Best Practices in Developing Medical Affairs Capabilities within Medical Device Firms

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Copyright © Best Practices, LLC
Best Practices, LLC Strategic Benchmarking Research
Best Practices in Developing Top-Tier
Medical Affairs Capabilities within Medical
Device Companies

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Table of Contents
 Executive Summary pp. 3-11
 Research Overview pp. 3
 Participating Companies pp. 4
 Key Recommendations pp. 5
 Segments & Abbreviations pp. 6
 Key Findings & Insights pp. 7-10
 Metrics for Medical Affairs Activities to Show
the Success to Stakeholders pp. 11-37
 Communicating the Valueof Medical Affairs pp. 38-48
 Coordinating the Global Medical Affairs Function pp. 49-57
 Benchmark Class pp. 58-59
 Participant Demographics pp. 60-64
 About Best Practices, LLC pp. 65-66

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Field Research & Insight Development:
Twelve survey responses from Medical Affairs leaders
at 10 leading Medical Device companies. This report
captures insights on two segments: Medical Device
Only and Medical Device + BioPharma segments.
Additional deep-dive interviews with 6 selected
Medical Affairs executives- 4 VPs and 1 Sr. Medical
Affairs Leader.
Provide Leading Insights on:
• Identifying the critical
requirements to create
effective global capabilities
• Defining and communicating
strong Medical Affairs metrics
for success
Research Objectives & Methodology
Research Objectives:
 Illustrate how leading Medical Device companies structure and organize their global Medical
Affairs capabilities
 Highlight strategies for building and maintaining effective reporting structures for global
organizations
 Understand challenges in creating successful Medical Affairs organizations
 Identify drivers of strong performance metrics
 Explore critical strategies to showcase Medical Affairs’ value to executives and other internal
stakeholders
Business Objective:
This research delivers current data, insights and best practices from Medical Affairs leaders at top Medical Device companies.
The benchmark data in this study will help companies find better ways to create strong performance metrics and successful
global Medical Affairs organizations.

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Universe of Learning: Research Participants from 2014 Study
This study engaged 12 executives from 10 leading life sciences companies. Segmentation analysis was key to examining trends
and effective practices. 6 participants make up the Medical Device Only Segment (MDS), while the Medical Device + Pharma
Segment (MDP) consists of 6 participants.
Benchmark Class

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Segments and Abbreviations
Segments:
• Benchmark Segment: Represented by aggregate participants of the survey.
• Medical Device Only Segment (MDS): Represented by companies that have only Medical Device
products primary to their business unit.
• Medical Device Plus Pharma Segment (MPS): Represented by companies that have both Medical
Device and biopharmaceutical branded products primary to their business unit.
Abbreviations:
KOL: Key opinion leader MSL: Medical science liaison
MA: Medical affairs TA: Therapeutic areas
MDS: Medical device only segment TBC: Total benchmark class
MedEd: Medical education TL: Thought leader
MPS: Medical device and pharma segment TLM: Thought leader management

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Key Findings & Insights: Metrics for Medical Affairs Activities
 Overall Medical Affairs Metrics: More than 80% of the benchmark class finds level of talent identification
& management a highly effective or effective metric.
 Segments: Medical device only segment (MDS) values all metrics less than the Medical device
plus pharma segment (MPS). Only 67%of MDS thinks talent identification & management and
medical affairs survey outcomes highly effective or effective metrics compared to 83% of MPS.
 Scientific Publication Metrics: Eighty-three percent of the benchmark class thinks that no.of works
submitted is a highly effective metric. In addition, 75% of the participants agree that % papers and
publications accepted is highly effective to evaluate scientific publication performance.
 Segments: We observed an important difference in perceived effectiveness of % papers and
publications accepted between the two segments. While half of MDS doesn’t find this metric
effective, all of the MPS thinks that % papers and publications accepted is either highly effective
or effective to measure their publication performance.
Implications for Medical Device Companies:
 Talent identification and management has become very important for Medical Affairs organizations within
the medical device industry. Two drivers are behind this trend:
1. Increasing importance of interacting with key decision makers
2. Shortage in ideal talent and finding employees with strong scientific background and business
understanding.
 Scientific publications area provides the chance of creating and utilizing quantitative metrics more
compared to areas like thought leader management, medical education and communication.

