Omni-Channel MSL

Few roles in pharma have been evolving as quickly as the Medical Science Liaison (MSL). Over the last 10 years the responsibilities of MSLs have been steadily broadening and in the last year we experienced a rapid acceleration of the digital transformation of the role. That obviously comes with the need of a new set of skills and deep understanding of the new technologies available today. I have identified 4 main areas of digital transformation impacting the role of the MSL.

Innovative KOL Mapping. 

Identifying the key stakeholders and decision makers in each geography has always been one of the core responsibilities of an MSL. However there are new tools today that enable MSLs to conduct a much more thorough analysis in a fraction of the time. There are a number of providers including System Analytic, H1 Insights, Komodo, Monocl, that offer a variety of thought leader mapping and engagement functionalities. My favourite are those that leverage AI to keep their dataset up to date rather than relying only on human input. Ideally a combination of the two offers the best results but those are also the most expensive providers. Integration with the CRM already utilized by the team is also a nice feature even though I have found very few providers that actually offer a full and seamless integration with Salesforce’s Veeva. 

DOL Identification. 

An emerging group of thought leaders are the so-called Digital Opinion Leaders (DOL) that represent a distinct group of medical experts who are also social media influencers. There is often a level of overlap between traditional KOLs and DOLs but it is extremely important for the MSL to have a clear vision of both groups. Even though the main social media by far, when it comes to healthcare, is still Twitter, other social media including Instagram, Doximity, and even TikTok are gaining more traction. DOLs are connected with thousands of peers and HCPs and they have the ability and prominence to influence and contribute to educate the healthcare community. Better to have them on your radar, right? 

Social Media Listening. 

Once you know, as an MSL, who your DOLs are, it becomes crucial not only to follow and engage with them on Twitter but also to have access to a system that will enable you to aggregate multiple data points and perform more complex analysis, the so-called social media listening. One excellent opportunity for that are medical conferences, especially now that congresses are all virtual, so much of the discussion and commentary is happening on Twitter. One of the tools that allows MSLs to do in depth analysis and social listening is Symplur. There is clearly a learning curve when using these platforms but the number and quality of insights that could be generated is immense. 

Virtual Engagement. 

This is the last and most sophisticated step for an MSL to become an Omni-Channel MSL. It requires to fully leverage all the available ways to engage and stay connected with your KOLs and DOLs including video calling, virtual medical booths, social media, virtual conferences, enhanced instant messages as well as all the traditional channels. It is very important that the communication and education is consistent across all channels and fully customized to the particular channel you are using at each time. The same educational material may be great for a 1:1 Zoom call with a medical expert but way too lengthy for WhatsApp. A tool like Larvol can help the Omni-Channel MSL to find opportunities for engagement by combining elements of KOL/DOL identification and social listening. This is also the area where compliance to local rules and regulations is crucial so make sure to learn all it is required on that front before you jump into action. 

It is hard to keep up with the fast pace of innovation in medical affairs but in order to be a great MSL in a modern medical organization is important that these technologies are part of your toolkit and you have the skills required to leverage them at their fullest potential. The good news is that all these platforms are broadly available and professional societies such as MSLS and MAPS offer dedicated training curricula so it is up to you! 

All the views, analysis, and perspectives are fully independent and belongs to the author only. They do not represent the views or opinions of any company or organization.