The challenge
MedComms Experts needed to create a 3-day course for an already-expert audience in just 5 weeks. The comprehensive content needed to synthesise the science and communicate it in a way that was easy for the audience to understand and assimilate, while raising the knowledge level. In addition to content development, that meant liaising with multiple, external experts in the field of immunology, coordinating slide reviews and managing the revision process. Finally, MedComms Experts had to implement an effective and efficient way to measure knowledge and progress throughout the course.
The solution
To meet these various challenges, MedComms Experts endeavored to offer full-service content development and project management:
- Excellence in project management
A professional approach to project management and extensive experience in workflow management made it possible to create all the course material, covering 400 slides, as well as an e-learning platform, within deadline, while collaborating with a large group of stakeholders. - Captivating visuals
More than 70 tailor-made illustrations were developed by a qualified, in-house medical illustrator. The burden of obtaining copyright clearances for illustrations from textbooks would have been very time-consuming and costly and result in inconsistency due to the varied nature of their sources. Consistency and high level of detail across the illustrations were key to helping the Baxalta team understand the content in a limited amount of time. - Instructional design
A hybrid curriculum (partly face-to-face training, supported by the e-learning environment) was created to stimulate preparations, measure knowledge (pre-test and post-test), provide additional resources, and issue Baxalta course certificates. This offered the additional advantage of detailed assessment and outcomes reporting, which clearly delineated the topics that needed extra attention.
“I was really impressed by the level of knowledge, the meeting of deadlines, management of communications with thought leaders. The slides were comprehensive, and the illustrator did a fantastic job as well. It was a very successful project with very little headache. Medicalwriters.com made the process very smooth.”
The result
Course participants reported feeling the course had been valuable, and that they’d improved their knowledge levels. With 80% considered as the threshold for passing, the pre-test versus post-test scores were demonstrably improved: 35% of participants passed the pre-test, and 95% passed the post-test. The one participant who did not pass the final test still had a nearly-passing score of 79.7%.
What’s more, Baxalta saved time and enhanced staff knowledge with a comprehensive course, all within budget. “I’ve been working with MedComms Experts for two years, and we’ve developed advisory boards, publications and even a web-based CME event for nurses on immunoglobulin usage,” says Dr Nikolov. “MedComms Experts delivers on time and with quality. Right now, we’re working on two new publications, and I can see it’s shaping up nicely yet again. I’m very happy.”
His advice for others who may be considering working with MedComms Experts? “I would tell them to stay away, so that I can have MedComms Experts focusing on my projects,” Dr Nikolov says with a laugh. “But, in seriousness, they balance volume and quality, and that’s why we’ve expanded and continued the relationship.”