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Medical Affairs Effectiveness: Please rate the effectiveness of the following metrics related to
various Medical Affairs areas in communicating the value and success of your organization to stakeholders.
N=12
Eighty-four percent of the participants find talent identification and retention metrics effective. In addition, more than two-thirds
of the participants think that Medical Affairs effectiveness surveys, formulating Medical Affairs budget and metrics related to
internal communication are powerful.
Companies Value Talent Management Metrics Most
OverallMA
Activities
% Respondents
42%
8%
17%
17%
17%
8%
42%
67%
50%
50%
42%
33%
8%
8%
8%
8%
8%
8%
8%
17%
17%
17%
8%
8%
17%
8%
17%
42%
Identifying and retaining top talent in medical affairs
Medical Affairs effectiveness surveys
Level of internal communication
Formulating budget to meet MA needs
Employing effective time management
Level of succession planning in place
Effectiveness of Overall Medical Affairs Metrics - Total
Benchmark Class
Highly Effective Effective Plan to Use in the Next 12 Months Not Effective Do Not Use

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N=12
More than three-fourths of the participants find number of works submitted and % papers or publications accepted highly
effective or effective metrics. In addition, 33% thinks % publications in top-tier journals are highly effective for
communicating Medical Affairs' success.
Scientific Publications Metrics: Please rate the effectiveness of the following metrics in
communicating the value and success of your Medical Affairs organization to stakeholders.
TBC Focuses on Volume in Scientific Publication Metrics
Scientific
Publications
% Respondents
8%
25%
33%
8%
8%
75%
50%
33%
58%
50%
8%
8%
8%
8%
8%
9%
8%
36%
8%
17%
17%
25%
33%
55%
Number of works submitted
% Papers or publications accepted
% Publications in top-tier journals
Publishing deadlines met
Time to publication
Number of reprints ordered
Effectiveness of Scientific Publications Metrics – Total
Benchmark Class
Highly Effective Effective Plan to Use in the Next 12 Months Not Effective Do Not Use

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Internal Communication Is Crucial to Medical Affairs Success
Although external communication is vital for the Medical Affairs function, solid internal communication lays a strong
foundation for external outreach. A solid internal program involves a multi-faceted approach to educating employees.
“Most of what people do is external communication. I have found that if you don’t have good internal
communication, you will have suboptimal external communication.” —Interviewed VP, Medical Affairs (Company A)
Case Example: Medical Affairs Internal Communication Program
 Entire company invited
 Up to 500 attend
 Mainly in US
 Expandable to regions
 Exposed employees to
thinking of a top opinion
leader
 Top KOL guest lecturer
 High level topics
 Focus – patients care,
disease state or research
 Purpose – education
 Not about products
 Regularly scheduled
meetings
 Involves all departments
that interact with Medical
Affairs
 Each group shares what
it is doing
 Activities & plans
presented
 Stakeholders learned
how to meet each
other’s needs and work
together better.
 Educational topics
 Medical Affairs leads
 Selected internal
groups are invited
 Assumed not everyone
is reading Medical Affairs’
publications
 Distributed copies of
significant papers
 Nurse headed program
 Purchased copies of
entire journal
 Attached cover letter
and dropped journals
off on people’s desks
 Visited recipients later
and discussed
 Expensive; got attention
FeaturesMechanics
Quarterly TL
speakers
Cross-functional
meetings
Seminars Publications

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Communication Methods/Channels: What methods/channels do you use for communicating the value of the
following Medical Affairs activities to stakeholders?
Benchmark class uses two methods/channels heavily while communicating the value and outcomes of important Medical
Affairs activities to stakeholders: Presentation/briefing and face-to-face meetings.
N=12
F-to-F Meetings and Presentations Are the Lead Communication Channels
% Respondents
10%
17%
9%
8%
9%
25%
17%
9%
8%
20%
8%
9%
20%
8%
17%
18%
18%
8%
8%
25%
9%
33%
42%
36%
45%
33%
50%
30%
17%
27%
10%
17%
17%
18%
27%
33%
17%
20%
17%
9%
8%
9%
9%
17%
17%
30%
33%
36%
60%
Medical/Clinical operations
Utilizing outcomes data effectively
Medical publications and medical communication
Internal training programs
Thought-leader management
Alignment of company strategies with MA practices
Continuing medical education programs
Internal noise level
Field-based medical team operations
Execution of medical call centers
Benchmark Class - Communication Methods/Channels
Phone Call Teleconference Email Database/Website Presentation/Briefing Face-to-Face Meetings Not Used

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Other: Canada,
Middle East and
Africa
Geographic Span
Fifty percent of Medical Device Only and 33% of Medical Device plus Pharma represent a global Medical Affairs unit.
Geographic Span: What is the geographic span of responsibility that you have in Medical Affairs at your company?
(Choose all that apply.)
N=6
N=6
Medical Device Only Mostly Represents Global; Medical Device plus
Pharma Mostly Represents Multiple Regions
% Respondents % Respondents
Global
(Including
U.S.), 50%
U.S. only,
17%
Others,
33%
Medical Device Only
Global
(Including
U.S.), 33%
U.S. only,
33%
Others,
33%
Medical Device and Pharma
Others: Western Europe, Middle East and Africa
Central & Eastern Europe, Oceania, Central/South America, Canada

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