The market leader in virtual work environments for healthcare professionals
Advisory
Boards
Scientific
Discussion
Groups
The Case for Virtual Advisory Boards
Hospital
Professional
Networks
Voluntary
Collaboration
Programs
Association Members
& Committees
1
Agenda
A Macro View:
• Industry driving the need for change
• Quick concepts about virtual advisory board capabilities
The Case, Part 1: Top five reasons why pharmaceutical clients are
implementing virtual advisory boards
The Case, Part 2: Top five reasons why pharmaceutical agencies are
implementing Within3’s virtual advisory boards
The Case, Part 3: Top five reasons why advisory board participants/
consultants are embracing virtual advisory boards
The Macro View:
•
Industry driving the need for change
•
Quick concepts about virtual advisory board
capabilities
3
Macro Industry Drivers
Drivers
Result
Government regulations
• Physician Payment Sunshine Act
• Fair Market Value reporting
• Changes in the planning and execution
of advisory boards
− Focus on venues that make it easier for
Pharma P&L challenges
resulting in:
•
•
•
Layoffs and outsourcing
Increased focus on specialty
products
participants
− Allow for quicker, shorter sessions
− No longer able to use advisory boards
as marketing/relationship vehicles
• Pharma must do more with less
− Reduce cost of HCP engagement
− Need to include varying participant types /
specialties
Participant concerns
• Busy schedules limit ability to
participate in live meetings
• Employer/peer/patient pressure
to avoid pharma payments
• Opportunities for new and innovative
solutions
− Looking to build future capabilities
− Looking to augment existing programs
4
Internal Viewpoints and Perspectives
Internal
Stakeholders
•Medical Affairs
•Brand
Teams
•Legal
•Compliance
“I’m facing headcount
reductions, but still need to
service internal and external
clients.”
— Medical Affairs
Common
Themes
“Due to tightened legal and
regulatory approaches,
advisory board rules,
processes and execution must
be more transparent.”
— Legal & Compliance
“It is challenging to our team
to grow revenue and become
more responsive to customers
with budget cuts and tighter
regulatory constraints.”
— Brand Manager
5
Better Outcomes By Integrating Digital Collaboration
Solutions into Advisory Board Programs
Traditional Live
Meetings
Digital Advisory Venues
Online Community Discussion
Compliant,
multi-device access
Traditional Live Meeting
Processes and Best Practices
Real-time Web
Conferencing
Digital Advisory Venues
Processes and Best Practices
6
Virtual Advisory Boards Offer Additional Forms
of Secure Communication
Face-to-Face
Telephone
Online
Discussion
Email
Notifications
Webcast
7
Key Business Drivers For Advisory Board Approach
Approach
Live Meeting Only
Key Business Drivers
• Establishing New HCP Relationships
• Year Round HCP Engagement
Virtual Advisory Board
Only
• Comprehensive Insight and Feedback
• Lowering Costs / Expanding # of Participants
• Year Round HCP Engagement
Live Meeting and
Virtual Advisory Board
• Comprehensive Insight and Feedback
• Establishing New HCP Relationships
8
Virtual Advisory Boards Expand Live Advisory Boards
1
Ability to Support Shorter Engagement Needs:
2
Holding Virtual Advisory Sessions Before a Live Meeting:
3
Holding Virtual Advisory Sessions After a Live Meeting:
Brand teams often do not have sufficient content / questions to support a
full, eight-hour live advisory session. Virtual advisory boards allow brand
teams to convene and execute sessions with smaller content amounts,
avoiding wasted time and money “filling in” unnecessary hours of content
to justify advisor meetings to internal compliance teams.
Frequently, advisors can be helpful in framing the best questions to ask,
and knowing the best materials required to make a live advisory board
meeting successful. Some Within3 clients use the virtual advisory board
platform in the weeks before a full live meeting to make everyone’s time
better spent in live sessions.
