The Economic Edge of Automated Medical Literature Monitoring in Pharmacovigilance
- 06/06/2024
In modern pharmacovigilance, monitoring medical literature plays a crucial role in timely detecting information regarding drug safety. Recently, an increasing number of companies have adopted automated solutions for literature monitoring, significantly impacting their economic operations.
Cost Reduction in Monitoring
Automating the process of monitoring medical literature significantly reduces costs compared to manual methods. The primary reason is that automated systems require only a one-time investment in software and its maintenance. In contrast, manual monitoring requires the constant involvement of qualified specialists, leading to high labor costs.
Manual monitoring involves experts proficient in local languages who analyze articles weekly, compile reports, and pass the results to the central team, which then prepares the final documents. This process is not only time-consuming but also costly. Estimates show that implementing this process, for example, across all European countries can require significant financial investment.
Increased Efficiency and Accuracy through Automated Medical Literature Monitoring
Automated medical literature monitoring systems provide high accuracy and up-to-date data. Unlike humans, who can make errors due to fatigue or underestimating the significance of information, machines perform processes consistently and accurately every time. This reduces the risk of missing important data, which is critical for pharmacovigilance.
Moreover, automation enables continuous monitoring, whereas the manual method is typically conducted periodically (weekly). Constant monitoring enables quicker detection of new safety data, enabling faster responses to potential threats.
Centralization and Systematization of Data
Automated medical literature monitoring solutions allow for the centralization and systematization of data. All articles and metadata are stored in a single database, making analysis easier. The manual method, on the other hand, requires creating separate reports for each country, complicating the consolidation and analysis process.
With a centralized system, each process step can be easily tracked, from accessing the article text to the final data delivery. This ensures a high level of transparency and allows for the quick identification and correction of errors or discrepancies.
Risk Reduction
In manual monitoring, there is always a risk of delays or errors in reports. Specialists might be late providing data, misinterpreting it, or missing important information. Automated systems are free from these drawbacks, reducing the risks associated with human factors.
Comparative Table of Advantages: Automated Medical Literature Monitoring Solution vs. Manual Search
| Criteria | Automated Solution | Manual Search |
| Labor Costs | Monthly/yearly payments for using systems, usually in the form of a subscription service | Continuous high costs for specialist labor |
| Accuracy and Consistency | High accuracy, no human error | Variable, prone to errors due to fatigue or oversight |
| Monitoring Frequency | Continuous monitoring | Weekly |
| Data Centralization | All data stored in a single database | Dispersed reports from different countries |
| Efficiency | High efficiency and speed of data processing | Dependent on specialist’s working speed |
| Risks | Minimal, no delays or errors | High, potential for delays and errors |
| Source Coverage | Covers a larger number of sources | Typically limited to known sources |
| Transparency and Traceability | Full transparency, traceable at every step | Limited transparency, reliant on specialist’s quality of work |
| Text Processing | Instant search through large volumes of text | Slow manual analysis and search |
| Language Support | Automatic language detection and translation | Requires specialists for each language |
| Resource Utilization | Optimal use of technological resources | Requires significant human resources |
| Data Relevance | Always current search results | Results may become outdated between monitoring periods |
Conclusion
The economic benefits of using automated solutions for medical literature monitoring in pharmacovigilance are evident. Reducing labor costs, increasing efficiency and accuracy, centralizing and systematizing data, and mitigating risks make automation the preferred choice for pharmaceutical companies. Implementing such systems optimizes the monitoring process and ensures high quality and timeliness in managing drug safety.
The use of automated solutions in pharmacovigilance is not only economically advantageous but also enhances the system’s overall efficiency, ultimately positively impacting patient safety.
