You have decided to build a medical communications initiative. The easy part is now done. It’s time to begin piecing the project together. But how do you start putting together a medical communications project, and how do you know what to budget for it? A good place to start is determining the objectives of your medical communications project, and then finding an agency like CTC to provide a quote.
Step 1: Decide on your medical communications objectives, timeline, and scope
Think about what you want to accomplish with your project and what your timeline is. Once those are in place think about the next three scoping elements:
- Audience: Who is this for? Is the educational need in pharmacy, family practice, and specific specialty, or should this initiative be multi-disciplinary in nature? How many target clinicians?
- Content: Is the data ready for primetime? Are the unmet educational needs understood? What are the clinical questions the healthcare community currently needs to solve for?
- Format: Would the audience prefer slide-based or digital? Synchronous or asynchronous (or both). Is there budget for a full roll-out, or should this be one-time national webinar?
By defining these elements, the project scope is in place, and the estimate begins to become clearer.
Step 2: Consider what resources or products you might need for your project
When considering getting a quote for a project, think about if there are specific products or services you might need. If you don’t know, a medical communications agency will be able to advise. For example, if the initiative entails surveying clinicians who then fill in patient information, a repeatable survey tool like Vivomap, could be a fit. When working with an agency that already has medcomms products built, it can speed up your timeline and reduce cost.
Step 3: Research medical communications agencies that meet your needs
Now that you know your objectives and have an 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 who speak about what their 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.
