Publication Planning & Manuscript Collaboration

Streamline manuscript creation with dynamic, real-time collaboration capabilities for presubmissions and publications

ExtendMed's Health Expert Connect™ allows investigators to see others' contributions, submit asynchronous feedback and engage in cost-effective virtual steering committee meetings—all within a single, secure platform.

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Manuscript collaboration shouldn't be a logistical nightmare

Arranging for busy experts from around the globe to collaborate on a manuscript is no simple task. Without a better solution, managers face the burden of emailing secure files to each participant then manually combining each set of edits to meet security requirements.

ExtendMed transforms publication planning from time-consuming manual coordination into efficient, secure collaboration that captures every voice while saving medical affairs teams time and money through virtual steering committee workflows.

 

See Health Expert ConnectTM in action

Click any tile to explore our publication planning capabilities.

asynch real time edits on manuscript

Make asynchronous, real-time edits

Enable investigators to see others' feedback for easier collaboration. Names, dates and timestamps allow you to manage contributions and view document versions as manuscripts evolve through committee review.

virtual meeting

Engage synchronously via virtual meetings

Health Expert Connect™ has built-in virtual meeting software that allows you to regularly check in with investigators and discuss edits without the expenses associated with traditional steering committees.

email notifications

Keep investigators on schedule with email notifications

Send primary investigators invitations to participate, get messages when changes have been made, send weekly reminders and allow steering committee members to invite each other to respond to in-line comments.

online collaboration

Comment on manuscripts and see feedback

Inline commenting features enable investigators to leave feedback and questions directly on the relevant paragraphs of the manuscript, facilitating discussion around specific sections. An activity feed provides visibility into collaborators' work by tracking who is currently editing the document and when edits were made, helping ensure all contributors remain up-to-date.

document sharing during meeting

Share documents during virtual meetings

Virtual meetings can be conducted through the platform using screen sharing capabilities, allowing collaborators to visually review and discuss the manuscript in real-time as well as stay on track with publication timelines and priorities.

Everything you need for efficient publication planning

Collaborate

  • Real-time document editing with simultaneous contributions
  • Asynchronous feedback submission at investigators' convenience
  • Inline commenting on specific manuscript sections
  • Activity feeds tracking current edits and contribution history

Coordinate

  • Virtual steering committee meetings with screen sharing
  • Email notifications for invitations, updates and reminders
  • Scheduled check-ins to manage progress and alignment
  • Committee member coordination across global time zones

Manage

  • Centralized manuscript storage in secure, accessible location
  • Version control with full revision history tracking
  • Acceptance/rejection controls for document owners
  • Consolidated feedback eliminating manual compilation

See how we help teams like yours

Mediar Therapeutics needed rapid, cross-functional insights in fibrosis. We convened a virtual advisory board of top experts, facilitated real-time collaboration and fast-tracked the feedback loop.

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Read the full case study

A global oncology biopharma used Health Expert Connect™ to orchestrate 1:1s, a dinner forum and follow-ups across ASCO and EHA—centralizing schedules, compliance tracking and KOL analytics to deepen relationships at scale.

Read the full case study

An inflammatory-disease company expanding into nephrology ran asynchronous boards, surveys and chart audits to learn the market fast, refine messaging and engage specialists every six weeks—accelerating entry with lower spend.

Read the full case study

A small pharma prepping first launch scaled stakeholder engagement with a lean team, mixing virtual meetings and ongoing discussion to surface payer hurdles and patient insights early, de-risk and beat rivals to key KOLs.

Read the full case study
jamie arviso ultragenyx profile
Jaime Arvizo Vice President, Head of Medical Affairs

In 25 years of working with vendors, ExtendMed stands at the top of the list. They’re strategic partners, arming my staff with vital statistics and sharing their experience and ideas for the future. They’re nimble and they understand our business. They’ve anticipated issues, recommended new directions and implemented our decisions efficiently.”

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Vice President, Group Account DirectorGlobal Medical Comms Firm

We feel your team does the best job out of any vendor we have used for virtual advisory boards.”

Dr. Michael Chang Vice President, Medical Affairs

The virtual format enables more frequent touchpoints while reducing time commitments for busy specialists. We can build relationships and confidence across multiple specialty areas in ways that traditional in-person meetings never could. The platform makes it possible to engage specialists who would never attend a weekend conference but will participate in targeted discussions relevant to their practice."

Compare publication planning with vs. without ExtendMed

Click through each category to see how Health Expert Connect™ compares to traditional approaches—and what teams gain when they make the switch.

Collaboration efficiency with ExtendMed

Real-time document editing with simultaneous contributions from multiple investigators. Centralized platform eliminates email chains and manual consolidation of feedback, reducing manuscript development time significantly.

Collaboration efficiency without ExtendMed

Time-consuming process of emailing secure files to each participant then manually combining each set of edits. Sequential review rounds that feature the most outspoken voices while others' contributions may be overlooked.

Security and compliance with ExtendMed

Pharma-friendly security and privacy standards that meet IT requirements. Secure, centralized document storage with comprehensive access controls and audit trails for compliance documentation.

Security and compliance without ExtendMed

Reliance on consumer tools like Google Docs that may not meet pharmaceutical company security standards. Scattered documents across email creating compliance risks and IT concerns.

Steering committee coordination with ExtendMed

Virtual meeting capabilities that bring global experts together without travel expenses. Both synchronous meetings and asynchronous feedback options accommodate busy schedules and diverse time zones.

Steering committee coordination without ExtendMed

Difficulty coordinating in-person meetings with international experts. High costs for travel, venues and logistics that limit meeting frequency and participation from geographically dispersed investigators.

Feedback visibility and equity with ExtendMed

All investigators see others' contributions and feedback in real-time. Activity feeds and inline commenting ensure every voice is heard equally regardless of participation style or time zone.

Feedback visibility and equity without ExtendMed

Sequential review processes where later reviewers may not see earlier feedback. Domination by outspoken contributors while quieter voices get lost in fragmented communication channels.

Version control and tracking with ExtendMed

Comprehensive revision history with timestamps, contributor names and acceptance/rejection tracking. Document owners maintain control while all collaborators see evolution of manuscript over time.

Version control and tracking
without ExtendMed

Confusion over which document version is current. Difficulty tracking who made which edits and when changes occurred, leading to lost contributions and inefficient review cycles.

Time and resource investment
with ExtendMed

Reduced manuscript development timelines through parallel contributions. Elimination of manual feedback consolidation and expensive in-person steering committee meetings while maintaining collaboration quality.

Time and resource investment without ExtendMed

Enormous time investment in coordinating schedules, traveling to meetings, and manually compiling edits. Budget constraints limit collaboration frequency and geographic diversity of steering committees.

Better publication planning in just three steps

Nobody wants to overcomplicate manuscript development. That's why we've made implementing virtual steering committees straightforward and sustainable—from initial setup to publication submission.

Express your interest

Fill out the form below so we can understand your publication planning goals, steering committee composition and current collaboration challenges across your manuscript development programs.

Get a tailored demo

We'll show you how our platform can transform your publication planning end-to-end. You'll see exactly how it supports real-time editing, asynchronous feedback, virtual steering meetings and secure document management.

Launch your research program

We'll guide you through manuscript setup, investigator onboarding and collaboration workflow implementation. Your publication planning will have dedicated support throughout the development and submission process.

A few FAQs

Still have questions? Here are answers to the most common ones we hear from clients exploring Health Expert Connect™ for publication planning.

How does your platform support both synchronous and asynchronous collaboration?

Our platform combines built-in virtual meeting software for synchronous steering committee discussions with real-time document editing and asynchronous feedback submission. Investigators can participate in live meetings or contribute on their own schedule through inline comments and edits.

What security standards does the platform meet for pharmaceutical companies?

The platform provides pharma-friendly security and privacy standards with secure, centralized document storage, comprehensive access controls and audit trails. Unlike consumer tools, we meet IT requirements specific to pharmaceutical company compliance needs.

Can investigators see each other's feedback and contributions?

Yes. All investigators can see others' contributions, feedback and edits in real-time through activity feeds and inline commenting. This transparency ensures comprehensive review and prevents any single voice from dominating the manuscript development process.

How do you handle version control across multiple contributors?

We maintain a full revision history with timestamps, contributor names and detailed tracking of all edits. Document owners can accept or reject changes while all collaborators have visibility into the manuscript's evolution throughout the development cycle.

What happens to feedback consolidation and manual compilation?

Our centralized platform eliminates the need for manual feedback consolidation. All edits and comments are tracked automatically in one location, saving medical affairs teams significant time previously spent combining disparate feedback files.

Can we conduct virtual steering committee meetings through the platform?

Absolutely. Health Expert Connect™ includes built-in virtual meeting software with screen sharing capabilities, allowing you to regularly check in with investigators, discuss edits and review manuscripts in real-time without travel expenses or logistical coordination.

How do you keep investigators on track with deadlines and updates?

The platform sends automated email notifications for invitations, changes, weekly reminders and opportunities to respond to in-line comments. Steering committee members can also invite each other to address specific sections or questions.

I have another question.

We’re happy to answer it. Contact us directly or use the form above to request a demo and start the conversation.

How long are you going to wait to streamline manuscript collaboration?

Request a demo today.

No pressure. No spam. Just a quick conversation with our experts. Submit the form below to express your interest in a demo. We’ll be in touch within one business day. And don’t worry—we value your privacy as much as you do.