Developing the Best Hybrid Work Model for Your Medical Affairs Organization

Industries Profiled:
Pharmaceutical; Biopharmaceutical; Medical Device; Manufacturing; Biotech; Consumer Products; Diagnostic; Health Care; Communications; Clinical Research; Laboratories


Companies Profiled:
Alexion Pharmaceuticals; ASC Therapeutics; Asklepion Pharmaceuticals; LLC; AstraZeneca; Baxter Healthcare; Bayer; Bionorica SE; Boehringer Ingelheim; Cipla; Eisai; Elevation Oncology; Eli Lilly; Ferozsons Laboratories Limited; GE Healthcare; Grifols; Heron Therapeutics; Incyte; Ipsen; Jazz Pharmaceuticals; Kinnate Biopharma; Merck; Merz Aesthetics; NexGen Healthcare; Novartis; Novavax; OPEN Health; Orchard Therapeutics; OTSUKA; Pfizer; Roche; Sandoz; Sage Therapeutics; Sanofi; Santen; Servier; Supernus; Terumo BCT: Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies; Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd; UCB Pharma

Study Snapshot

Best Practices, LLC engaged 51 Medical leaders from 39 companies in this benchmarking research.

Key topics covered in this report include:

• Types of Medical Affairs Work Models
• Activities & Staffing in Successful Hybrid Models
• Effective KPIs for Measuring the Impact of Remote Work in Medical Affairs
• Hybrid Model for Field Medical Interactions
• Key Decisions, Advantages and Barriers to Hybrid Model Success
• Lessons Learned for Successfully Leading in a Hybrid Medical Affairs World

• “Remote-friendly” vs. “In-office preferred”: 46% of orgs have embraced a “permanent commitment” to a remote option.

• Activities: Most routine medical activities and meetings are well-suited to virtual. Team/relationship-building activities, KOL engagement, congresses, brainstorming / planning sessions work best in-person.

• Benchmark study partners
• Defining the new Medical Affairs work models
• Industry perspective on hybrid work
• Greatest benefits and drawbacks of remote / hybrid work environments
• Medical Affairs work mix during and post-pandemic
• Relative merits of “Remote vs. In-office” work option preferences
• Staffing evolution in Medical Affairs

• Time spent by Medical Affairs staff in each work venue (remote, company office, customer site / in field) during the pandemic
• Time spent by Medical Affairs staff in each work venue post-pandemic
• Leadership levels of “work from home” decision makers for each kind of Medical Affairs employee
• Expected amount of time to be spent in office for medical team leaders vs. frontline staff and other team members

• Well-suited and poorly-suited Medical Affairs activities for being executed in a hybrid or virtual manner
• Effectiveness of medical activities in terms of their suitability to be conducted in a virtual work environment where people connect remotely
• Effectiveness of communication and education activities in terms of their suitability to be conducted in a virtual work environment where people connect remotely
• Effectiveness of governance and planning activities in terms of their suitability to be conducted in a virtual work environment where people connect remotely
• Effectiveness of evidence activities in terms of their suitability to be conducted in a virtual work environment where people connect remotely
• Effectiveness of thought leaders and influencers activities in terms of their suitability to be conducted in a virtual work environment where people connect remotely
• Medical Affairs activities that are best-suited to virtual execution
• Medical Affairs activities that are worst-suited to virtual execution
• Turnover rate experienced within different parts of Medical Affairs organization over the last two years
• Effective tactics in evolving staffing needs to reflect the hybrid work environment of the workforce
• Most influential factors in establishing the continuation of at least partial remote work
• Changes sought in qualifications / experiences when hiring employees who will work in a hybrid model

• Effective KPIs for measuring the impact of remote work
• New KPI(s) that have best measured the impact of medical strategy and field medical engagement
• New KPI(s) that have best measured the impact of scientific publication, medical information, and medical education
• New KPI(s) that have best measured the impact of HEOR / RWE / data & insights, medical excellence, and medical operations
• New KPI(s) that have best measured the impact of medical governance and training

• Breakdown of MSL interactions with thought leaders during and post-pandemic
• Average number of KOL interactions per month (whether virtual or face-to-face)
• Projected number of new meetings per month, post-pandemic
• Setting targets for in-person face-to-face meetings with thought leaders and important HCPs
• Weighing MSL performance scorecards based on different interaction channels

• Effective facilities utilization tactics to accommodate hybrid and remote work during pandemic
• Top lessons learned or best practices developed for using technology to enable effective remote work in a hybrid business model
• Top three remote work benefits and barriers
• Greatest benefits of remote / hybrid work environments for Medical Affairs organizations
• Barriers / challenges to remote work for Medical Affairs organizations
• Most notable lessons learned or best practices developed for effectively engaging and motivating employees who work in a remote work environment in hybrid business model
• Future perspectives on hybrid work in Medical Affairs

• Most notable lessons learned or best practices for making remote work environments and hybrid business model high functioning
• Lessons for success
• Lessons for successfully leading in a hybrid Medical Affairs world: Hybrid model opportunities
• Lessons for successfully leading in a hybrid Medical Affairs world: Challenges
• Lessons for successfully leading in a hybrid Medical Affairs world: Effective management practices
• Lessons for successfully leading in a hybrid Medical Affairs world: Technology and digital enablement
• Lessons for successfully leading in a hybrid Medical Affairs world: Staffing and talent considerations
• Lessons for successfully leading in a hybrid Medical Affairs world: KPIs
• Lessons for successfully leading in a hybrid Medical Affairs world: Field engagement