In the early 2000s, pharmaceutical companies sent armies of sales reps to market their products to doctors. Pharmaceutical sales teams often have tens of thousands of representatives. The Medical Science Liaison (MSL) team exists, but its role is very different from today.
This dynamic began to change over the next decade for three main reasons. First, new regulations were passed in 2010 to promote transparency and fair medical decision-making. Companies must now publicly report any payments or other transfers of value to doctors and teaching hospitals.
Second, the focus of the industry has shifted from promoting heavy drugs to targeted therapy and precision medicine centered on rare diseases and tumors. New therapies and approaches require more MSL roles, and now there is a need to accelerate and disseminate critical education and information about more specific disease states.
Finally, the number of published medical studies has grown exponentially. Clinicians do not have access to the growing number of new articles, data points, and clinical studies, nor are they able to sift through them comprehensively. The rate at which new data and information is being generated exceeds the ability of physicians to read, retain, and implement new information and practices.
The rise of MSL
MSLs are now in a key position to engage with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and other stakeholders because they have the expertise and experience to develop peer-to-peer relationships and truly communicate with physicians about the latest research.
The number of stakeholders has also increased. There are now nursing teams, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and patient advocacy groups. Social media also went mainstream, with doctors and patient advocacy groups starting to use these platforms. MSL also needs to find and attract digital influencers. To be successful, the new MSL needs to be more flexible and adaptable to the new era, leveraging a different and very personal approach to digital communication and outreach to understand HCP preferences. This approach has to be more personal.
Covid has changed the landscape for medical affairs teams. This is a fundamental shift in the way they work and operate. The core of the character has changed. Events such as attending conventions and going to the HCP office are no longer happening and may not be happening again. Medical affairs and MSL must adapt to changing times.
The digital KOL landscape has changed as the pandemic has suddenly accelerated digital transformation. MSLs must understand what HCPs say in the social realm and find new, compliant ways to engage with them.
Our starting point: MSL for the next five years
- “MSL Insights” will drive corporate strategy and execution.
MSL’s role used to be primarily data dissemination – providing information and education to physicians and KOLs about research, clinical trial results, the latest treatments and what their companies are doing. This paradigm is now shifting from educating and informing to accelerating innovation in medical science.
For example, CMOs, CROs and CEOs of life sciences and medical device companies don’t just need data; they want new insights from data and MSL expertise. They need faster access and insights driven by robust, reliable and actionable data.
- Additional technologies will be developed specifically for medical affairs.
Medical affairs are increasingly supported by larger budgets and new technologies. In fact, the world’s top five pharmaceutical companies are now contributing more resources to medical affairs, such as business analytics, and building more technology partnerships.
With these new medical analytics and digital platforms, MSL will understand educational disparities in the community. They will learn about clinical protocols and guidelines for the space in which they work. They will understand the sentiments of the KOLs and stakeholders they come into contact with. The data will be readily available and easily accessible; it doesn’t require Google searches and spreadsheets.
- New technologies will allow MSLs to understand the impact of their work in a compliant manner.
How do you start measuring the success impact of your medical affairs team? We need to take a step back and see what metrics we even use to measure impact.
In addition, as the MSL team expands to visit PCPs, MSLs can see data on referrals to experts by the PCPs they are engaging with. One of the best ways for MSLs to know if their efforts are successful is if there are more expert referrals from the PCPs they are participating in.
Understanding the historical context and impact of medical affairs needs to be measured in terms of key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics, not just scope and frequency. Some of these metrics may be ambiguous unless paired with a rational strategy and demonstrated clinical validity, resulting in improved clinical outcomes.
In addition to counting visits or reporting insights, key factors to consider when measuring impact:
- Historical Background on Medical Affairs KPIs and Metrics
- Demonstrated HCP behavior through established diagnostics and procedures
- Recommended Modes and Variations
- Scientific Sharing of Sound
- social media sentiment
- Clinical outcomes, such as fewer readmissions or indicators of disease progression
in conclusion
The future will be built on flexibility and actionable data and recognition of the digital front door: observing, contributing and understanding who is speaking, who is listening and what they are saying. Physicians are considering more than the latest therapies, they are considering adaptations to value-based care and patient engagement, and MSL needs to adapt to ensure improved outcomes.
MSL is at the forefront of innovation, operations, strategy and execution. Changing regulations, advancements in medical science and treatment, a massive increase in published medical research, and accelerated digital transformation due to Covid-19 have made MSL an integral part of the industry and improving patient care.
Photo: Irina Strelnikova, Getty Images
