Driving the Value of Digital Initiatives in Medical Affairs

Best Practices, LLC undertook this benchmarking research to explore how Medical Affairs can improve its digital capabilities to better serve internal and external stakeholders. This report delivers benchmarks around digital operations, activities, channels, services, roles, reporting and resourcing within Medical Affairs. It also highlights the top digital engagement trends that will greatly impact the Medical Affairs function.

Study Snapshot

Sixty-eight industry professionals from 35 companies were engaged in this research through a benchmarking survey, focus group interviews and round-table discussion.


Key topics covered in this report include:

• Digital Services to Medical Affairs Groups
• Digital Capabilities in Medical Affairs
• Roles and Reporting in Digital Medical Affairs
• Empowering Patients through e-Medical Initiatives
• Key Trends and Emerging Digital Issues in Medical Affairs

1. The majority digitally serve HCPs and KOLs. Opportunities exist to serve patients and payers as well.
2. Medical Communication and Medical Strategy lead strategy in mature groups, but involve 7 sub-groups in discussions.
3. Company websites are used by most companies, but only 6% say that they do so “very effectively.”
4. Five functions cooperate with Medical Affairs regularly around digital initiatives, with Compliance, Legal and IT the most common.
5. Virtual Ad Boards for digital interactions, online medical education for online programs and unbranded websites were channels rated most effective.

I.	Executive Summary	pg. 4
	One-page Executive Brief
	Segmentation Criteria
II.	Digital Landscape	pg. 7
	Groups Served Digitally by Medical Affairs
	Assessing Digital Services in Medical Affairs
III.	Digital Capabilities	pg. 12
	Critical Drivers of Successful Digital Programs
	Medical Affairs Involvement in Digital Programs
	Talent Backgrounds for Digital Developments
	Digital Channels: Effectiveness; Pros and Cons
IV.	Roles and Reporting in Digital	pg. 23
	Roles of Medical Affairs Groups in Digital Engagements
	Digital Activities of Medical Affairs Groups
	Internal Collaborations
V.	Empowering Patients via Digital Initiatives	pg. 38
	Maturity of Digital Patient Engagement Programs
	Digital Channels and Strategies
VI.	Digital Resourcing and Critical Trends	pg. 45
	Budget of Digital Programs
	Current and Future Critical Issues
	Demographic Profile
VII.	Appendix	pg. 56

• Critical success factors of digital programs in Medical Affairs

• Group(s) served by Medical Affairs group through digital channels (such as websites, platforms, virtual congresses, etc.)
• Importance and effectiveness of different groups to Medical Affairs group’s digital initiative plans

• Digital capabilities of Medical Affairs function
• Drivers of digital capabilities in Medical Affairs
• Planned digitization of key Medical Affairs activities currently done in a traditional / “off-line" manner
• Preferred background of new digital talent within the Medical Affairs function
• Effectiveness of listed e-Medical Channels in increasing overall engagement with key external stakeholders
• Benefits of digital channels/tactics over non-digital in engaging external stakeholders in Medical Affairs
• Top challenges of using digital channels/tactics vs. non-digital for engaging with external stakeholders - Internal issues
• Top challenges of using digital channels/tactics vs. non-digital for engaging with external stakeholders – Technological limitations
• Top challenges of using digital channels/tactics vs. non-digital for engaging with external stakeholders - Operational limitations

• Involvement and role of different Medical Affairs sub-functions in digital initiatives of any type at benchmarked organizations – Mature groups
• Involvement and role of different Medical Affairs sub-functions in digital initiatives of any type at benchmarked organizations – Evolving groups
• Percentage of Medical Affairs groups involved in digital initiatives and type of involvement
• Digital role and activities of different Medical Affairs sub-functions - Medical Communications, Medical Education and Medical Information
• Digital role and activities of different Medical Affairs sub-functions - Medical Field Teams and Medical Strategy
• Digital role and activities of different Medical Affairs sub-functions - Scientific Publications and Thought Leader Management
• Digital role and activities of different Medical Affairs sub-functions - Health Outcomes and Pharmacovigilance/Safety
• Collaboration of Medical Affairs with internal groups to develop and support digital systems and engagement programs
• Collaboration of Medical Affairs with Compliance group to develop and support digital systems and engagement programs
• Collaboration of Medical Affairs with Legal group to develop and support digital systems and engagement programs
• Collaboration of Medical Affairs with Regulatory group to develop and support digital systems and engagement programs
• Collaboration of Medical Affairs with Information Technology group to develop and support digital systems and engagement programs
• Collaboration of Medical Affairs with Commercial group to develop and support digital systems and engagement programs

• Digital maturity of patient engagement program
• Digital channels used by Medical Affairs function to engage with patients
• Effectiveness of digital channels for driving engagement with patients
• Important drivers in successfully engaging patients in a digital manner

• Annual budget allocation for all Medical Affairs related digital programs
• Top digital engagement trends that will greatly impact the Medical Affairs function going forward
• Critical issues to Medical Affairs digital engagement

• Geographic area of responsibility of mature and evolving groups
• Therapeutic area of responsibility of mature and evolving groups