What Peloton Advantage Expects from Freelance Medical Writers

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What Peloton Advantage Expects from Freelance
Medical Writers

• April 12, 2008

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Overview

• Brief Overview of Peloton Advantage
• How We Help Our Writers Help Us
• How We Screen New Writers
• Our Expectation Threshold
• Meeting Our Highest Standard
• How We Assess Writer Performance
• Overcoming Challenges Together

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Peloton Advantage

• Founded in 2005 by Carolyn Clark, MBA, and
  Michael McLaughlin, MD
• Based in Parsippany, NJ
• Medical Communications Company
• 85 of current business dedicated to strategic
  publication planning
• 15 to content development for medical programs

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Peloton Advantages Management Team

• Carolyn S. Clark, MBA
• Over 15 years of medical communications
  experience over 10 years dedicated to
  Publication Planning
• Previous positions include
• Director Publication Strategies and Services,
  Applied Clinical Communications
• Grew business from 3 to 25 pre- and post-marketed
  products covering CNS, Cardiology, Oncology, and
  Infectious Diseases
• Vice President, Publication Services, Medesta and
  MES Publications, Cardinal Health
• Grew business from 1 to 12 pre- and post-marketed
  products covering CNS, Cardiology, Infectious
  Diseases, and Womens Health
• Responsible for the full operational and
  financial management of the publications
  business
• Founding Member of the International Society of
  Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP)
• Membership Committee
• Former Program Committee Member
• Participated as speaker and workshop leader at
  past meetings

• Michael J. McLaughlin, MD
• Education/Medical Training
• BA from Harvard College
• MD from Columbia College of Physicians and
  Surgeons
• Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center Residency
• University of Utah Residency
• 10 years of clinical experience
• Previous positions include
• Medical Director, Interlink Healthcare
  Communications
• Worked on US and global products in all phases of
  development
• New Business Task Force
• Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific
  Officer, Cardinal Health
• Oversaw Scientific Affairs Division, consisting
  of Medesta and MES Publications, Clinical
  Services, and Medical Direction
• Grew division to nearly 60 people working across
  more than 50 accounts
• Responsible for scientific content of accounts
  and new business pitches involving numerous
  therapeutic areas
• Senior Scholar, Thomas Jefferson University
  Department of Health Policy

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Peloton Advantage

• Peloton is a cycling term referring to a group of
  riders working together as one unit. Together,
  the peloton moves more efficiently, capitalizing
  on speed and strength exceeding that of its
  individual riders. These benefits come through
  the strategic interaction and teamwork of the
  group as they strive toward a common goal. Every
  individual effort, once integrated into the
  streamlined motion of the peloton, gains a
  distinct Advantage.

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This is the Peloton
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Internal Team Structure
Senior Publications and Content Management Team
Carolyn Clark, MBA
Michael J. McLaughlin, MD
Medical Director
Account Director
Medical Writer
Account Manager
Medical Writer
Research Support
Managing Editor
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How We Help Our Writers Help Us

• Concept Sheet
• Usually written in-house
• Author/client approved

• Manuscript
• Attempt to minimize rounds of revision

• Outline
• Detailed
• Referenced
• Proposed tables/figures

• Materials download
• Concept sheets
• Product information
• Preferred references
• Journal guidelines and project templates

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How We Help Writers Help Us

• Kick-off call
• Review of materials provided
• Product discussion
• Walk through anticipated content
• Process
• Timelines
• Reference acquisition and binders
• Medical Directors with writing experience
• Availability for questions/comments

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How We Screen New Writers

• Account Team Medical Director
• Assesses account and/or project need

• Sr. Director,
• Clinical Services
• Conducts initial exploration/screening

• Background credentials
• Is an advanced scientific degree required?
• Writing experience
• Therapeutic area expertise
• ie, specific indication and/or class
• Phone screening
• Writing samples

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Perfecting The Trade

• Therapeutic area(s) of expertise
• Types of projects
• Primary articles
• Review articles
• Abstracts
• Posters
• Monographs
• Others
• Scientific and technical aspects of writing
• Writing style

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Our Expectation ThresholdThe Business Part

• Treat us how we treat our clients
• Honesty regarding expertise
• Therapeutic area
• Project type
• Commitment to quality work
• Your other projects are not our concern
• Rushed work is pretty obvious the solution is
  not
• Timeliness
• Meet your deadlines
• Good communication
• Be reachable
• Inform us of issues (eg, missing deadlines) ASAP

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Our Expectation Threshold The Writing Part

• Assessment of writing is partly subjective, but .
  . .
• Adhere to the plan
• Follow target journal guidelines
• Stick to the outline
• Raise questions when the plan appears problematic
• Use AMA style and scientific language
• Demonstrate an organized flow
• Maintain consistency
• Submit original work
• Demonstrate attention to detail
• Proof read your work

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Meeting the Peloton Advantage Standard

• What is client ready work?
• Quality writing from stylistic technical
  standpoint
• Clear and accurate presentation of information
• Organized flow, with logical transitions
• Concise and well structured sentences
• Minimal/no typos or errors
• Well selected and designed tables/figures
• Accurate citations with full-text versions of
  primary references

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How We Assess Writer Performance

• General Performance/Preparedness (Yes/No)
• Did the writer attend a team planning call?
• Did the writer dial-in on time?
• Was the writer personable?
• Did the writer ask appropriate questions
  following the download?
• Did the writer appear to be experienced in the
  therapeutic area being discussed?
• Did the writer receive a full-text reference
  binder and relevant materials prior to the call?
• Did the writer fulfill their contract for 2
  rounds of revisions?
• If not, please explain in the comments field
  below
• Was the writer asked to attend any live meetings?

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How We Assess Writer Performance (contd)

• Following company protocol (1-5)
• Writer followed template provided
• Writer turned their assignment in on time
• If not, what excuse was given?
• How late was it?
• Writer followed journal guidelines
• Writer sent in queries before turning in a first
  draft
• Were they relevant to the assignment?
• Writer used appropriate primary references
• Writer followed RefMan instructions
• Writer included all scientific communications
  listed in the outline
• Overall Assessment (1-5)
• Overall quality of the writing
• Overall score
• Would you like to work with this writer again?

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Overcoming Challenges Together

• Pressing timelines
• Extent and timing of revisions
• Client related issues
• preferences
• changes in direction

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Peloton Advantage Contact Information

• Michael J. McLaughlin, MD
• Chief Scientific Officer
• 973.582.5702
• mmclaughlin_at_pelotonadvantage.com
• Stephanie Salamanca
• Sr. Director, Clinical Services
• 973.975.4238
• ssalamanca_at_pelotonadvantage.com
• www.pelotonadvantage.com

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Thank you.