Medical Science Liasion (MSL) Managers are the medical sales force in life sciences companies and, in addition to the sales force, an important tool in communication and exchange with Healthcare Providers (HCP) and Key Opinion Leaders (KOL).

MSL communication in the omnichannel mix

In addition to the sales communication of key account managers, the communication of Medical Science Liaison (MSL) managers has also changed significantly as a result of the pandemic. On-site visits previously accounted for about 90% of interactions. With the outbreak of the pandemic, those visits have radically decreased and been replaced by phone calls and emails. New channels, such as video meetings and webinars, were rapidly introduced as well. Communication has therefore been completely restructured within a short period of time which also means that the interactions between MSL managers and HCPs as well as KOLs need to be tracked and evaluated in more detail.

Gaining knowledge through MSL analyses

While the communication channels used in sales and medical sales forces are mostly identical, the nature and extent of interactions differ greatly. The medical sales force requires intensive preparation time for each HCP appointment, as the discussions and topics are highly individualized. Moreover, requests from HCPs often arise spontaneously and at short notice during the use of a . Life sciences companies also often distinguish between Medical Science Liasion Managers, who spend most of their time in the field, and Office Based (OB) Managers, who primarily perform office-based activities. All these factors must be considered when selecting metrics and setting goals. If properly taken into account, the analyses can provide very important insights into the degree of fulfillment of set interaction goals, the efficiency of communication and the effectiveness of products for further product development.