Factors That Influence the Decision to Staff a Medical Information Booth at a Medical Meeting

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence the decision-making process involved when a medical information (MI) department is planning to staff a booth at a medical meeting. Methods: A seven-question survey was distributed to MI departments from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware (n = 3 9). Each survey participant was asked to rank a list of 16 factors on a five-point Likert scale of how likely each would influence the decision to staff a booth. Results: The response rate was 53% (17/32). The survey respondents reached consensus that 6 of the 16 factors were likely to influence sending staff to a booth at a medical meeting based upon the lower CI > 3.0. These included: New Product Indication, New Product Approval, Clinical Data Being Presented at the Meeting, Past Experience at the Meeting, and Approved Product Prior to Official Launch. Conclusion: Having an MI booth at a medical meeting is a multifactorial decision and several factors were identified as likely to influence decision making. The majority of respondents considered the New Product Indication component of a major product label change to be the most likely factor.