One of the hallmarks of an experienced Medical Affairs professional is the ability to turn clinical data into insights with tangible impact.
But, even with reliable data sources, collaborative analysis, and efficient medical insights management techniques, turning raw data into actionable, business-critical medical insights that produce positive outcomes can be challenging.
The task of capturing these insights is further compounded by the fast pace of the industry and the ever-evolving art of identifying emerging trends. To help you navigate it, we’ll pinpoint five of the most common challenges we’ve seen businesses face and the potential strategies you can use to overcome them.
Challenge #1: The Quality Of The Data
The Problem: This is one of the most common issues faced by Medical Directors worldwide. While there is usually no shortage of data collected by medical science liaisons (MSLs) and their teams, how do you ensure that it’s valuable and can help your organization make decisions based on strategic thinking?
This happens when data is not collected strategically. Ultimately, the insights don’t offer actionable steps, which reduces their value.
Strategy: Many MSL teams try to gather as much data as possible, but this data is rather meaningless without specific goals in place, especially if they are collecting it organically in one-on-one conversations with key opinion leaders (KOLs).
So, begin with crystal-clear objectives. Answer the question of why you want to collect data and what specific information gaps you’re looking to fill. In order for the data you collect to be meaningful and impactful, it has to correlate with specific decisions that need to be made.
We call this directed insight generation. To put it simply, it’s the practice of answering these questions and sharing them with MSLs so that they know what data they’re looking for when engaging with healthcare professionals.
Challenge #2: You Aren’t Leveraging The Insights From Your Data
The Problem: Your team has gathered mountains of real-world data, but you aren’t leveraging them to their full potential so they could translate into tangible changes in your ability to anticipate trends or improve patient insight and care.
At its core, this problem has to do with how you process and analyze your data and whether it’s done in a way that reveals meaningful patterns, trends, or correlations that can help you make informed decisions.
Strategy: You need to move toward strategic alignment. Consider whether the root cause is a need for organizational change. Do you have systems in place for how data is processed and reported? How does it get in front of your team’s decision-makers?
A platform like Kwello can help you bridge this gap. It can significantly reduce the complexity of analyzing your data and the time and effort it takes for internal stakeholders to access it. It can also help you measure the impact of medical affairs activities, something a number of teams struggle with.
Challenge #3: The Complexities Of Engaging With KOLs
The Problem: With more intense compliance regulations around KOL engagement and an increase in competition for their time, finding and engaging with KOLs has become increasingly difficult. Additionally, it’s become more and more common for initial engagements to start digitally, as KOL presence on social media has surged in recent years.
Strategy: Use a diverse variety of channels, such as conferences, social media, and publications, to expand your network and access to data. Be strategic about how you approach digital avenues, in particular.
Digital media offers powerful opportunities for MSLs to cast a wider net, but it can also be overwhelming. Leveraging solutions for social listening and alerts can not only help MSLs cut through the noise but also ensure that their approach is efficient.
Challenge #4: The CRM Dilemma
The Problem: CRM systems can often feel like a quagmire of unstructured data, which can be caused by a lack of proper organization or incorrect data entry.
This can prevent you from capitalizing on the potential of your CRM data.
Strategy: One part of the problem is what MSLs are entering into the system. As we already shared, your field team and the notes they type into your CRM are only as good as their understanding of your key objectives. When the data collection is strategic and purposeful, it’s easier to identify emerging patterns.
However, there’s something to be said about the system itself and reconfiguring it to facilitate this process.
Kwello, for example, makes it easy for MSLs to capture the data they collect in a single platform, where they can see everything at a glance. On your end, it gives you an overview of every point of contact and engagement and allows you to compare the quality of the data that’s been collected and identify trends.
This not only empowers your analysis and your future strategy in working with MSLs, but it also gives you the ability to review and refine the process over time.
Challenge #5: Relying on a Single MSL
The Problem: Relying on a single MSL significantly limits the breadth and depth of scientific exchange.
A single MSL’s individual expertise and focus may not be enough to give you all the coverage you need across the industry or have the scope or know-how to engage with every healthcare professional (HCP) or KOL out there. This can create potential blind spots in your insights, hindering your ability to fully grasp the nuance of your industry and stay up to date.
The limited perspective can lead to an incomplete understanding of emerging data, like new treatment pathways or evolving clinical practice.
Strategy: It’s vital to engage with multiple MSLs to gain a broader perspective. A team of MSLs with diverse expertise can provide more comprehensive scientific coverage and help build rapport with a wider range of HCPs to give you a deeper understanding of the evolving scientific landscape.
The Way Forward: Stay Ahead By Embracing Innovation
In industries as fast-paced as medtech and pharma, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the thought of adopting new technology, particularly in a corporate context where upskilling teams and implementing new solutions can be a big drain on company resources. But the practice isn’t just about keeping up with trends—it’s ultimately about empowering your enterprise to improve patient outcomes.
According to Pascal Vande Gucht, Medical Affairs professionals must embrace digital technologies now to stay ahead by 2030. This includes leveraging omnichannel strategies and data analytics.
AI technologies are particularly promising when it comes to generating validated insight. In our experience, AI has proven invaluable in processing field data for humans to interpret and identifying connections between data points in a way that feels almost instantaneous.
FAQs
What is the main purpose of Medical Affairs?
Medical Affairs is critical in bridging the gap between scientific innovation and clinical practice. Its primary purpose is to understand the needs of patient care and healthcare professionals by gathering real-world insights.
These insights are then used to develop and implement evidence-based strategies that enhance patient outcomes, support healthcare decision-making, and ensure the effective communication of medical and scientific information.
What is the difference between Medical Affairs and MSLs?
Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) primarily engage with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and key opinion leaders (KOLs) through scientific discussions, serving as the link between clinical research and medical practice.
In contrast, Medical Affairs focuses on the broader strategic and commercial aspects of the process, ensuring that medical insights inform business decisions and industry advancements.
What is an omnichannel in Medical Affairs?
Omnichannel is a cohesive approach to sharing medical information across multiple platforms, tailored to each healthcare professional’s preferences. It ensures consistent and personalized communication through channels like email, CRM, and social media.
What’s the difference between data and insights?
Here’s the main difference between data and insights in the context of Medical Affairs:
- ‘Data‘ refers to the raw facts and figures collected by medical science liaisons through engaging with HCPs and KOLs. This data is typically stored in a CRM system.
- ‘Insights‘ refers to the conclusions that can be drawn from the emerging patterns in the raw data through analysis.
What modern technology is being used in Medical Affairs?
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) is transforming how Medical Affairs teams analyze data and gather insights. While these technologies have developed significantly over the past few decades, their adoption in Medical Affairs is still emerging. However, they are expected to become standard practice in the near future.
Leverage The Right Tools to Unlock The Full Power Of Medical Affairs Insights
Provide your Medical Affairs team with all the tools they need to generate more powerful insights Download our workshop review to learn how to overcome the most common challenges Medical Affairs professionals face to bridge the gap between insights and real outcomes for your organization.
If you need support streamlining your operations, partner with Acceleration Point. Our Medical Excellence services can help you align personnel and resources, adopt critical systems, and supercharge your team’s approach to Medical Affairs.
