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An empty board room that would be used for a medical advisory board.
Andrew O'Reilly3 min read

5 Best Practices When Running a Medical Advisory Board [Free Download]

Putting together a medical advisory board? You’ve come to the right place - the team at CTC has been providing expert advisory board solutions for 30 years, successfully completing more than a hundred in the last year alone. So if you’re a medical education manager who needs to facilitate a medical advisory board, make sure you follow these five best practices.

But first, what is a medical advisory board?

A medical advisory board is a group of external experts and key opinion leaders (KOLs) who provide guidance on clinical practices, marketing strategies, drug development or patient care. Medical advisory boards are important as they help medical and healthcare organizations ensure scientific accuracy and medical rigour. 

Best Practice #1: Define your advisory board’s objectives 

Always start with defining the goals of the medical advisory board. You need to identify the “why” behind the meeting. Are you seeking feedback to test new messaging for a drug or health product? Are you looking to validate clinical development plans or uncover unmet needs within a therapeutic area? Is the board meant to provide jurisdictional oversight for an organization? Establishing a clear purpose will ensure your board is focused, productive, and valuable for both the members and your organization. Make sure your objectives are aligned across all stakeholders. 

Best Practice #2: Choose the right members to sit on your advisory board

The success of a medical advisory board hinges on the quality and diversity of its members. When selecting key opinion leaders (KOLs) or healthcare professionals (HCPs) to participate, it’s important to consider several key criteria, such as:

  • Medical expertise, including qualifications and medical licenses
  • Geographic representation or practice settings 
  • Memberships to other boards, groups, institutions or organizations
  • Depth of subject matter knowledge or clinical experience 

The diversity of your members will enrich the discussion and lead to more well-rounded, actionable insights. Maintaining balance and compliance is essential when building your roster of participants. Be mindful of potential conflicts of interest and potential biases. 

One important tip: avoid relying on the same members across multiple ad board programs. Partnering with a medical communications agency like CTC, who has a database of over 15,000 HCPs, may be helpful in this respect. 

Best Practice #3: Create professional meeting reports 

Capturing and communicating the outcomes of your medical advisory board is just as important as the meeting itself. After the session, create a professional meeting report that synthesizes key insights into clear, actionable recommendations. Rather than simply transcribing discussion points, focus on highlighting the main themes, critical takeaways, and strategic advice provided by the members. Most of all, make sure the report is easy to review and digest. CTC has a foolproof example advisory board report that you can download for free as a template!  

Best Practice #4: Ensure your advisory board is compliant 

Compliance is a non-negotiable part of running a medical advisory board. Before you start, consult a legal expert. You may want to draft clear agreements covering conflicts of interest, confidentiality and member roles. 

Transparency is also critical. Disclose the nature and purpose of the medical advisory board clearly to all participants. It’s equally important to maintain a strict separation between scientific discussion and any promotional activities.

Best Practice #5: Create engaging and action-oriented agendas for your advisory board 

A medical advisory board’s value is driven by meaningful discussion. To maximize engagement, structure your agenda to prioritize interaction over passive listening. Incorporating tools like case studies and breakout groups can help with this.

Don’t overlook the importance of strong pre-read materials and briefing documents. Sending concise, well-organized content well in advance helps members come prepared with informed perspectives, making the actual meeting time far more productive and focused.

Well-executed medical advisory boards provide critical insights that shape effective, compliant medical education. If you’re looking for more support as you develop your advisory board plans, reach out to the team at CTC! We can help you shine in front of your customers and colleagues, reach out to us for a FREE quote.

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Andrew O'Reilly

Andrew’s primary role is to understand the needs of our healthcare and pharmaceutical clients. He then works with our internal teams to develop proposals and execute medical communications projects that address the client need. From pitch to project completion, Andrew is ultimately responsible for delivering an exceptional experience to our customers.

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