While medical science liaisons (MSLs) are great at building relationships and gathering information, do you sometimes wish they would be better in translating the intelligence obtained in the field into meaningful medical insights that can inform your global strategy?
You are not alone! Many Global Medical Affairs professionals recognise the importance of regular training of their field associates. Having supported various internal training events, we would like to draw your attention to an interactive workshop format.
The Workshop solution
A workshop will help you address multiple challenges in one go. First, rather than combing through individual insight reports, you can ask your team for structured input into a standardised template – it’s easier to spot and analyse patterns! Second, you can use it as a training opportunity for your field team to hone their active listening skills and practice strategic insight collection. And, finally, an interactive session, whether in person or online, will facilitate team building and strengthen cross-functional and cross-border interactions.
Top tips for planning your workshop
1. Preparation
Identify the insights you would like to focus on in advance, share background materials and objectives, and encourage MSLs to take the lead role in presenting and discussing insights.
2. Using the STAR framework
Get your field personnel to practice using real-life examples of conversations with healthcare professionals.
Apply the STAR framework to your discussions:
⭐ Situation
⭐ Task
⭐ Action
⭐ Result
Encourage MSLs to ask questions to reveal underlying challenges. It’s a good idea to prioritise depth over breadth: in each workshop, focus on one or two real-life scenarios and leave enough time for discussion.
3. Peer-to-peer learning
Connect MSLs and encourage exchange of information. There’s a wealth of training techniques you can use here, from role play to breakout sessions followed by larger group discussions.
Measuring success
If done well, you will see the effects of your medical insights workshop in the following outcomes:
- Increased quality of field-generated insights
- Higher conversion rates from insights to strategic initiatives
- Improved engagement of the field medical team in global strategy discussions
By investing in structured training and workshop facilitation, you can transform field medical intelligence from a collection of individual insights into a powerful tool that drives medical strategy.
Parse Medical | Consultancy services for Medical Affairs and Medical Communications 
Leave a comment