Every day we see a new announcement about some AI powered “Intake” Tool. I put Intake in quotes because often all these tools are really doing is leveraging AI that is available to anyone to extract data from a source document. We all know there is a lot more to the process for Intake than extracting data.

I put together 6 key questions we should all be asking when looking at an Intake tool, and I could have easily made this 10 questions, but I think you’ll get the idea.

1. Does the solution support multiple intake channels and source systems?

Safety teams operate across increasingly complex ecosystems. Organizations should evaluate whether intake capabilities can support diverse data sources and evolving business requirements, are they supporting all of Intake or just the bits that are easy to handle?

2. Is the AI focused on extraction or operational transformation?

Extracting information is only one component of the intake process. The greater opportunity lies in automating and optimizing end-to-end workflows. How does the Intake tool manage QC, Duplicate checking, Triage, Coding etc.

3. Can the solution reduce manual effort at scale?

By the time we have added all the Human-In-The-Loop checks, is this solution really making a measurable difference to my work efforts? Is it giving me the information I need to see the difference it is making and is it allowing me to change my work across the whole process or just a small part of it?

4. Can it enable touchless processing where appropriate?

As AI capabilities mature, reducing unnecessary human involvement for qualifying cases is where truly touch-less workflows become real. Does the Intake solution have the framework and capability to have cases flow through without human involvement and what will I be able to do in the future with the framework?

5. How well does it integrate into the broader safety ecosystem?

Effective intake solutions should support seamless integration with downstream safety, compliance, and operational processes. If a solution is sending outputs via XML its not integrated, its not a core part of my process, its just shifting a little work upstream but leaving me with all the real burdens around reconciliation, duplicates, coding etc. That’s even before we consider how I QC the extraction upstream. Is it a solution or an add-on?

6. Governance, Governance and Governance

An AI solution that doesn’t have Governance embedded into the fabric of its operation is going to leave you with a lot of Human oversight and risk. Does the Intake solution comply with the guidance documents being released by regulators, industry bodies and governments for AI governance and oversight?

Conclusion

The future of pharmacovigilance is not extraction, it is the combination of AI, automation, workflow intelligence and AI governance to create more efficient, scalable, and patient-focused safety operations.

Read more about AI Governance here: https://www.iqvia.com/blogs/2025/12/building-trust-through-governance

And shameless plug, more about IQVIA’s Intake Tool, which as you would expect, answers all the above questions: https://www.iqvia.com/solutions/safety-regulatory-compliance/safety-and-pharmacovigilance/iqvia-vigilance-platform/iqvia-vigilance-intake