On Average, 63 Percent of Medical Science Liaison Teams Struggle to Prove Their Crucial Value to Upper Management Outside the Medical Affairs Function

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC--(Marketwired - April 12, 2016) - Despite the countless contributions they make, 63 percent of surveyed medical science liaison (MSL) teams struggle to prove their value to upper management. MSL value may not be readily apparent because they do not generate revenue in the same way as sales and marketing teams, according to primary intelligence provider Cutting Edge Information.

Neither qualitative nor quantitative metrics alone are sufficient to solidify the value of MSL contributions. To illustrate worth, MSL teams often rely on a number of key performance indicators (KPIs), including the number of KOL relationships, KOL interactions and scientific presentations delivered. MSL managers can also report metrics that speak to the quality of thought leader engagement, such as average time spent in face-to-face meetings and the number of KOL feedback surveys collected. 

"Medical science liaisons are becoming the scientific face for life science companies," said Natalie DeMasi, senior research analyst at Cutting Edge Information. "Teams that properly leverage their MSLs will find that their in-person interactions with the medical and scientific community provide excellent opportunities to not only share, but also extract, valuable pieces of information." 

Capture and Communicate the Full Value of Medical Science Liaisons: Refining Global MSL Strategy with Compelling KPIs, available at https://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/research/medical-affairs/medical-science-liaisons/, provides key recommendations on how to support cross-functional activities, track quantitative, KOL-driven metrics, and align MSL-thought leader connections by therapeutic area. Key questions answered by this in-depth benchmarking study include:

• How exactly do MSL teams justify their existence?
• How do MSL teams make a case for maintaining or increasing annual budgets?
• What are some interteam communication strategies between MSLs and sales reps at top companies?
• What activities should MSLs focus on prior to/post product launch? 

To learn more about Cutting Edge Information's medical affairs research, please visit http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/library/medical-affairs/. 

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