Why Traditional Advisory Boards No Longer Work
Medical affairs teams and MSLs often rely on advisory boards to gain insights from clinicians and KOLs. But let’s be honest—most traditional advisory boards are too long, too formal, and too inefficient.
Clinicians arrive at a meeting, only to see an agenda and a set of predetermined questions for the first time. The discussions stay surface-level, and insights lack real depth. Worst of all, after months of planning and execution, many advisory board outcomes fail to translate into meaningful action.
We need a better approach—one that delivers more value to both MSLs and clinicians, drives real strategic impact, and makes the best use of everyone’s time.
A Smarter Approach: From Advisory Boards to Agile Advisory Groups
Instead of gathering people in a room (or online) and hoping for spontaneous insights, I take a different approach—one that shifts the focus from passive participation to active problem-solving.
Step 1: Pre-Meeting 1-1s to Gather Real Insights
Before the group meeting, I conduct one-to-one conversations with a sample of key participants—typically clinicians. These conversations help me understand the real landscape:
- What’s influencing clinical decision-making?
- What’s driving prescribing trends?
- What are the true barriers to adoption?
- What’s not being talked about but needs to be addressed?
This means that, by the time the advisory group meets, we already have real insights—not just assumptions—to work from.
Step 2: The Pre-Read That Sets the Stage
Rather than surprising participants with an agenda on the day, I develop a pre-read based on the insights from my 1-1 discussions. But instead of just summarising the landscape, I take a stronger stance:
💡 I define my client’s CONTENTION—our current understanding of the situation.
For example:
- We believe that a lack of awareness about our medicine’s clinical value is limiting uptake.
- We believe that current prescribing pathways make it difficult for eligible patients to access treatment.
- We believe that HCPs are hesitant to switch from existing therapies due to X and Y reasons.
This pre-read is then sent out in advance with homework—questions or short tasks that require participants to think ahead about the problem and potential solutions.
This simple shift means that when the meeting starts, people are already engaged and ready to contribute, rather than just reacting to questions on the spot.
Step 3: Using the Group to Solve Problems, Not Just Discuss Them
Traditional advisory boards tend to focus on gathering information. But why stop there?
I use 1-1s to gain insights and groups to develop solutions.
Instead of asking participants to tell us what’s happening (which we already learned in Step 1), I ask them:
🔹 How can we solve this challenge?
🔹 What needs to change to improve adoption?
🔹 What would make a difference in your clinical practice?
This makes the session outcome-focused rather than just discussion-based. The result? A clear, actionable plan rather than just meeting notes.
Step 4: Make Meetings Short, Virtual, and More Frequent
Long, in-person advisory boards once or twice a year aren’t enough. Instead:
✅ Keep them short. A focused 60-minute online session is often more effective than a half-day meeting.
✅ Make them virtual. This allows greater flexibility and makes it easier for busy clinicians to attend.
✅ Do them more often. Instead of a single annual meeting, run multiple shorter sessions aligned to specific business challenges.
By shifting to agile advisory groups, you can quickly assemble relevant experts when you need them and adapt strategy in real time.
Why This Works Better for MSLs and Medical Affairs Teams
This approach delivers real value because:
🔹 MSLs gain deeper insights—the real barriers and opportunities in clinical practice.
🔹 KOLs engage more meaningfully—they aren’t just answering questions; they’re co-creating solutions.
🔹 Companies get actionable outcomes—not just discussions, but real strategic recommendations.
🔹 Meetings become more efficient—less time wasted, more impact delivered.
Time to Rethink Advisory Boards
If you’re still running long, formal advisory board meetings, ask yourself:
- Are we getting real insights, or just surface-level feedback?
- Are participants engaged, or just showing up?
- Are we walking away with clear, actionable outcomes?
If the answer isn’t a clear yes, it’s time to change the approach.
Start using one-to-one conversations to uncover real insights.
Use pre-reads to set the stage and prepare participants.
Make advisory group meetings about solving problems, not just discussing them.
And run shorter, more frequent virtual sessions instead of large, one-off meetings.
Medical affairs need to be more agile, strategic, and efficient—and this is one way to make it happen.
Are you ready to rethink how you engage your KOLs?
About the author:
Paul Riley, MBA, PhD, CMgr
Paul Riley has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in roles including medical science liaison, medical advisor, and medical affairs manager. Paul is a consultant at Nexcea, where he works with pharmaceutical and medical device companies globally, helping ensure healthcare technologies reach their clinical and commercial potential.
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