Best Practices in Developing Medical Affairs Capabilities within Medical Device Firms

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Copyright © Best Practices, LLC

Best Practices, LLC Strategic Benchmarking Research

Best Practices in Developing Top-Tier

Medical Affairs Capabilities within Medical

Device Companies

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary pp. 3-11

Research Overview pp. 3

Participating Companies pp. 4

Key Recommendations pp. 5

Segments & Abbreviations pp. 6

Key Findings & Insights pp. 7-10

Metrics for Medical Affairs Activities to Show

the Success to Stakeholders pp. 11-37

Communicating the Value of Medical Affairs pp. 38-48

Coordinating the Global Medical Affairs Function pp. 49-57

Benchmark Class pp. 58-59

Participant Demographics pp. 60-64

About Best Practices, LLC pp. 65-66

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Field Research & Insight Development:

Twelve survey responses from Medical Affairs leaders

at 10 leading Medical Device companies. This report

captures insights on two segments: Medical Device

Only and Medical Device + BioPharma segments.

Additional deep-dive interviews with 6 selected

Medical Affairs executives- 4 VPs and 1 Sr. Medical

Affairs Leader.

Provide Leading Insights on:

• Identifying the critical

requirements to create

effective global capabilities

• Defining and communicating

strong Medical Affairs metrics

for success

Research Objectives & Methodology

Research Objectives:

Illustrate how leading Medical Device companies structure and organize their global Medical

Affairs capabilities

Highlight strategies for building and maintaining effective reporting structures for global

organizations

Understand challenges in creating successful Medical Affairs organizations

Identify drivers of strong performance metrics

Explore critical strategies to showcase Medical Affairs’ value to executives and other internal

stakeholders

Business Objective:

This research delivers current data, insights and best practices from Medical Affairs leaders at top Medical Device companies.

The benchmark data in this study will help companies find better ways to create strong performance metrics and successful

global Medical Affairs organizations.

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Universe of Learning: Research Participants from 2014 Study

This study engaged 12 executives from 10 leading life sciences companies. Segmentation analysis was key to examining trends

and effective practices. 6 participants make up the Medical Device Only Segment (MDS), while the Medical Device + Pharma

Segment (MDP) consists of 6 participants.

Benchmark Class

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Segments and Abbreviations

Segments:

• Benchmark Segment: Represented by aggregate participants of the survey.

• Medical Device Only Segment (MDS): Represented by companies that have only Medical Device

products primary to their business unit.

• Medical Device Plus Pharma Segment (MPS): Represented by companies that have both Medical

Device and biopharmaceutical branded products primary to their business unit.

Abbreviations:

KOL: Key opinion leader MSL: Medical science liaison

MA: Medical affairs TA: Therapeutic areas

MDS: Medical device only segment TBC: Total benchmark class

MedEd: Medical education TL: Thought leader

MPS: Medical device and pharma segment TLM: Thought leader management

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Key Findings & Insights: Metrics for Medical Affairs Activities

Overall Medical Affairs Metrics: More than 80% of the benchmark class finds level of talent identification

& management a highly effective or effective metric.

Segments: Medical device only segment (MDS) values all metrics less than the Medical device

plus pharma segment (MPS). Only 67%of MDS thinks talent identification & management and

medical affairs survey outcomes highly effective or effective metrics compared to 83% of MPS.

Scientific Publication Metrics: Eighty-three percent of the benchmark class thinks that no.of works

submitted is a highly effective metric. In addition, 75% of the participants agree that % papers and

publications accepted is highly effective to evaluate scientific publication performance.

Segments: We observed an important difference in perceived effectiveness of % papers and

publications accepted between the two segments. While half of MDS doesn’t find this metric

effective, all of the MPS thinks that % papers and publications accepted is either highly effective

or effective to measure their publication performance.

Implications for Medical Device Companies:

Talent identification and management has become very important for Medical Affairs organizations within

the medical device industry. Two drivers are behind this trend:

1. Increasing importance of interacting with key decision makers

2. Shortage in ideal talent and finding employees with strong scientific background and business

understanding.

Scientific publications area provides the chance of creating and utilizing quantitative metrics more

compared to areas like thought leader management, medical education and communication.

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Medical Affairs Effectiveness: Please rate the effectiveness of the following metrics related to

various Medical Affairs areas in communicating the value and success of your organization to stakeholders.

N=12

Eighty-four percent of the participants find talent identification and retention metrics effective. In addition, more than two-thirds

of the participants think that Medical Affairs effectiveness surveys, formulating Medical Affairs budget and metrics related to

internal communication are powerful.

