Maximizing Virtual Advisory Board Platforms
The benefits of virtual advisory boards in augmenting and replacing face-to-face advisory discussion with KOLs and HCPs are clear and established – lower cost, greater interactivity, synchronous and asynchronous content, no travel or logistical challenges, etc.
But there are many other ways in which a virtual advisory board platform (such as our SkyBoard solution) can enhance digital interactions and engagements with KOLs and HCPs.
One such area is the ability to go beyond simple “discussions in a virtual setting” and explore actual “collaboration” between the virtual advisory board participants to co-create content in real-time.
The Google and Office 365 suite of productivity solutions have helped to normalise the idea of co-creation of content in real-time. So how can we apply this to a virtual advisory board setting? Can KOL participants work together within a virtual advisory board to build a new management pathway, or formulate a call-to-action document, or create an educational PowerPoint for frontline physicians in their local markets?
Integrating the technology to do this within a virtual advisory board is only part of the answer. What’s equally important is training and educating the KOL participants to move beyond just synchronous (e.g. live video) and asynchronous (e.g. discussion posts) interactivity and embrace new collaborative ways of working that take all these different ideas into account.
Imagine mixing all these components in a virtual advisory board which spans a couple of weeks - the virtual advisory board event kicks off with the sharing of background materials which participants can review in their own time. Then perhaps there are some discussions and polls which participants complete before a set date. A live results review and content creation session could follow this activity, where everyone is online at the same time to build and create. After that, you could have a few days of asynchronous discussion where participants have time to comment and consider further issues in more detail.
Finally, the virtual advisory board could end with a live video meeting where everyone discusses outputs together. These are precisely the sort of programmes that our forthcoming innovations in SkyBoard will help create.
