Finalist
Fabry Academy Connect: An Online Fabry Disease Medical Education Hub
Summary of work
Fabry disease (FD) is a rare inherited genetic disorder. Patients often wait many years to receive an accurate diagnosis, in part due to a lack of awareness among healthcare professionals (HCP). The Fabry Academy Connect (FAC) programme, through increased awareness and education, aims to help achieve two overarching goals: to reduce diagnostic delay and improve monitoring, management and treatment for patients via changes in HCP behaviour. Responding to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and working closely with Sanofi and our digital partners, APS, we created an online learning hub that could host virtual FD medical education events and materials.
Our objectives were to acquire a global audience, engage that audience with educational materials and events tailored to their unmet educational needs, and share impactful information on best practice and recent developments in the field of FD. During 2021, 1,072 HCPs from 58 countries registered on the platform and more than 600 of them have actively engaged across multiple events and on-demand materials. In a survey conducted in early 2022, 92% of respondents said they had already changed their clinical practice because of knowledge gained through FAC, demonstrating the substantial impact of the programme in its first year.
Judges’ comments
The Fabry Academy Connect programme had a very robust situation analysis that then translated into clear objectives for this rare and potentially life-threatening condition. The strategy was insight-driven and through a comprehensive and tailor-made platform they exceeded their objectives. The judges especially appreciated the clever use of a virtual briefcase for users to store papers for more convenient viewing.
