Best Practices in Developing Top-Tier Medical Affairs Capabilities, Creating Impact Measures and Improving Globalization

In order to adapt to a global health care environment, Medical Affairs leaders need to effectively structure and organize their function, build and maintain robust reporting structures and establish a clear value proposition to justify budget and resources to key internal stakeholders. Also, leaders must now clearly determine how to handle activities and roles within a global Medical Affairs structure that reaches beyond the border of any one country or continent.

This comprehensive study benchmarks the critical requirements for creating effective global Medical Affairs capabilities. Additionally, it also identifies performance metrics to demonstrate the value of Medical Affairs to senior leadership.

Leading insights in the study will help Medical Affairs leaders to create and communicate strong performance metrics and develop a successful global Medical Affairs organization.

Study Snapshot

This study engaged 29 executives from 26 leading life sciences companies. Segmentation analysis was key to examining trends and effective practices. 11 participants make up the Large Companies Segment, while the Mid-Size Companies Segment consists of 10 participants and Small Companies Segment consists of 8 participants.

Key Findings

1. Scientific Publication Metrics: Sixty percent of the benchmark class thinks that % publications in top-tier journals is a highly effective metric. In addition, more than 40% 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 % publications in top-tier journals between MCS and the rest of the benchmark class. While one thirds of MCS doesn’t find this metric effective, rest of the benchmark class thinks that % publications in top-tier journals is highly effective or effective to measure their publication performance.

• Segments: Global reporting approach to Medical Affairs resources allocation is significantly different across segments. While 88% of the LCS employs a bottom-up approach, only 50% of the MCS & SCS has a similar approach for this activity.

• Segments: Only the large companies segment uses company-wide software. However, none of the MCS & SCS doesn’t utilize a similar technology to communicate their compliance information.

• Research Overview pp. 3
• Participating Companies pp. 4
• Key Recommendations pp. 5
• Segments & Abbreviations pp. 6
• Key Findings & Insights pp. 7-11

• Effectiveness of overall Medical Affairs metrics
• Effectiveness of Scientific Publications metrics
• Effectiveness of Medical Education metrics
• Effectiveness of TLM and MSL metrics
• Influence of company size on various Medical Affairs activities
• KOL segmentation process
• Most important KPIs to present to executive leadership
• Evaluation of Different KOL (TL) segments using different metrics
• Effectiveness of medical/clinical operations metrics
• Relevance of Medical Affairs activities to senior management
• Medical Affairs internal communication program
• Methods/channels used to communicate the value of Medical Affairs activities to stakeholders
• Practices for effective value discussions
• Global coordination
• Reporting relationship between Global and Regional Medical Affairs groups within organizations
• Compliance standards
• Compliance challenges and best practices across global and regional level
• Projected capability needs for Medical Affairs organizations