Inclusive Medical Communications: A Strategic Imperative for Industry Sustainability and Growth

An insight by Kat Chaytor (Strategic Client Partner, ApotheCom) and Afsaneh Khetrapal (Associate Medical Director, ApotheCom).

Inclusion has too often been siloed as a moral imperative – crucial for addressing health inequities, but not a central factor in driving innovation and growth in the pharmaceutical and life science industry. This framing underestimates the true power of inclusive scientific practices. Far from being a side initiative, inclusivity is foundational to the sustainability and expansion of our industry.

As we mark MedComms Day 2025 (June 25) and embrace this year’s theme, “Pride in Profession,”  we reflect on the central role that inclusion must play in shaping the future of our industry. By integrating diverse perspectives into the scientific process, we enhance the rigor of research, improve clinical outcomes, and unlock new avenues for scientific discovery and market opportunities. In Medical Communications, we are uniquely positioned to spearhead these efforts, driving systemic change and fostering broader industry-wide adoption of inclusive practices.

Consider cardiovascular disease in women. A lower prevalence of ATTR-CM (transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy) in women is suspected by many to be a result of sex bias in symptom recognition and diagnostic benchmarks, which is leading to delayed or missed diagnoses. If true, this inequity is also a missed opportunity. At ApotheCom, we are supporting our clients to design targeted solutions, such as KOL-led scientific communication initiatives, education programs tailored to female-specific symptomatology, and identification of sex-based data gaps. These not only improve patient care but have the potential to expand diagnostic and therapeutic markets.

Similarly, disparities in breast cancer outcomes among Black women underscore the commercial and scientific cost of non-inclusive approaches. As raised in this year’s ASCO Conference, systemic barriers in healthcare access and culturally insensitive communication lead, in part, to delayed diagnoses and poor prognoses in Black women. Developing culturally relevant, linguistically accessible education and community-informed outreach campaigns supports earlier detection and stronger treatment adherence. This not only enhances outcomes but deepens trust in brands, broadens engagement, and opens access to a high-need, underserved segment of the market.

Publications are a critical component of equitable medical communication. Our recent oral presentation at the ISMPP Annual Meeting, “Driving Real-Time Equity Analysis to Enhance the Impact of Medical Publishing,” emphasized the importance of embedding inclusivity at all stages of the publication process to develop truly impactful publications. Supported by a thorough audit of current practices, we examine key factors — such as author selection, journal or congress choice, and the metrics used to determine success — that can proactively identify and address bias before medical content reaches its audience. Inclusive publication practices provide a strategic advantage that builds trust, expands market reach, and drives sustained growth by ensuring research is relevant to and representative of all patient populations. Our initial framework for the development of impactful publications is available for community review here: Driving Real-Time Equity Analysis to Enhance the Impact of Medical Publishing.

Inclusion isn’t a diversion from core business, it’s a catalyst for it. When we integrate inclusive practices across medical communications — publication development, medical education, and HCP community engagement strategies — we not only address systemic inequities but also future-proof our industry. Inclusivity fuels better science, better care, and better commercial outcomes. The question is no longer whether to invest in inclusion, but whether we can afford not to. At ApotheCom, the path forward is clear: inclusion must be at the center of everything we do.