Strategies for optimizing every HCP interaction
How do you ensure every minute you get with a Healthcare Provider optimizes the value of the interaction, for both you and the Provider? Gaining access to every HCP is becoming more challenging. When you do finally gain access, the time you have keeps shrinking, along with how frequently you can see that HCP. So, how do you optimize the value of that interaction?
After surveying and interviewing over 20,000 HCPs across many therapeutic areas and countries, Clear Point Health has found that on average an MSL can see an important HCP up to 4 times a year for approximately 30 minutes each visit. So, if you get 2 hours a year to interact with your key HCPs, it is important to maximize the value of that exchange. That value starts in the planning stages, well before the visit.
Planning a visit with your HCP starts with the right information. Not only is it important to have an in-depth understanding of the skills and experiences of that HCP, but you also need to know what is important to that specific Provider. What are the critical Experience Drivers for that HCP? How do they define a successful visit versus an unsuccessful one? What do your key Providers believe an MSL should do to create value during the interaction and beyond? Armed with this valuable information, an MSL can plan their next visit with these value drivers front and center. Important Experience Drivers that HCPs have mentioned in various surveys include factors such as “respects my time,” “provides novel and interesting information relevant to my clinical practice,” and “helps contribute to my professional development.” If the HCP has only 30 minutes to give you, don’t plan a 60-minute meeting. Prioritize the most critical information first because, as we all know, day-of schedules can change at any moment and meetings can be cut short. Don’t save the best for last!
The next step in the value cycle is the interaction with the HCP where, once again, having the right information is critical to optimizing that time. Important Experience Drivers to consider during the visit are “provides impartial and trustworthy information,” “understands my clinical practice,” “keeps me updated with new information,” and “puts the patient first in our discussions.” Each HCP will have their own list of important value drivers. It is important the MSL understands which of those drivers creates the greatest value for that HCP. If the Provider is new to your portfolio, part of your pre-meeting planning could include asking the Provider what they want to get out of these interactions to ensure that you are tailoring the experience to what they find the most valuable.
The final phase of the process is the post-meeting follow-up with Providers. It’s possible that three months or more could elapse before your next visit. It then becomes important to plan out constructive touch points between visits to maintain the relationship, such as responding to follow-up requests, being available virtually for additional requests, offering educational opportunities for other clinic staff including Advanced Practice Providers, etc. Some of the key Experience Drivers for this follow-up phase are “responsive to my needs,” “timely delivery of important information,” and “supports my professional development.” Value is not only created during those golden 30 minutes. The opportunity to create value continues throughout the time between visits.
One of the most important measures of success for an MSL is understanding what an HCP does with the information they are given. The goal of an MSL meeting is to provide the HCP with actionable information and opportunities to improve patient care. Measuring action outcomes is the gold standard in being able to assess real-world MSL impact. One of the key metrics that can be collected from an HCP is if they use the information to change their clinical practice. There are numerous ways Providers will use information from an MSL, but changing their clinical practice is highly correlated to which MSL a provider would choose to see if they could only see one.
It’s one thing to have a good understanding of the background, skills, and experiences of an HCP but it’s another to know what creates meaningful value for that HCP, and how you can optimize value throughout your planning and meeting cycles.
Pop-out quotes (intended for pop-out text boxes from the main article. Feel free to put those pop-out boxes wherever works best for your layout design):
Q: What factors contributed to your high “likelihood to recommend” score?
[Translated] “Understands disease specifics and broader clinical picture. Presents information I do not already know in a concise way. Flexible scheduling. Discusses IIT opportunities”
- Médico, Especialista em Endocrinologia [Endocrinology, Brazil]
Q: How would you describe a successful versus unsuccessful MSL interaction?
“Successful: MSL sends clear agenda ahead of mtg, has a benefit for both of us, alerts me to new research/academic/collab opportunities, gives info about patient education materials/programs. Unsuccessful: really long meetings, lectures at me, asks questions but doesn’t answer any of mine, only presents data and doesn’t touch on things like patient access & insurance coverage.”
- MD, Oncology
Q: What are the most significant areas for improvement when considering the role that MSLs fulfill?
“I wish MSLs understood how busy we are and would be more willing to provide information through email or virtual meetings rather than insisting on face-to-face meetings that are hard to schedule. With heavy patient loads, I appreciate MSLs who bring opportunities to further my academic work since I don’t always have time to find those myself.”
- MBBS, FRACP (Neurology)
About the author:
Paul Meade, MSc, MPH
Paul Meade has more than 40 years of healthcare industry experience. He has spent 25 years of his career working directly in the pharmaceutical industry for Merck and then GlaxoSmithKline. He has held a variety of positions within sales and marketing, international marketing, business planning, and research and development (R&D.
After leaving the pharmaceutical industry, Paul started Clear Point Health (fka Thought Leader Select), a consulting business focusing in the Thought Leader and Medical Excellence strategy spaces, working with a variety of clients across many different areas of healthcare.
He has published several articles in leading healthcare journals, such as Pharmaceutical Executive, MedAdNews, PharmaVoice, etc.
Paul received a Masters in Public Health with a Certificate in Public Health Ethics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and he also holds a Masters of Science in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Guelph in Canada. He currently sits on three Research Ethics Boards and the UNC Alumni Board.
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