Interactive Content for MedComms

This video provides an in-depth exploration of interactive and functional content for Medical Communications (MedComms), specifically focusing on its application for Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) within the Veeva ecosystem. James Harper, Managing Director of 28b, begins by setting the context of the evolving landscape for HCP engagement, particularly post-COVID-19, which has accelerated the need for multi-channel and remote interaction strategies. He emphasizes how platforms like Veeva CRM and CLM (Closed-Loop Marketing) can empower MSLs to deliver more impactful engagements with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and stakeholders by leveraging data-driven content.

Harper meticulously breaks down the Veeva universe, narrowing the focus to Veeva Vault, CRM, and CLM. He explains the critical concept of Veeva Vault as a "single source of truth" for compliant content, detailing the workflow from content creation and approval in PromoMats/MedComs to its deployment on MSL iPads via the CRM. A core methodology discussed is Closed-Loop Marketing, where data collected from MSL-stakeholder interactions (e.g., slides shown, responses to questions) feeds back into the system to inform and optimize future content. This iterative process allows for continuous improvement and personalization of scientific discussions, moving beyond static presentations to dynamic, responsive content.

The presentation draws significant parallels and lessons from the commercial pharmaceutical world, where functional content has been more widely adopted. Harper cites data indicating a substantial improvement (up to 71%) in positive engagement outcomes when interactive sales aids are used, especially those that encourage customer input. He then transitions to demonstrating practical examples of functional content, genericized for confidentiality, which are suitable for field medical teams. These include interactive discussion guides for understanding clinical pathways (e.g., ADHD patient journey), tools for market access discussions (e.g., drug comparisons, cost analyses), and dynamic data visualizations for exploring study results. The overarching goal is to enable MSLs to have bespoke, insightful conversations that meet the specific needs of their stakeholders while simultaneously gathering valuable intelligence.

Key Takeaways:

• Veeva as a Central Ecosystem: Veeva Vault serves as the "single source of truth" for all approved medical and commercial content, ensuring compliance and consistency across various channels and field teams.
• CRM/CLM for MSLs: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Closed-Loop Marketing (CLM) principles, traditionally associated with sales, are equally vital for MSLs to understand KOLs, personalize interactions, and track engagement data, moving beyond simple call reports.
• Post-COVID Engagement Shift: The pandemic has drastically accelerated the shift towards virtual and hybrid engagement models, with a significant majority of HCPs now preferring a mix of virtual and in-person meetings, necessitating robust digital content strategies.
• Empowering the Multi-Channel MSL: Veeva platforms enable MSLs to orchestrate diverse engagements, including face-to-face, remote meetings (Veeva Engage), compliant emails, virtual congresses, and directing stakeholders to online educational resources.
• Value of Functional Content: Interactive and functional content significantly enhances engagement, leading to better outcomes. Data from commercial teams shows a 71% improvement in "good sell outcomes" when engaging sales aids are used, a principle transferable to medical discussions.
• Data-Driven Content Optimization: The closed-loop system allows for the collection of granular data (e.g., slides viewed, customer input) from interactions, which can then be analyzed to refine content, making it more relevant and impactful over time.
• Interactive Discussion Guides: Examples include tools for assessing KOL priorities (e.g., patient groups for a new pediatric license), exploring clinical pathways (e.g., ADHD referral steps), and facilitating market access discussions with dynamic cost/opportunity analyses.
• Dynamic Data Visualization: Content can incorporate real-time, interactive data visualizations of study results, allowing MSLs and KOLs to collaboratively explore complex scientific information in an engaging manner, rather than relying on static screenshots.
• Insights and Intelligence Gathering: Functional content can be designed to subtly gather insights from stakeholders through interactive questions or pathways, providing valuable intelligence on treatment preferences, referral patterns, and unmet needs.
• Dashboards for Stakeholder Understanding: Veeva can provide MSLs with dashboards that offer deeper insights into their stakeholders' preferences and engagement history, enabling more bespoke and effective future interactions.
• Content Personalization: Leveraging data from interactions and optional surveys (Veeva Surveys), content can be tailored to individual stakeholder needs, ensuring that the most appropriate scientific information is presented.
• Modular Digital Publishing: A future trend involves creating pre-approved, modular components of content that can be flexibly assembled and deployed across various channels, streamlining content creation and ensuring consistency.
• MedComms Agencies' Opportunity: MedComms agencies have a significant opportunity to move beyond traditional deliverables and embrace the creation of data-driven, interactive content for platforms like Veeva, contributing directly to measurable engagement outcomes.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Veeva: Veeva Vault, Veeva CRM, Veeva CLM, Veeva Engage, Veeva Surveys, PromoMats, MedComs.
• Tableau: Mentioned as an external tool for data analysis and business intelligence.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS): Where Veeva Vault instances are hosted.
• iPad: The primary device for field teams to deliver Veeva content.
• Doctors.net, Accenture, Cross Health, Stem Healthcare: Sources for market data and insights.

Key Concepts:

• Functional Content: Content designed not just to inform but to facilitate interaction, gather data, and drive specific outcomes or discussions.
• Closed-Loop Marketing (CLM): A marketing strategy where customer interaction data is collected, analyzed, and used to refine subsequent marketing efforts and content, creating a continuous feedback loop.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): A system and strategy for managing an organization's interactions with current and potential customers, primarily focusing on improving business relationships.
• Medical Science Liaison (MSL): A field-based scientific expert who builds relationships with KOLs and other healthcare professionals to exchange scientific and medical information.
• Single Source of Truth: A concept referring to a data storage principle where all data is stored in one place, ensuring consistency and accuracy across all applications and users.
• Multi-channel MSL: An MSL capable of engaging with stakeholders across various digital and in-person channels, adapting to their preferences.
• Modular Digital Publishing: An approach to content creation where content is broken down into smaller, reusable, pre-approved modules that can be combined and deployed across different platforms and channels.

Examples/Case Studies:

• Calcium Bone Replacement Therapy: An example illustrating how interactive content can assess a customer's (HCP's) prioritization of patient groups (e.g., pediatrics vs. adults) and their approach to treatment (lifestyle advice vs. medication), allowing for tailored discussions and data collection on trends.
• ADHD Clinical Pathway (Minecraft-style): A heavily genericized example of a self-led interactive tool used by medical teams and at conferences to understand clinicians' referral pathways and steps, providing comparative data (national average, guidelines) in return for their input.
• Market Access Discussions: An interactive tool designed to help CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) or clinical directors visualize costs, opportunities, and compare different drugs based on patient profiles, with the ability to share the generated insights via email.
• Opioid Misuse (Public Affairs): A dynamic presentation visualizing statistics on opioid misuse, allowing for country comparisons, used to drive discussions and gather insights on areas of interest.
• Data Exploration for Study Results: An interactive visualization tool that allows MSLs and clinicians to collaboratively explore clinical outcomes and background information from various studies, moving beyond static charts to dynamic data representation.