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4-minute read

Creating training and learning solution programs that help your team educate and communicate effectively to payer, provider, and patient stakeholders can prove a major undertaking. Relying on a trusted learning solutions partner to assess team needs, develop and implement a curriculum, and measure results is an efficient way to upskill your staff for tomorrow's biopharma challenges.

Yet not all learning solutions providers are equal. The right program should leverage health economics, market access, and reimbursement subject matter experts in a collaborative environment.

Evaluate this checklist to assess key attributes of a market access and reimbursement learning solutions provider. Does your current training and development partner offer the following?

Evidence-based curriculum. Is the training content informed by an evidence-based approach? For some biopharma companies, especially emerging ones whose staff is already stretched thin, conducting a needs analysis is often a tall ask. That's where a learning solutions partner can step in. A learning solutions partner should transform scientific evidence and market intelligence to design, develop, and implement customized training programs to meet your team's needs.

Data analysis and interpretation. Is the training curriculum powered by data? A market access and specialty learning solutions partner asks the right questions of the data to provide actionable analytics on the program. Post-training evaluations will show the impact of new learnings over time. Changes in staff behavior that yield results for the business are the most important key performance indicators (KPIs) when evaluating program success.¹

Engagement with adult learners on their terms. Does your learning solutions partner consider effective curriculum design and the adult learner's unique needs and capabilities? Combining problem-based learning, small-group interaction, and gamification helps concepts stick. Your staff will make meaningful connections between the learnings and situations they encounter in their day-to-day.

Grasp of product and market complexity. Does your learning solutions partner offer expertise in complex commercialization content? Working with a market access and reimbursement learning solutions provider offers access to subject matter experts who understand the unique needs of payers and office staff members who work to secure product access for their patients. Look for a learning solutions partner with a deep understanding of these customer segments and the expertise to develop training content that enables your staff to meet their needs.

An understanding of the product support ecosystem. Does the training curriculum consider other critical matrixed team members such as medical science liaisons, field reimbursement managers, account managers, and patient support services personnel? Traditional biopharma training is narrowly focused on sales, but the full team should prepare to confidently address potential market access or reimbursement challenges.

Customization to the patient population. Does your learning solutions partner have the know-how to efficiently and effectively bring team members up to speed on specific patient access barriers and how to overcome them? When entering new markets, grasping the uniqueness of patient populations is critical. Training and development can support educational efforts behind product launches, with a partner that has experience with the nuances of biopharma market access and reimbursement being the strategic choice.

An understanding of changes in the industry and new regulations. Is the training curriculum optimized to take into consideration the ever-changing healthcare landscape? Your staff must grasp the complexity of issues like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) or Pre-Approval Information Exchange and successfully communicate regulations that will impact your stakeholders.

Knowledge based confidence building. Does your learning solutions partner engage and educate while building customer-facing teams' confidence? In the new model of biopharma, is biopharma hiring in-house field reimbursement teams? Bringing in a partner with deep, specific reimbursement knowledge demonstrates the facilitators' competence to your staff. Learning from the experts will empower them to feel confident in their knowledge base.

Audit of hard skills required for growth. Does your staff have the necessary knowledge to execute payer-related strategies? A learning solutions partner with a thorough knowledge of the inner workings of reimbursement, buy and bill, specialty pharmacy, and other key considerations for your clients can analyze team members' competency gaps in those areas and plan the appropriate training strategy.