24 May 20 08 VIEW on Sales TRAINING MODELS et’s face it, the word “preceptorship” has gotten a bad rap. And it’s no wonder, considering the boatload of codes, guidelines, standards — and lawsuits — that have reached our industry shores in recent years. Paying clinicians to educate has become a guaranteed reg ulatory red flag. Unfortunately, the idea of a preceptorship as an invaluable learning experience has been pirated by the creators of yesterday’s “shadowing opportunities.” In the old days, the representative paid to join the clinician during patient appointments and, ideally, learned firsthand how a physician reviewed cases and made clinical decisions. But several ethical (if not legal) lines were crossed.The arrangement was perceived by many as a blatant inducement to prescribe.At best, crit ics said, representatives were simply paying for extended sales calls. And with the onset of HIPAA, the entire model became a clear invasion of patient privacy. Fearing negative perceptions and repercussions, many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies said bon voyage to pre ceptorships and excluded them from their educational curriculum. Yet such programs offered robust training and provided terrific opportunities to observe and understand clinical decision making. Reviving the Preceptorship Recognizing the many benefits of preceptorships, some companies have cautiously initiated modified versions of these programs. They’ve abandoned the oneonone physician visits and replaced them with small group sessions led by physicians or teams of healthcare professionals. Today’s redesigned preceptorships assess the educational needs of their sales representatives and develop agendas to address those needs. Examining disease management holistically, the new programs are case based and even include examples where the beneficial use of a compet itive agent is discussed. And they bring back the patient perspective! How?The physician asks the patient if he or she is interested in discussing his or her personal expe rience with the disease. Necessary forms are signed. No medical charts are distributed. No exam occurs.A discreet interview takes place.And the representative gains an entirely fresh perspective on managing the disease, as well as a firsthand appreciation for what the patient experiences. All of which would never be accomplished through a homestudy module. So let’s forget the word “preceptorship” for a minute.There are numer ous ways to approach this method of learning and to strengthen a new or existing training curriculum. Here are just a few examples. . Clinical Learning Experience. Taking place at an institution, physicians and other relevant staff members present information to enhance clin ical understanding and involve representatives in the discussion of case studies. Patient presentations may also be included. . Physician Roundtable. This mini workshop focuses on preset topics related to disease management and can be incorporated into any train ing meeting. . Mock Review Boards. Occurring within a Clinical Learning Experience or as a standalone workshop, this multidisciplinary approach to case study review incorporates the varying perspectives of several clinicians on a topic or treatment approach. When planning a preceptorshipstyle program, keep in mind the following: . Learning is not selling. The purpose of the program is to learn, not sell. Clear expectations and learning objectives will keep a program focused. . Case studies move beyond theory. Patient cases provide reps with “realworld” perspectives of how a disease is diagnosed and treated. . Interaction fosters understanding and retention. Preceptorships are not meant to be passive learning experiences. Create a learning environ ment that encourages participants to actively engage in Q&A through out your program. . Healthcare environments keep it real. When possible, host a precep torship at a healthcare institution or facility to provide opportunities for site tours, access to multiple speakers throughout the day, and insight into the clinicians’ working environment. . Small groups support adult learning. Like most learning situations, pre ceptorships are enhanced by smallgroup environments — between 10 and 20 participants — that allow for interaction and engagement. . Guidelines foster better learning — really! Carefully planning your pro grams to ensure that objectives, paperwork, and honoraria are man aged within regulations will create a clear path to learning. The preceptorship did not need to walk the plank. It simply needed to adapt to our changing regulatory environment. Needsbased preceptor ships provide comprehensive diseasestate training that allows representa tives to learn about clinical decision making directly from the decision mak ers. And those benefits will continue to justify their inclusion in the training curriculum of many organizations. # Vox Medica Inc. VOX MEDICA is one of the largest independent healthcare communications companies in the country. Independent ownership allows Vox Medica to form flexible and strategic partnerships with industry players of all sizes. Today’s Preceptorship Staying Afloat Without the Sale Kari Seymour,Vice President, Training & Development . Concepts brought to life . Interaction with experts outside the sales call . Direct exposure to realworld practices . Candid customer opinions . Firsthand patient perspectives Throwing the Preceptorship Overboard What Was Lost L 0508 pvv VIEWs FINAL tg 4/25/08 5:53 PM Page 24 PharmaVoice_FIRE_3_08.pdf 3/3/08 9:53:04 AM
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Today's Preceptorship: Staying Afloat Without the Sale
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