RecruitingOBSERVATIONAL

Medical Affairs Pharmaceutical Physician Work-related Quality of Life (MAPPWrQoL) Instrument Development and Patient Registry (MAPPWrQoLReg)

This study focuses on doctors who work in pharmaceutical companies (called Medical Affairs Pharmaceutical Physicians). There's a concern that their important work isn't always recognised, which could affect their well-being and lead to stress or burnout. This research aims to create a special tool to measure how their work impacts their quality of life. Participants will first help design this tool by sharing their experiences. Once developed, they will then use it monthly for a year to track their well-being. This will help us understand the unique challenges these doctors face and hopefully lead to better support, reducing the likelihood of them needing NHS services for work-related stress or burnout.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Sponsor

Medialis Ltd.

Enrolment target

180

Start

03 Nov 2021

Estimated completion

01 Oct 2026

Quality of Life

What is this study about?

This study is looking into the well-being of doctors who work for pharmaceutical companies. These doctors, known as Medical Affairs Pharmaceutical Physicians (MAPPs), play a vital role in developing new medicines. However, there's a growing worry that their hard work and contributions aren't always fully recognised or respected within the industry. This lack of recognition might affect their daily lives, potentially leading to stress, worry, low mood, or even job burnout.

Job burnout is a recognised condition resulting from long-term work-related stress. If these doctors experience burnout, they might need support from NHS services, just like anyone else. This study aims to understand these issues better by developing a new way to measure how their work impacts their overall quality of life. This will give us a clearer picture of their experiences.

To do this, the study will involve two main steps. First, a small group of these doctors will help create a special questionnaire, sharing what aspects of their work life affect their well-being. Then, a larger group of up to 180 doctors will use this questionnaire monthly for a year to track their quality of life over time. This will help researchers understand the long-term effects of their work.

Key takeaways

Focuses on doctors in pharmaceutical companies.
Aims to understand how work affects their well-being.
Help create a new questionnaire to measure quality of life.
Involves completing online surveys monthly for a year.
No in-person visits or medication involved.
Your input could help improve support for similar professionals.

Who may be eligible?

To take part in this study, you need to be a doctor who has a medical degree and has either worked or is currently working for a pharmaceutical company. You also need to be 18 years or older, be able to understand and sign a consent form, and be comfortable reading, writing, and speaking in English. You must also be able to stick to the study's schedule.

Who can't take part? If you're a doctor working in medical affairs but not within the pharmaceutical industry (for example, if you work for the NHS or in academia), then this study isn't for you. Also, if you can't follow the study schedule or aren't able to comfortably communicate in English, you wouldn't be able to participate. This ensures that the study focuses specifically on the experiences of doctors within the pharmaceutical industry.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you a doctor with a medical degree?
Do you work or have you worked in a pharmaceutical company?
Are you 18 years old or older?
Can you comfortably read, write, and speak English?
Can you commit to completing online surveys over time?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you decide to join this study, your involvement will be split into two main parts. Initially, a small number of participants will help the research team design a special questionnaire. This involves completing two online surveys where you'll share what aspects of your work life affect your well-being, and then help refine a list of statements for the questionnaire. You'll also use an online Excel sheet to help rank the importance of different topics for the questionnaire. This first stage is expected to take about a month for the initial survey, and then follow-up activities over a few weeks.

Once the questionnaire is developed, a larger group of participants will be asked to use it. This will involve filling out the questionnaire online once a month for a total of 12 months. This is an observational study, meaning you won't be given any medication or other specific treatments. The aim is simply to understand how work affects quality of life over time by collecting your feedback through these surveys.

Potential risks and benefits

Participating in this study involves completing online surveys. There's a very low risk, possibly just the time and effort required to fill them out. You might find some questions about work-related stress thought-provoking, but there's no expectation of any negative impact on your health. A potential benefit is contributing valuable insights that could lead to a better understanding of occupational stress among doctors in the pharmaceutical industry, potentially leading to improved support in the future. You are completely free to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your medical care or your relationship with the researchers.

Locations (1)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

Medialis
Verified postcode
Oxford, United Kingdom· Recruiting

Common questions

What is a 'Medical Affairs Pharmaceutical Physician'?

These are doctors who work for pharmaceutical companies. They help ensure medicines are used safely and effectively, bridging the gap between medical science and patient care.

What does 'quality of life' mean in this study?

It refers to how well you feel generally, including your physical, mental, and emotional health, especially in relation to your work experiences.

Will my answers be kept private?

Yes, all your contributions to the surveys will be kept confidential and anonymised to protect your privacy.

Do I have to attend any appointments?

No, all participation in this study, including surveys and other activities, will be conducted online, so you won't need to attend any in-person appointments.

What will happen with the results of the study?

The results will help create a specific tool to measure how work affects the well-being of doctors in the pharmaceutical industry. This information could be used to improve support for them in the future.

How to find out more

Omolade Femi-Ajao, PhD

research@medialis.co.uk +447502228066 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.