Medical Affairs and Digital Opinion Leaders: Identifying, Engaging and Succeeding with Online Influencers

The report also outlines key strategies, success stories, and lessons learned in the realm of DOL engagement.

Study Snapshot

Best Practices, LLC engaged 40 executives from 30 leading life sciences companies in this study through a benchmarking survey. Directors and upper management executives represent 60% of the benchmark participants.

Benchmark data is also broken down into three different segments to provide deeper insights. Segmentations used in this study are as follows:

• TBC (Total Benchmark Class) (includes all 40 survey respondents)
• DOL Program Leaders (11 respondents)
• DOL Program Majority (16 respondents)
• DOL Program New-to-Space (13 respondents)

• Unique benefits of DOL engagement
• Identification of right DOLs to target
• Mapping of online communities for DOL influence
• Strategies and tactics for maximizing Medical Affairs impact through DOL engagement
• Structure, staffing and DOL outreach in Medical groups

• Identifying online influencers: Medical teams identify and select DOLs to target based on a mix of social media metrics, traditional opinion leader markers, and subjective “fit and alignment” indicators.

• Formal partnerships with DOLs: Many companies use the same contracting model for DOLs as used for KOLs, but 38% have no formal relationship in place with any DOLs as yet. On average, companies have established a formal contracting relationship with an average of 19% of all the DOLs they target for engagement. Two-thirds of immature companies have yet to formally contract with any DOLs so far.

• Present stage of development of benchmark organizations’ medical DOL program or initiatives
• Percentage of DOLs belonging to each of the listed categories
• Top-ranked DOL program objectives
• Maturity level of DOL programs within benchmark companies
• Value of the DOL program to organizations – Total benchmark class
• Value of the DOL program to organizations – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment

• Three-step approach to success in the digital opinion leader space
• Effectiveness of listed factors in identifying the right DOLs to target – Total benchmark class
• Effectiveness of listed factors in identifying the right DOLs to target – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment
• DOL influence, publication credits and DOL count per therapeutic area
• Management of highly influential online accounts or “handles” representing major institutions

• High impact communication channels used by digital opinion leaders – Total benchmark class
• High impact communication channels used by digital opinion leaders – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment
• Case example of a superstar DOL
• High-impact DOL engagement activities – Total benchmark class
• High-impact DOL engagement activities – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment
• Types of content valued by DOLs – Total benchmark class
• Types of content valued by DOLs – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment
• Average number of DOLs engaged online by staff member; Percentage of proactive and reactive DOL interactions – Total benchmark class
• Average number of DOLs engaged online by staff member; Percentage of proactive and reactive DOL interactions – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment
• Highly effective metrics for assessing the impact of DOL engagement efforts – Total benchmark class
• Highly effective metrics for assessing the impact of DOL engagement efforts – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment

• Role played by each of the listed groups in managing the DOL engagement program and executing key activities – Total benchmark class
• Lead role played by each of the listed groups in managing the DOL engagement program and executing key activities – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment
• Frequency of medical DOL program team’s collaboration with other functions – Total benchmark class
• Frequency of medical DOL program team’s collaboration with other functions – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment
• Total number of internal FTEs supporting DOL program
• Staff members typically responsible for external engagement of DOLs – Total benchmark class
• Staff members typically responsible for external engagement of DOLs – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment
• Focus of internal staff responsible for DOL engagement – Total benchmark class
• Focus of internal staff responsible for DOL engagement – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment

• Group primarily responsible for each of the listed core DOL program areas and activities – Total benchmark class
• Group primarily responsible for each of the listed core DOL program areas and activities – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment
• Effective approaches for managing Adverse Events monitoring across the platforms where DOL program is active – Total benchmark class
• Effective approaches for managing Adverse Events monitoring across the platforms where DOL program is active – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment
• Ensuring medical team has compliant engagement with DOLs that the organization is seeking to partner with – Total benchmark class
• Ensuring medical team has compliant engagement with DOLs that the organization is seeking to partner with – DOL Leaders vs. DOL Majority vs. New-to-Space segment
• Percentage of targeted DOLs who are contracted

• Distinct strategies and tactics necessary for successfully engaging DOLs in respective therapeutic area(s)
• Greatest success stories of benchmark organizations in the realm of DOL engagement
• Top lessons learned around DOL engagement

• Geographic responsibility covered by of benchmark participants in their current role
• Therapeutic area responsibility of benchmark participants and their Medical Affairs organization
• Job titles of benchmark participants