By Paul Meade
Long gone are the days when you could walk into a medical practice, and get a ten-minute meeting with a physician to discuss your company’s pharmaceutical offerings. The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the way we interact with each other, and many medical science liaisons (MSLs) are slow to adapt to this new reality. Although times are uncertain, here at Clear Point Health, we see this new set of challenges as an opportunity to design a new, more beneficial experience for Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and MSLs alike.
For safety reasons, in-person meetings between KOLs and MSLs have been largely replaced with video conferences. Over the past few months, the video conferencing industry has absolutely exploded, with apps like Zoom experiencing massive download increases compared to 2019. Since there are so many options out there, it’s difficult to decide which program is best for you and your customers, but we’re here to help. From speaking with multiple KOLs, the general consensus is that they favor the simpler, more reliable video conferencing programs as opposed to the more complicated ones with all the bells and whistles. Physicians, especially ones who are treating COVID-19 patients, are pressed for time so when a technical glitch causes a video conference to be delayed, this is a waste of their time. According to Business News Daily, here are their top four picks for video conference programs:
Now that MSLs and KOLs are moving to virtual meetings, pharmaceutical companies are brainstorming ideas for how to create value in a virtual environment as opposed to a face to face one. While scheduling a meeting or catching someone in the hallway would suffice in the past, MSLs are now having to figure out ways to engage KOLs over video which can be challenging. Here are a few tips for making the most out of your time with a KOL:
- Create an agenda for topics you’d like to discuss. Time is of the essence for KOLs.
- Make the information you’re discussing available to the KOL after the call. There’s a good chance they only have a few minutes to speak with you, so having the information online and available for their review after the meeting will be much appreciated by them
- Keep the information relevant and highly focused. Now more than ever, physicians are pressed for time and only want to hear about the medical information related to their practice area
- If the physician is currently treating COVID-19 patients, focus your discussion on ways your company can aid in their patients’ recovery. If your company has a resource that could help COVID-19 patients, the KOL wants and needs to hear about it.
Adapting your practices to this new virtual world can be tricky, but Clear Point Health is here to help through voice of customer research. Learn what your KOLs and other key customer groups expect from you, including their engagement preferences.
Contact us today to learn more!
