Patient Engagement & Insights with Michelle Warner

Patient engagement has long been recognized as a priority in Medical Affairs -- but the gap between intent and execution remains significant for many organizations. The infrastructure, alignment, and cultural shifts required to make it work aren't trivial, and most teams are still figuring out where to start.

In Episode 3 of OnPoint: The Medical Excellence Podcast, host Scott Thompson speaks with Michelle Warner, an Independent Consultant and former Director at GSK with more than 25 years of industry experience. Michelle brings rare depth to this conversation -- having spent decades navigating the systems, stakeholders, and compliance realities that shape how Medical Affairs teams engage with patients. They cover the practical challenges of building patient engagement programs, how to overcome organizational barriers, what success actually looks like, and where leaders should focus first if they're starting from scratch. If your team is trying to move patient engagement from aspiration to operational reality, this conversation is worth your time.

Key Takeaways:

• Patient insights belong at the forefront of Medical Affairs strategy -- Michelle makes a clear case that Medical Affairs teams have significant untapped value to gain by systematically incorporating patient perspectives into their work.
• Organizational barriers are the primary obstacle -- the challenges in patient engagement are rarely scientific; they're structural, cultural, and cross-functional, and addressing them requires deliberate effort from leadership.
• Enabling the team is as important as setting the strategy -- equipping Medical Affairs professionals with the right tools, training, and frameworks is what separates programs that stall from programs that scale.
• GSK experience offers a real-world lens -- Michelle's 25-year tenure provides concrete examples of what has and hasn't worked in large, complex pharma environments, grounding the conversation in operational reality.
• Starting a patient engagement program requires sequencing -- Michelle outlines where leaders should focus first, offering a practical entry point for teams that are earlier in their journey.

About Our Guest

Michelle Warner is an Independent Consultant and former Director at GSK, where she spent more than 25 years working across Medical Affairs functions. Her experience spans patient engagement strategy, field medical operations, and cross-functional collaboration in large pharmaceutical environments.

Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-warner-5b172420/

About OnPoint: The Medical Excellence Podcast

OnPoint: The Medical Excellence Podcast delivers insightful conversations on the most pressing issues facing top Medical Affairs professionals. Listen to stay ahead of industry trends and be inspired by leaders shaping the future of Medical Affairs.

Find more episodes on our OnPoint YouTube channel.