Across life sciences, overstretched departmental teams are finding themselves increasingly overwhelmed by the widening array of digital processes and IT systems, and rising complexity as requirements evolve and/or software functionality is updated. Industry-agnostic estimates suggest that a typical international organisation has more than 500 active software applications, with individual departments accessing over 80. That’s a lot of functionality to keep on top of.
Getting the most out of the latest systems means ensuring that people know how to use them correctly. Ordinarily this would be ensured via good training, then regular use to embed good practice. But in a GxP context, where requirements are continuously evolving, neither of these elements can be taken for granted. Nor can instinctive compliance, despite how intuitive modern technology has become. There will be some key systems that employees use infrequently, challenging them to remember what they were taught during initial system training.
It is against this backdrop that digital adoption platforms (DAPs) are now commanding attention in a pharma GxP context, nudging users in how to correctly interact with a system and input data at each step of a process via easy in-app guidance and support. DAPs sit on top of cloud/web-based IT systems. These online overlays to individual systems guide users through tasks such as form-filling and data entry – providing prompts on what is expected at each stage, how to format it correctly and so on. They can halve the time spent on regular training or e-learning materials creation, and reduce the burden on helpdesk support by the same degree once systems are live, according to platform vendors.
DAPs may be new to pharma R&D, but are well proven
Thanks to their track record in improving user adoption rates for new software and applications (especially those with complex features), DAPs are already commonplace in many large enterprises. Worth $621.5 million in 2023, the DAP market is expected to soar to a value of $3.86 billion by 2032 (1). Up to now, however, the platforms have been used predominantly in a commercial context, or by central functions such as human resources. But their established use means companies often already have licences for the platforms. To extend the reach of those platforms to other use cases, those organisations would simply have to develop suitable materials for those respective applications.
In pharma clinical, regulatory, quality, and pharmacovigilance functions, the potential for DAPs is considerable. In these contexts, there are other clear pressures beyond boosting adoption of new and updated software systems (such as advanced regulatory information management systems; quality management systems; or those for signal monitoring and safety reporting).
Although new-system training is a formal expectation in a GxP context, that doesn’t guarantee compliant use, inviting risk – particularly as key processes and decision-making become increasingly data driven. The shift from document-based operations and health authority exchanges to data-driven decision-making, and the need to conform with comprehensive new and expanding standards such as ISO IDMP, compound the need to use new or updated systems correctly and to input good data reliably and consistently. That might include bringing across the right data, in the correct format, from legacy systems entering retirement.
Data integrity, data quality and data governance are big themes in life sciences today, and by extension the ability to call up, exchange, and re-use data as the basis for important insights and critical reports. Upfront training alone won’t ensure that individuals consistently conform to agreed naming conventions or data structures when inputting critical information.
Use of DAPs/in-app prompts can have a big impact though, yielding at least a 20% improvement in data accuracy (2).
Data integrity considerations
Any software change has to be treated carefully in a GxP context, but DAPs are light-touch in this regard. They do not touch or interact with a system’s data, for instance, which means they don’t present a new risk to security or data protection. And because the platforms are an overlay, they are infinitely agile and adaptable. Traditional e-learning materials tend to involve a lot of screenshots to show what to do where, illustrations that may soon become outdated when systems, fields, or data requirements are updated over time. By contrast, DAPs can be readily amended on the fly. Since cloud applications can be refreshed several times a year, this is a real consideration.
DAP guides can be tailored to particular roles, too, with the advantage that users are presented only with relevant prompts as they interact with a system. Users can exit the guides too, once they understand what’s required and are using the software routinely. Meanwhile HEART analytics (tracking Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, and Task Success) are built into the platforms, generating useful feedback to team managers about points of particular difficulty in a system (useful for fine-tuning software features, or for improving upfront training).
A means of direct contact with users
DAPs’ impact is directly linked to the quality of the guidance they offer, so this should be developed and optimised for each user group or role, and adapted over time as needed. A popular feature of all DAPs is that they can be used very effectively to make system-related announcements to users as they log in, e.g. about changes to the system, or to data input requirements (rather than hoping a blanket email will reach them).
The platforms are also coming into their own as AI begins to permeate more everyday operational software. In common with any new technology, AI needs to be used carefully and correctly to elicit reliable results, and DAPs are ideal as a mechanism to provide the necessary just-in-time, in-app guidance.
More generally, DAPs can boost the value of traditional training, by allowing more of this to be focused on the more strategic role and purpose of a new system, for instance. This enables companies to allocate their budgets and materials expenditure more efficiently, and deliver shorter courses.
All the signs are there that 2025 will be the year of DAP in a pharma GxP context. Ultimately, this is about bringing a more intuitive experience to users that critical yet complex systems may lack. That support could become more predictive over time too, anticipating what users are trying to do, e.g. “It looks like you’re entering new drug substance and product information, do you need help?”. If that saves guesswork, or a delay as assistance is sought, that can only be a good thing.
References and notes
- Digital Adoption Platform Market Size, Share, Industry Analysis, Trends, Growth, 2032, Zion Market Research: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/digital-adoption-platform-market
- Value of a DAP, white paper, Whatfix: https://whatfix.com/resources/whitepapers/value-of-a-digital-adoption-platform/
