T2V is the new normal

The Medical Science Liaison (MSL) is a specific role within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, CRO and other health-care industries. MSLs have advanced scientific training and academic credentials generally consisting of a doctorate degree (Ph.D., PharmD., M.D.) in the life sciences. They concentrate on a specific Therapeutic Area (i.e. Oncology, Cardiology, CNS, Pulmonary, Hematology, Surgery, Women's Health Care, etc) and disease state. Some doctors who leave clinical practice become MSLs.

Medical Science Liaisons are vital in the success of a company. They work throughout a product's life cycle, help to ensure that products are utilized effectively, serve as scientific peers and resources within the medical community, and are scientific experts to internal colleagues at companies. However, the primary purpose of the MSL role is to establish and maintain peer-peer relationships with leading physicians, referred to as Key Opinion Leaders (KOL's), at major academic institutions and clinics.

Given the changes in the biopharma and medtech industries and the changing needs of health care providers, biopharma and medtech need to rethink the job description.

McKinsey identified three trends and recommended four ways that Medical Affairs can add value.

One way to redefine the role is to use the value proposition development model whereby the value proposition of the present MLSs would be changed to fit the jobs, pains and gains that need to be done by those members of disease specific care teams. For example, for a company that has created a new oncology, heart failure or hypertension drug, or for a medtech company that has created a new device to monitor and treat patients with diabetes,they need to understand who touches the patient, who helps those who do touch the patient and what are their needs that the company can satisfy? The problem definition would drive the solution, pain relievers and gain creators and roles that the newly defined "technology value creator" (TVC) would meet. Think of it like you would a technology concierge.

One way to create value, for example, is having the TVC work with stakeholders to create a clinical care pathway and identify potential opportunities for improvement.

Care team members consist of those who touch the patients and those who don't. The latter play an increasingly important support role and , while not directly involved in patient care, make a big difference in the doctor and patient experience. Think of all the people who support a combat soldier in the field. The technology care creator should be charged with understanding their issues, removing barriers and delivering products and services, pain relievers and a whole product solution. He or she then becomes another member of the care team, either directly or remotely.

One example is the surgical care team taking care of the patient team. The goal is to deliver high quality, low priced care and improve the care team and patient team experience. More frequently, data and information helps to drive decisions, measure and monitor outputs and facilitate continuous quality improvement and set prices for a given episode of care.

In addition, there are many barriers to sick care worker engagement. Another role of the technology value creator is to help care team members navigate or remove them.

Technology value creators, along with the sales and marketing force, are the eyes and ears of technology companies. Like an embedded reporter in a platoon fighting on the front lines, they can provide vital intelligence to their companies and needed support services and products to their partners. By doing so, companies can constantly keep their fingers on the pulse of doctors who are struggling to keep up with the pace of change, practice medicine using a viable business model and cope with multiple environmental stressors. In the final analysis, technology care creators would be charged with doing what every entrepreneur does- delivering a technology value proposition that translates into user defined value through the deployment of innovation. T2V is the new normal.

Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA is the President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs and Chief Medical Officer at Bridge Health