addressing the broader mission of helping create an RWE mindset throughout the organization.

RWE as a discipline is well established in the western world, while other markets around the globe rely primarily on treatment guidelines for clinical decision making. IQVIA recently developed a position paper in partnership with oncology key opinion leaders and Medical Affairs at a major global pharma company that discussed ways to tap the full potential of RWE in emerging markets. The paper identified structural and behavioral barriers for RWE adoption, as well as ways to overcome these barriers, such as through collaboration of healthcare stakeholders.

By tapping IQVIA’s extensive knowledge of RWE sources and applications, you can educate and inspire your internal stakeholders to make the most of RWE. To learn more about IQVIA’s RWE Academy on Call, contact us today.