Best Practices, LLC, a benchmarking company specializing in determining best in class processes, wrote in a recent study on best practices for developing an e-business strategy The pharmaceutical industry sees thought leaders as an area of high impact and high leverage… The internet is emerging as a critical tool to reduce costs and raise service levels, while involving thought leaders earlier and more effectively. Pharmaceutical companies are beginning to recognize that using a blended approach of on-line and face-to-face meetings is an effective, and increasingly necessary, strategy.
When the Internet was initially applied to qualitative research the technology of choice was a real-time or chat platform, beginning and ending at a specific time, i.e. Tuesday at 3:00 PM. Unfortunately, this first generation platform did not meet the expectations because of the inherent scheduling challenges, time limitations, and awkward text-exchange mechanism hindering interactivity.
The next generation platform is asynchronous discussion, meaning participants log in over the course of days or weeks where and when it is convenient for them, and are able to respond not only to the questions posed by the moderator but also to each another. This format allows participants to interact with each other and the sponsoring client over time, allowing the discussion to evolve into an in depth meaningful conversation. The ability to post data in the form of abstracts, PowerPoint presentations or through the use of multimedia, contributes to the richness of the discussion.
It was the introduction of this asynchronous discussion platform that has allowed pharmaceutical companies to start taking seriously online advisory board meetings. Getting advisory board members engaged early and often has become the new mantra, whether eliciting feedback on product profiles, clinical trial design, branding and pricing or used as an effective medical education and communication tool during the pre and post launch phases. Conducting advisory board meetings online is becoming a successful part of the mix of approaches to achieve this objective.
Running successful online advisory board discussions rely on several key ingredients:
The benefits of conducting online advisory boards are many:
Flexibility: Companies have time to ask multiple follow-up questions, redirect the discussion, and even extend the discussion to cover more issues.
While the relationship building from live meetings can never be replaced, a strong argument is developing for the superior productivity of online discussions relative to live meetings. A study conducted by Novartis and IPSOS reported that word count, and more importantly, idea content of online discussion groups was equal to or greater than that of live meetings. With increased pressure to get more productivity from their advisory board members, the pharmaceutical industry is beginning to see the logic of using web-based approaches to augment their live meetings.
MedPanel, Inc. of Cambridge, MA, one of the early pioneers of asynchronous qualitative research, has conducted over 200 online advisory board meetings and focus groups over the last three years for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.
For more information on advisory/advocacy forums contact erin.sheehan@medpanel.com or visit their website at medpanel.com.
