Research shows what European KOLs think of MSLs they interact with. Through the deployment of scientific field teams (MSLs), organizations’ intentions are to share medical and clinical knowledge of products with the thought leaders who in turn can spread the information to physician communities and ultimately enhance patient experiences.

In the process, thought leaders become involved in various commercial and scientific activities, on behalf of the organizations who hired them to conduct engagements, such as speaking at conferences, participating in advisory board committees, assist in writing protocols, producing publications or providing consulting services.

Throughout their exchanges with industry organizations, thought leaders form an opinion of the various organizations they have dealt with. Arx conducted a study to assess KOLs’ relationships with industry representatives and their organizations, asking them to rate the various companies they have worked with. The figure above shows how companies rank based on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 representing an excellent quality of relationship (chart is truncated from full study results).

A quote from one study participant sums up what European KOLs think of MSLs, in general, and what they are looking for:

“Visit regularly, be perfectly prepared to communicate efficiently,

share the latest developments and

present your products based on their intrinsic merits.”

Many factors influence how thought leaders feel about their exchanges with life science organizations. There are professional elements related to each thought leaders’ experiences with organizations and personal aspects of relationships with MSLs and other representatives that influence their answers.

But, whatever the results of the research show, learning about thought leaders’ preferences provides constructive facts and evidence for medical affairs executives and field teams to act upon and enhance the quality of relationship-development activities. In return, each thought leader’s experience will be unique and valued.

If you are looking to refine your MSL/KOL relationships, we have a few reports to support your initiatives – available here:

[LINK] KOL Feedback (Asia-Pacific / Europe / LatAm / US) and Thought Leader Engagement Studies

Want to know how YOUR KOLs assess each MSL they work with, including yours, get in touch with us at info@arxresearch.com  to learn about our customized KOL survey solutions.