You know that you want to start a medical communications project, but that’s the easy part. Most things are easier said than done, and while you can talk all you want about your prospective project, it’s not going to get off the ground until you begin piecing it together. But how do you start putting together a medical communications project, and how do you put together a budget for it? A good place is determining the objectives of your medical communications project, and then finding an agency like CTC that can provide a quote.
Step 1: Decide on your medical communications project's objectives
Think about what you want to accomplish with your project, along with its scope, timeline and reach. Consider a past case that the team at CTC spearheaded. Our client was looking to accomplish a few things: firstly, they wanted to raise awareness among physicians about knowledge gaps they may have had when it comes to diabetes care; secondly, the client wanted to promote the adoption of new guidelines in diabetes care; and finally, they hoped to drive behavioral change toward better patient outcomes. They decided on their objectives, but they needed help figuring out how to get there and what that would cost.
Step 2: Consider what resources or products you might need for your project
When considering getting a quote for a project, it’s important to think about what products you might need. If you don’t know, a medical communications agency should be able to advise. That’s what happened in the diabetes case study we referenced earlier. The team at CTC helped our client understand they needed a survey tool, like Vivomap, to complete their work. Vivomap is a survey tool developed by CTC that can collect data on a physician’s practice patterns. Knowing that you may need to create or use a product or tool like Vivomap is a contributing factor in receiving a project quote, as it can extend the project’s research and development phase. When you work with an agency that already has medcomms products built, it can even speed up your timeline.
Step 3: Research medical communications agencies that meet your needs
Now that you know your objectives and have a basic understanding of what resources and tools you may need, it’s time to find a medical communications agency that meets your needs. We recommend finding and reviewing at least 2-3 agencies before making a decision. Here are some top considerations while researching:
- Does the agency have case studies you can reference to see past successes?
- Do they have testimonials from other medical education managers, or project managers, who speak about what they day-to-day work was like with the agency?
- Does the agency have expertise and experience in the medical topic you’re focusing on?
- How large is the agency? Will they have capacity to support your needs?
- Is the agency easy to get in touch with? Are they accessible and ready to provide you with support, such as by offering a free quote?
Step 4: Get a free quote that meets your medical education budget
Once you’ve found a few agencies, it’s time to reach out to get a quote that will reflect your project’s objectives. When you do, make sure you provide your budget, objectives and expectations for the project, including any products or tools that need to be developed.
When it comes to our team at CTC, you can get a quote in a few quick steps. Simply visit our website and submit our Get a Quote form. We’ll get back to you within two days, and then we’ll be off to the races together. And, just for requesting a free quote, we'll plant 10 verified trees on your behalf. You can get your project started off right, and feel good about protecting the environment! Not ready to get a quote, but want to stay informed about medical communications? Sign up for CTC’s newsletter.