Oftentimes, follow-on data, market changes, or other factors make it useful
to convene advisors weeks or months following a live advisory board
session. The virtual advisory board platform permits brands to build annual
plans/programs allowing for additional communication to improve strategy
and ensure proper interaction with thought leaders.
9
Pharmaceutical Agencies Can Profitably and Effectively Integrate
Virtual Advisory Boards into Their Offerings
Within3 provides a full suite of technology and support services to help
ensure agencies are successful in positioning, selling and delivering a
best-of-breed customer experience.
Within3’s services complement those of an agency – allowing agencies to
develop deeper relationships, while continuing to focus on areas of
business growth.
10
The Case, Part 1:
Top Five Reasons Why Pharmaceutical Clients
are Implementing Virtual Advisory Boards
11
Top Five Reasons Why Clients are Adopting
Virtual Advisory Boards
1
2
3
Augment live advisory board
programs with virtual advisory
sessions for better results
Increase the number or type
of advisory board participants
without increasing costs
Address global or regional
meeting needs where logistics are
challenging or expensive
4
To be more responsive to current trends and industry changes
5
Lower costs by replacing live advisory board meetings with virtual
advisory board meetings
Reason 1: Augment Live Advisory Board Programs
Scheduled Live Advisory
Board Meeting
Jan
Feb
March
April…
Dec
Virtual session held before
the live meeting to:
Virtual session held soon
after the live meeting to:
Virtual Session held 6+ months
after live meetings
1. Orient participants on key
topics
2. Gain feedback on meeting
agenda and scope
3. Present pre-meeting
materials
1. Review summary and
findings, documents and
materials
2. Determine needs for
go-forward discussion
1. Discuss latest developments
and market changes
2. Ensure current perspectives
remain valid
Reason 2: Increase the Number or Type of
Advisory Board Participants
Within3 virtual environments allow for easy
segregation of users into different rooms.
Especially in complex disease states, clients
are expanding “who” they wish to gain advice
from to better serve their markets.
Examples include:
•
•
•
•
Differing types of specialists
Participants from differing localities
Physician extenders (nurses, physician
assistants, nurse practitioners, etc.)
Payors / Practice Management
professionals
While honoraria costs (and perhaps content
costs) may increase, venue costs remain low
and scalable, making a deeper pool of
participants possible.
14
Reason 3: Address Global or Regional Meeting Needs
Especially in global settings, the cost to bring advisory board participants
together can be prohibitive and determining the logistics can be burdensome.
A virtual environment provides the following advantages:
•
Language
•
Participants from
differing localities
•
Physician Extenders
(nurses, physician
assistants, nurse
practitioners, etc.)
•
Payors / Practice
Management professionals
15
Reason 4: Faster Response Time
• Participants can engage with a Within3 virtual environment at their
convenience 24/7, fostering more collaboration and deeper clinical insights,
allowing clients a faster response time
• Within3 advisory boards ensure deeper dialogue by ALL participants as
opposed to a live meeting where a few personalities tend to dominate the
conversation
16
Reason 5: Lower Costs
Within3 virtual advisory board
meetings displace the costs
associated with the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Travel and airfare
Hotel
Food and beverages
Meeting room
Live site materials / signage
Honoraria rates are often less
considering physicians spend
less time than they would
going to / from a live advisory
board session
• Travel management /
concierge services
vs.
Depending on the volume of
meetings, Within3’s virtual
advisory board meetings have
been estimated to save as
much as 25% to 50%
over “pass-through” associated
with live meetings
17
The Case, Part 2:
Top Five Reasons Why Pharmaceutical
Agencies are Implementing Within3
Virtual Advisory Boards
18
Top Five Reasons Why Pharmaceutical Agencies are
Implementing Within3 Virtual Advisory Boards
1
2
To deliver innovative programs
to clients for better results
To allow for business growth
without loss of key revenue
sources when transitioning from
live-only to digital or digital plus
live services
3
To respond to client demand by
replacing live advisory board meetings with virtual meetings
4
To deliver high customer satisfaction and value
5
Within3 Results Program assures strong readiness and
training for agencies to be successful when offering new services
for their clients
Reason 1: Deliver Innovative Programs to Clients
“More than ever before, the challenge for consultancies is to respond to
the need to up-skill their staff in the use of new technologies, to offer
an increasingly diverse range of services, yet at the same time, develop
a unique offering that makes them stand out.”
