88% of Surveyed Pharma Companies Track Inbound Calls per Month to Monitor Call Center Efficiency

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC--(Marketwired - June 23, 2016) - Tracking the number of inbound calls per month is the top way that surveyed pharmaceutical companies monitor their medical information call centers' efficiency, according to a benchmarking study published by Cutting Edge Information.

One of the top challenges that medical information groups face in today's budget-constrained environment is the ability to demonstrate their value without the availability of a monetary ROI. But tracking calls per month and other key performance indicators (KPIs) has proven effective at proving the medical information team's strategic importance to the organization.

Medical information groups' primary role is to provide useful and effective assistance to patients using and healthcare providers prescribing their companies' medicines. But senior management prefers to see proof that medical information groups are operating efficiently and effectively prior to authorizing new or increased funding for the department.

Cutting Edge Information's study, Medical Information and Call Center Performance: Building New Practices to Meet the Evolving Needs of HCPs and Patients, examines medical information KPIs, as well as strategies to boost productivity and demonstrate value. Tracking call center performance with appropriate performance indicators and setting realistic goals will improve group efficiency - and increased efficiency is critical as these teams' responsibilities expand.

"In order to identify key performance indicators to monitor call center efficiency, surveyed companies primarily track a combination of the number of inbound calls per month, turnaround times, abandonment rates, and customer satisfaction," said Jacob Presson, senior consultant, data products at Cutting Edge Information.

The key performance indicators examined in the study are commonly used throughout the industry. When measured and presented in combination, these KPIs paint a very effective picture of call center activity and how well these activities are being carried out. Other metrics -- such as average hold time, median hold time and outbound calls per month -- while valuable for some companies, are not as popular among the companies surveyed in the study.

Medical Information and Call Center Performance: Building New Practices to Meet the Evolving Needs of HCPS and Patients, available at http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/research/medical-affairs/information-teams/, details the results of in-depth survey and interviews conducted with top life sciences companies' medical information executives. The study provides readers with exhaustive analysis and KPI benchmarks of the industry's most innovative companies.

With the insights and metrics that this report provides, medical information executives will be prepared to demonstrate value and argue for more resources for their department and for their pharmaceutical call centers. Other benefits of purchasing this study include:

• Benchmarking your medical information teams - both internally and at the call center - against key performance indicators collected and analyzed in this study.
• Aligning budgets with call center volume and group responsibilities.
• Learning the advantages of implementing self-guided training programs to maximize efficiency.
• Boosting efficiency by establishing clear processes for elevated calls.
• Exploring call center operations for teams of different sizes and regions.

To learn more about Cutting Edge Information and its medical affairs report offerings, please visit http://cuttingedgeinfo.com/.

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