Inside ISMPP US 2025: Diversity and innovation in concert

IPG Health Med Comms showed up in full force at the 25th ISMPP Annual Meeting in Washington D.C., with our experts from Caudex and CMC Connect leading roundtables, presenting research and driving key conversations.

This year’s theme, “Diversity and Innovation: In Concert,” struck a powerful chord, echoing the values we champion every day. From the role of AI to the importance of inclusive communication, the meeting proved once again that our field is evolving rapidly.


“This year’s meeting felt like a turning point: a collective shift from discussing why we need to adapt to focusing on how we lead the charge. Sessions explored not only emerging technologies like AI, but also reaffirmed our values about authorship, transparency and the patient voice.”

- Dana Fox, Portfolio Director, Caudex and ISMPP Vice Chair 2026, Chair 2027
 

Read on for our roundup of key takeaways!

A group of five people standing and smiling at the ISMPP conference
A group of seven people standing and smiling at the IPG Health Medical Communications booth at ISMPP

Innovation and diversity in harmony

This year’s theme celebrated the power of diverse perspectives and their vital role in shaping a more impactful future for the medical communications industry. Attendees were encouraged to consider how:

  • Inclusion drives innovation: Diverse thinking fuels stronger ideas, deeper trust and better outcomes. Workplaces that value individuals and their experiences are better positioned to foster long-term success.
  • Patient and community engagement builds trust and relevance: Inclusive content and culturally attuned engagement are essential to building trust within underrepresented communities and improving patient outcomes. Storytelling that balances scientific rigor with empathy and cultural awareness can improve understanding and extend reach.
  • Practical strategies offer powerful ways forward: Practical strategies like patient/caregiver advisory involvement, community outreach and inclusive data reporting will help us overcome challenges such as limited access to healthcare and historical mistrust.
  • Accessibility is non-negotiable: From scientific content design to congress experiences, inclusive practices drive impact.

In our two roundtables, led by Cindy Parrish and Nicole Strangman from Caudex, the message was clear:

  • A diverse workforce and a strong EDI focus isn’t just good for culture, it’s a catalyst for performance.
  • Accessibility matters not only in how we design content, but also in the environments where science is shared.
  • Valuing individuals and their experiences is key to long-term success.
Cindy and Zen standing next to their poster on QR code engagement

Our poster presentation on QR code engagement offered fresh ways to connect audiences with scientific content.

Building inclusive patient partnerships

Inclusive patient partnerships begin with empathy and are sustained through trust. A key theme was the importance of engaging patients early in the publication planning process, recognizing the diversity of their experiences, perspectives and needs.

To build meaningful, long-term relationships, consider these key strategies:

  • Use the right language and tools: Replace clinical jargon with inclusive, human-first terms (eg, “people living with the condition” instead of “subject” or “burdened”).
  • Center the patient story: Involve patients on editorial boards, connecting them with key opinion leaders and including them on guideline panels.
  • Empathy is key: Patients are people; listen to understand how they want to be included.
  • Measure impact: Track outputs (downloads, social media engagement) and outcomes (surveys, interviews, focus groups); pharmaceutical companies should provide feedback to patient partners, update them and train them to participate effectively.


Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick delivered a fascinating keynote presentation on inclusive communications. Dr Lisa’s interviews with the public demonstrated clearly how underserved people in the community are not receiving basic information about their own health and healthcare. In our roles as medical communications professionals, we have a unique opportunity to distill complex information into messages that can be understood by everyone, ultimately making a huge difference in the lives of patients.
 

AI in publications: a smarter way forward

AI can accelerate publication timelines, but adoption varies. At IPG Health, AI is thoughtfully and transparently integrated in our daily ways of working, supporting development of scientific content, content tagging, reference rearrangement and HCP segmentation. AI has the potential to supercharge omnichannel offerings and strengthen metrics, alongside other potential uses.

As expected, AI took center stage at this year’s meeting, and for good reason. Key learnings for using AI in publication:

  • AI is not a replacement for humans: AI enhances human expertise and work, but it doesn’t replace it.
  • Be thoughtful when developing AI content: Ensure the tool you are using has access to suitable writing samples to avoid an AI voice in content generation.
  • Engage AI in conversation: Use a conversational approach with AI tools for better, more accurate results.
  • Continuous learning is fundamental: Stay informed and adapt to the rapidly evolving AI landscape through continuous learning and feedback loops.
  • Stay curious but cautious: Be mindful of copyright and ethics when using AI, as content created by AI may have been plagiarized. Remember that AI-generated content is not protected by copyright.

Harmonization in medical communications

The future of patient care hinges on harmonizing diverse perspectives within the healthcare ecosystem. From keynote presentations to roundtable discussions, the critical need to break down silos and foster collaboration among patients, providers, pharmaceutical companies and policymakers was a big topic of conversation at ISMPP US 2025.

Medical communications professionals will play a vital role in bridging the communication gap between doctors and patients, while future initiatives must prioritize a community-centric approach to research and patient care. Navigating the evolving landscape of generative AI will require strong partnerships between agencies and the pharmaceutical industry.

Ultimately, medical communications professionals are poised to lead the way in shaping a more harmonized and effective healthcare future.


Contributors:

  • Maggie Aiello, Senior Account Manager, CMC Connect
  • Diane Mascioli, Account Director, CMC Connect
  • Caroline Roebuck, Portfolio Director, CMC Connect
  • Simon Vass, Senior Medical Director, CMC Connect
  • Vasupradha Vethantham, Medical Director, CMC Connect
  • Brian Woolums, Associate Medical Director, CMC Connect
  • Dana Fox, Portfolio Director, Caudex
  • Cindy Parrish, Client Service Director, Caudex
  • Justin Ryan, Client Service Director, Caudex
  • Nicole Strangman, Senior Medical Director, Caudex
  • Taylor Watson, Client Service Director, Caudex

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