New skills and ways of working in healthcare comms
www.InPharm.com - November, 2011
At best, agencies who are unable to provide innovative alternatives in response
to the pressures facing pharma today open themselves up to potential
competition, and at worse face the potential of losing pieces of business from
key accounts.
Conversely, agencies who can deliver modern, effective alternatives to
traditional problems can differentiate themselves from the competition at both
existing and new potential accounts.
Reason 2: Allow for Business Growth Without Loss
of Key Revenue Sources *
Within3’s solutions increase “high value” services and revenues
for agencies when deployed in conjunction with live meeting
programs, while minimizing the “low profit” logistical and pass
through services.*
Key Service Summary
High value, profitable services such as strategy, content
development, project management, medical direction or
editing, session moderation, and client communications.
Low value (or even performed-at-a-loss) pass-though services
such as advisor travel planning and concierge, physical logistics,
hotel fees and sourcing, airlines, meals and lodging.
Honoraria and contract management.
Impact of Virtual
Advisory Programs on
Agency Fees
Same or Higher
Slightly Lower
No Change
* See “Comparison of Within3 vs. Webcast vs. Live Approach” in Product Learning Center for More
Detail
21
Reason 3: Respond to Client Demand
Whether it be via an
RFP or through
discussions with
clients, increasingly
more brand teams
are demanding the
adoption of virtual
meetings into their
strategic plans.
“With about 71% of physicians already using or
interested in using physician online communities,
it’s the right time for pharma to look into the marketing
and research opportunities offered by this channel.”
— Erika S. Fishman
Director of Research, Manhattan Research
In response to these demands, agencies are often faced with the choice to either
(a) dissuade the client from these ideas, (b) attempt to build and deliver solutions
on their own, or (c) to search for (and manage) partners who can fit within their
overall plans.
Within3 is the clear choice for agencies that want to put forth a comprehensive,
professional response to these requests.
Reason 4: Within3 Advisory Boards Deliver High Customer
Satisfaction and Value
Positive Feedback from Advisors
“The system was
user-friendly and
easily accessible.”
“I was able to
participate on
my time.”
“Community was easy
to navigate.”
Positive Feedback from Clients
“I am very happy
with the feedback
and the
participation.”
“The system provided
us access to our
advisors 24/7 and
created a positive
environment for
capturing insights.”
Reason 4: Within3 Advisory Boards Deliver High Customer
Satisfaction and Value
Within3’s services
complements — not
competes — with those
provided by a medical
communications agency. In
fact, no Within3 project can
be delivered without an
agency partner to drive the
overall solution.
This allows agencies to feel
secure in maintaining key
client relationships,
delivering deep, valueadded services, and
affecting positive results
when working with Within3.
“First Time” Readiness Services
Goals Assessment / Fit Determination
“Per Session” Services
Content, Topics
and Questions
Organizational Readiness
Medical / Legal / Compliance Planning
and Implementation
Discussion,
Analysis and
Monitoring
Moderator Training
and Faculty
Orientation
Within3’s methodology for enabling successful virtual
advisory board sessions ensures the needs of agencies and
their clients are met.
24
Reason 5: The Within3 Results Program Assures
Successful Readiness and Training for Agencies
Within3’s services
complements – not
competes – with those
provided by a medical
communications agency. In
fact, no Within3 project can
be delivered without an
agency partner to drive the
overall solution.
This allows agencies to feel
secure that they can
maintain key client
relationships, deliver deep,
value-added services, and
affect great results when
working with Within3.
