Taking AI Technology Out of the Box: AMWA’s Sixth Medical Writing Executives’ Forum

Abstract

The increasing complexity of clinical documentation and the growing demand for expedited regulatory submissions are driving the adoption of advanced technologies in medical writing. The 2024 AMWA Executives’ Forum convened industry leaders to discuss challenges, strategies, and best practices for integrating technology such as structured content authoring and artificial intelligence (AI) tools into medical writing workflows. The key insights from the forum included the importance of building a robust business case for technology investments, how to navigate the decision between developing proprietary solutions compared with adopting off-the shelf tools, how to proactively develop a vendor assessment strategy, learnings from early experience in technology adoption, and how to define meaningful success metrics for evaluating technology. The discussion emphasized the value of aligning technology initiatives with organizational goals, managing expectations around AI and other technology capabilities, and fostering collaboration between medical writers and technology teams. Lessons learned from early adopters highlighted the need for clear communication, iterative testing, and comprehensive change management strategies to ensure successful implementation. These insights provide a framework for organizations to enhance efficiency, scalability, and innovation in medical writing through the adoption of technology.