Companies Value Talent Management Metrics Most O

ve

rall

MA

Ac

tivit

ies

% Respondents

42%

8%

17%

17%

17%

8%

42%

67%

50%

50%

42%

33%

8%

8%

8%

8%

8%

8%

8%

17%

17%

17%

8%

8%

17%

8%

17%

42%

Identifying and retaining top talent in medical affairs

Medical Affairs effectiveness surveys

Level of internal communication

Formulating budget to meet MA needs

Employing effective time management

Level of succession planning in place

Effectiveness of Overall Medical Affairs Metrics - Total Benchmark Class

Highly Effective Effective Plan to Use in the Next 12 Months Not Effective Do Not Use

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N=12

More than three-fourths of the participants find number of works submitted and % papers or publications accepted highly

effective or effective metrics. In addition, 33% thinks % publications in top-tier journals are highly effective for

communicating Medical Affairs' success.

Scientific Publications Metrics: Please rate the effectiveness of the following metrics in

communicating the value and success of your Medical Affairs organization to stakeholders.

TBC Focuses on Volume in Scientific Publication Metrics S

cie

nti

fic

Pu

bli

ca

tio

ns

% Respondents

8%

25%

33%

8%

8%

75%

50%

33%

58%

50%

8%

8%

8%

8%

8%

9%

8%

36%

8%

17%

17%

25%

33%

55%

Number of works submitted

% Papers or publications accepted

% Publications in top-tier journals

Publishing deadlines met

Time to publication

Number of reprints ordered

Effectiveness of Scientific Publications Metrics – Total Benchmark Class

Highly Effective Effective Plan to Use in the Next 12 Months Not Effective Do Not Use

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Internal Communication Is Crucial to Medical Affairs Success

Although external communication is vital for the Medical Affairs function, solid internal communication lays a strong

foundation for external outreach. A solid internal program involves a multi-faceted approach to educating employees.

“Most of what people do is external communication. I have found that if you don’t have good internal

communication, you will have suboptimal external communication.” —Interviewed VP, Medical Affairs (Company A)

Case Example: Medical Affairs Internal Communication Program

Entire company invited

Up to 500 attend

Mainly in US

Expandable to regions

Exposed employees to

thinking of a top opinion

leader

Top KOL guest lecturer

High level topics

Focus – patients care,

disease state or research

Purpose – education

Not about products

Regularly scheduled

meetings

Involves all departments

that interact with Medical

Affairs

Each group shares what

it is doing

Activities & plans

presented

Stakeholders learned

how to meet each

other’s needs and work

together better.

Educational topics

Medical Affairs leads

Selected internal

groups are invited

Assumed not everyone

is reading Medical Affairs’

publications

Distributed copies of

significant papers

Nurse headed program

Purchased copies of

entire journal

Attached cover letter

and dropped journals

off on people’s desks

Visited recipients later

and discussed

Expensive; got attention

Featu

res

M

ech

an

ics

Quarterly TL

speakers Cross-functional

meetings Seminars Publications

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Communication Methods/Channels: What methods/channels do you use for communicating the value of the

following Medical Affairs activities to stakeholders?

Benchmark class uses two methods/channels heavily while communicating the value and outcomes of important Medical

Affairs activities to stakeholders: Presentation/briefing and face-to-face meetings.

N=12

F-to-F Meetings and Presentations Are the Lead Communication Channels

% Respondents

10%

17%

9%

8%

9%

25%

17%

9%

8%

20%

8%

9%

20%

8%

17%

18%

18%

8%

8%

25%

9%

33%

42%

36%

45%

33%

50%

30%

17%

27%

10%

17%

17%

18%

27%

33%

17%

20%

17%

9%

8%

9%

9%

17%

17%

30%

33%

36%

60%

Medical/Clinical operations

Utilizing outcomes data effectively

Medical publications and medical communication

Internal training programs

Thought-leader management

Alignment of company strategies with MA practices

Continuing medical education programs

Internal noise level

Field-based medical team operations

Execution of medical call centers

Benchmark Class - Communication Methods/Channels Phone Call Teleconference Email Database/Website Presentation/Briefing Face-to-Face Meetings Not Used

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Other: Canada,

Middle East and

Africa

Geographic Span

Fifty percent of Medical Device Only and 33% of Medical Device plus Pharma represent a global Medical Affairs unit.

Geographic Span: What is the geographic span of responsibility that you have in Medical Affairs at your company?

(Choose all that apply.)

N=6 N=6

Medical Device Only Mostly Represents Global; Medical Device plus

Pharma Mostly Represents Multiple Regions

% Respondents % Respondents

Global (Including U.S.), 50%

U.S. only, 17%

Others, 33%

Medical Device Only

Global (Including U.S.), 33%

U.S. only, 33%

Others, 33%

Medical Device and Pharma

Others: Western Europe, Middle East and Africa

Central & Eastern Europe, Oceania, Central/South America, Canada

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conducts work based on the simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior

economic performance by leveraging the best business practices, operating tactics and winning strategies of

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Best Practices in Developing Medical Affairs Capabilities within Medical Device Firms

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