Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, has launched QUOSA for iPad supporting professionals in the life sciences, particularly Medical Affairs and Medical Science Liaisons.

The iPad app, a further development of the QUOSA literature management tool, enables Medical Affairs teams and Medical Science Liaisons to access pre-approved and copyright compliant literature, which can be read offline, from a central repository. It allows users to find articles from sources such as PubMed and Embase while on the move, resolving issues with appropriate use of content and lack of Internet connectivity during travel, while significantly improving users’ productivity and enabling timely meeting preparation.

Without QUOSA, important literature may be stored in shared drives that do not alert users when new, relevant content is available. Consumer data storage and sharing tools are generally not approved for corporate use due to security concerns, while file sizes can quickly make email unwieldy. There is also the threat of large fines if companies do not observe regulatory guidelines, share information that has not been pre-approved, quote literature that recommends off-label use, or fail to report to various regulatory bodies in a timely fashion. Further, Medical Science Liaisons spend a considerable amount of time travelling. QUOSA for iPad ensures professionals can access, annotate and share compliant and approved literature at any time, reducing the need to rely on overflowing inboxes or boot up laptops while travelling or in meetings.

“Content management and workflow productivity is a key strategic area in life sciences that requires support. There have been considerable fines in cases where a pharmaceutical company promotes an off-label drug or uses inaccurate literature when meeting with physicians. As such, robust information management with timely access to copyright compliant and trusted literature is critical,” said Meeuwis Van Arkel, vice president of product development. “iPads are becoming far more prevalent in meetings with key opinion leaders. The QUOSA app will enable Medical Science Liaisons to be more self-sufficient by accessing literature on the move, helping them maintain compliance and better prepare for meetings with physicians and healthcare providers.”

The QUOSA solution is a centralized repository of scientific literature that enables life sciences institutions to meet regulatory reporting requirements, address medical inquiries and maintain current awareness in relation to topics or authors. It is used by a broad array of groups such as pharmacovigilance and medical affairs personnel in pharma, biotech and medical device companies. Via the iPad application, users will be able to create and manage their own folders of literature.

QUOSA is part of Elsevier’s Life Science Solutions, a portfolio of interoperable, domain-specific, decision support tools which span the discovery and development workflow; including Pathway Studio, Reaxys, Reaxys Medicinal Chemistry, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PharmaPendium and Embase.

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress.