MEET AKOSUA OFORI AND KATIE HALL
TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT VITACCESS
Katie: It’s really broad actually, so it’s difficult to describe succinctly! HEOR is an umbrella term. There’s outcomes research, which is my background. This might involve qualitative interviews with patients or clinicians, or developing and validating patient-reported outcomes instruments. Then health economics is “the numbers side”! On the whole, the job involves a lot of writing. There is also client communication, so things like managing expectations, attending meetings and having discussions.
There are two key aspects of the job that I really like doing: communication and writing. They underpin almost everything I do. In terms of communication, I really enjoy talking to patients. Then on the writing side, I like getting stuck into something, whether that be a literature review or scoping out what we know about a disease area. The work is very diverse, but includes those two things more often than not.
Akosua: I’m more junior than Katie, so I’m in a supporting role. I’ve done a bit of everything since I started: writing abstracts, helping with ethics submissions, client presentations, literature reviews, research, and drafting business development proposals. I’m enjoying the diversity and getting to see different parts of the company.
Katie: The work spans different projects, and also each project from start to finish, from business development, to publications and dissemination of results.
WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS ABOUT YOUR JOB?
Katie: I think the flexibility is a great aspect. I’m very much a morning person, so today I actually switched on at 7am, but that means I can get most of my work out of the way before lunch and then be more relaxed in the afternoon. Being able to work to my own schedule is a great thing. Variety is one of the highlights as well – from one week to the next I’m working on very different things.
Akosua: I agree with Katie, especially about the flexibility. Everyone at Vitaccess is super open and friendly. Also, as a recent starter – joining a new company during a pandemic when everyone was working from home – it was really comforting to know that Vitaccess was already so well set up for remote working.
I’m such a big advocate for giving recognition and being appreciative, and Vitaccess is really good at that. I think as a new starter that’s really encouraging – when you’re fresh in the role and just learning, it’s really nice to be rewarded and have someone say thank you.
…AND THE WORST?
Katie: There are sometimes short deadlines or requirement changes – which are part and parcel of consultancy jobs – and it takes a bit of skill to be able to adapt quickly in those circumstances and switch between tasks.
Akosua: The workload can be quite varied; I’m still getting used to the rate of work and learning how to balance my capacity.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO VITACCESS?
Akosua: I worked with a digital health start-up during my master’s dissertation, and I’ve always been super interested in digital health – the blend of health and technology. When I heard about Vitaccess, it seemed like the kind of job I had in mind. The company also seemed really patient-centered, which I’ve found since working here has definitely come across in the day-to-day work too.
Katie: I was in the very early stages of looking for a new job, when an old colleague, who had recently moved to Vitaccess, reached out to me about a potential role. Things just clicked into place. It sounded similar to my old role, but broader, and with digital health woven in too.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO TELL US?
Katie: Vitaccess is laid-back. You’ve got to be someone who enjoys that, and I know that some people do like more rigidity and structure. I’d encourage people to reach out speculatively if they’re interested in working here.
Akosua: Vitaccess is very much a company that is growing, so there’s a lot of opportunity to be part of that process. At somewhere more established, you do get confidence in knowing exactly what you’re doing and when, but if you’re someone who gets excited by collaboration, working with new teams, contributing to the growth of the company, and getting stuck into new things, then you’d really enjoy it here.
We hope you enjoyed reading about life as an HEOR Analyst at Vitaccess. If you’d like to learn more about this role, or other opportunities at Vitaccess, please get in touch.
By Emma Bagshaw