Within3 Services
Organizational
Readiness Services
Moderation
Coaching
Agency Services
Brand Strategy
Live Event
Execution*
Discussion
Monitoring*
User Orientation
Venue Design, Setup
and Operation
Content Adaptation
Session
Moderation*
Content
Creation*
Member Recruiting
Honorarium and/or
Contract
Management
Analysis and
Conclusions
Broader Program
Integration
* Within3 can provide assistance as needed for agencies in
integrating existing content/processes into an online venue.
25
Within3’s Results Program
Supporting agencies in securing new business
Customized demos and sales materials to help realize the sale
Proposal language, templates, sales aids and examples
Medical/Legal/Compliance review support, materials and consulting
Supporting agencies in high-quality delivery
Deep experience structuring questions and content with agency clients
Environments can be customized to meet any brand or need
Free training available for moderation, administration and user orientation
The Case, Part 2:
Top 5 Reasons Why Participants/Consultants
Embrace Virtual Advisory Boards
27
Top Five Reasons Why Pharmaceutical Agencies are
Implementing Within3 Virtual Advisory Boards
1
2
The Sunshine Act has American
physicians reconsidering how much work
they do within the industry
Convenience to engage whenever it
is best for each participant during
session windows
3
Ease of use of the Within3 virtual advisory
board application
4
Language Barriers/Time to Consider
answers before contributing
5
More efficient use of time
Reason 1: The Sunshine Act is Deterring Physician Participation
in Industry Programs
In addition to concerns about limited time, American physicians are evaluating their
participation in industry activities with an eye towards their overall Sunshine Act
exposure. Within3 virtual advisory boards eliminate the non-work aspects of Sunshinerelated costs. This is doubly important because these fees are not viewed as “part of
my payment” by most physicians.
Example: High Level View of Sunshine Act-related exposure to an MD for same work provided:
Expense Item
Travel (Airline & Taxi)
Live Meeting
Within3 Virtual Meeting
$1000
$0
Meals (over 2 days)
$200
$0
Hotel
$300
$0
$1,600
$1,600
$3,100
$1,600
Honoraria*
Total “Payment” to
physician
* Assumes 8 hours at $200 per hour
Reason 2: Convenience in Participating
Within3 virtual advisory boards allow physicians to participate via discussion
threads during a pre-defined session at their convenience — whether before
rounds, after surgery, or late in the evening — avoiding the scheduling hassles
associated with live meeting sessions.
Reason 3: The Within3 Advisory Board Is Easy and Convenient
Within3’s advisory boards are designed specifically with healthcare professionals in mind – with
clear indicators of work to be done, and accessibility via any device.
Reason 4: Language Barriers / Time to Consider Answers
Before Contributing
Participants respond
at their own pace.
After reading materials
or accessing past
posts, participants
have the time to craft
their thoughts vs.
giving “on the fly”
answers that
sometimes permeate
live sessions.
This is especially
convenient for clinical
and/or global advisory
boards where careful
consideration of
answers is desired.
Reason 5: More Efficient Use of Time
Adding travel headaches into an already busy schedule can be demanding for advisory board
participants. By putting participants in control of when and where they participate, a greater
respect for their busy schedules is achieved. Additionally, participants process information at
different speeds, and engage at various levels. Helpful moderation tools assist moderators in
drawing out needed information from users in an encouraging way.
Appendix
34
Industry Wants to be More Effective When
Delivering Advisory Board Programs
Enhance the quality
of the Advisory Board Process
• More meaningful, thoughtful
dialogue
• Increase flexibility to achieve
objectives
Streamline compliance
and audit safeguards
Increase the productivity
of thought leader engagements
• Cover more topic areas
Reduce overall
resource utilization
• Decrease internal planning
time and expenses
35
Additional Reasons to Consider Virtual Advisory
Board Programs
Enables real time
scientific information
exchange with time
sensitive questions for
Brand/Medical Affairs
Allows peer-to-peer
connectivity and
collaboration with
more thoughtful
responses
Enables participation
regardless of geographic
boundaries; extends the
conversation outside of a
two-day meeting
Enables increased
connectivity and
learning by allowing
the possibility of
multiple touch points
throughout the
calendar year
36
Virtual Advisory Boards Reduce the Effort Needed to
Execute a Session
Consistent Mechanism will significantly reduce time to implement
Face-to-Face
Advisory Boards
Enterprise –
Virtual Physician
Community
Months to
Implement
1
1
Months to
Implement
2+
9+
Ongoing Engagement
Much Improved Execution Time





Platform compliance vetted and standardized by Legal / Compliance
Core components of digital solution and advisor contract template already approved
Logistical hurdles virtually eliminated (and flexibility increased)
Reduced dependency on resource support
Program content becomes focus
37
Virtual Advisory Board: 360 Degree Mutual Benefit
Secure, private logon
Ease of participation
•Interact on their
schedule from an
internet browser
•No travel
•No geographic and
time zone hurdle
•Available 24/7
Content in context
•Spend time crafting
responses and submit
when ready
•Formulate responses
based on the input of
other colleagues
Security
•Private, invitation
only environment
Business Benefits
•Enhanced knowledge
exchange
•Increased touch points
with advisors
throughout year
•Built to support
advisory board objective
•Available 24/7
Advisor
Life Sciences
Company
Reduced expense
and human
resource burden
Terms / advisor
contracts set the
expectations
38
Virtual Advisory Boards Reduce the Overall
Resource Burden
Ad Board Cost
Elimination of travel expenses enables significant savings
(Up to a 37% reduction compared to day’s avg. cost*)
Today
Enterprise Online HCP Ad Board Communities
• Hard Costs – Elimination of travel expenses
• Travel, hotel, meals, etc.
• Hard Costs – Reduced vendor cost
• Limited spend on fees due to limited focus on content creation
• Reduce number of vendors utilized for this function
• Soft Costs – Reduced burden on internal resources
• Consistent platform reduces time to implement
* Large Pharma company cost analysis; includes only hard costs
39
Key Benefits of Conducting a Virtual Advisory Board
Increased quality engagement,
full participation and compliance
Reduced
out- of-pocket
costs
Easier preparation of
conclusions and
recommendations
Better market
understanding via
increased interactions
Improved planning and
reaction to market events
Conduct webinars within
the Community
40
Anywhere, anytime.
Same user experience,
compliance standards
43
Medical / Legal / Regulatory: Common Issues
Most Common MLR Concerns
Additional MLR Concerns
Off label / Claim Expansion
Discussion
Regional Differences
Content/Response Approval Process
Promotional Content Distribution
Adverse Event
Information & User Security
Discoverability
Safe-Harbor
Data Retention
Fair Market Value
Member Contracting
Sunshine Act
44
A Multitude of Compliance Capabilities Lower Risk
in Virtual Advisory Boards
Key Compliance
Need
Example Capabilities in Modern
Community Platforms
Automated
Discussion Thread
Moderation
Off-Label/AE Keyword Matching
Preventative Filtering
Reactive Queuing
Controlled Queuing
Video Conference
Moderation
Attendee Question Queuing
Authorized Speaker Controls
Break-out Room Support
Document Controls
Monitoring and
Alerts
Role Support
Moderation Dashboards
Automatic Email Notifications
Compliance
Exception Handling
Thread Administration
Private Discussion Capability
User Access Control
Confidential
Content Delivery
Legal & User
Agreements
Audit Reporting &
Traceability
Secure Document Viewers
Role-Secure Content Areas
Configurable User Notifications
User Terms-of-Use
Community Guidelines
Expectation Agreements
User Conversation Tracking
Synchronized Transcripts
Key Resource Tracking
45