S2N Health’s analysis of CMS Open Payments data shows a notable concentration of vascular medtech companies engaging with a small group of key opinion leaders (KOLs). This highlights the need to diversify and expand the pool of clinical leaders contributing to innovation, research, and peer-to-peer education in this dynamic field.
The study examined 2023 industry payments for research, advisory, and speaking activities made to interventional cardiologists, interventional radiologists, and vascular surgeons. Approximately 15% of these specialists, or around 2,700 physicians, received such payments. However, the top 10% of recipients accounted for nearly 65% of the total payments, with each leading KOL collaborating with an average of five companies. These findings underscore the disproportionate influence of a small cohort of KOLs in shaping research, development, and adoption of vascular technologies. To drive more comprehensive, balanced, and representative clinical input, there is a clear need to broaden the engagement and perspectives of medical experts in this field.
Identifying Emerging KOLs To Advance Vascular Innovation
While established KOLs bring the depth of experience and historical context to inform innovation, emerging thought leaders can deliver fresh perspectives. Up-and-coming physicians trained in the latest advancements in intravascular imaging, vessel preparation techniques, and the integration of artificial intelligence for decision support can inject innovative thinking to drive the development of cutting-edge vascular technologies. Establishing relationships with these emerging KOLs early in their careers can foster productive and lasting collaborations throughout the lifecycle of innovative technology development.
S2N’s AI-powered market intelligence platform RepSignal transforms how medtech companies identify emerging KOLs. The solution uniquely combines multiple “KOL persona” indicators with clinical practice characteristics and areas of specialization. This multidimensional approach enables medtech companies to efficiently pinpoint the physicians who are most aligned with the company’s specific area of innovation but may be flying under the radar of traditional KOL identification methods.
RepSignal effectively delivers valuable intelligence to stakeholders across organizations through both a stand-alone platform and seamless native integration with Salesforce CRM. The platform effectively combines KOL indicators, derived from AI-driven analysis of clinician and market factors with existing sales and relationship data in a range of dynamic BI dashboarding tools. RepSignal’s precision mapping technology visualizes the complex relationships between medtech companies, physicians, and healthcare facilities. By examining a variety of dimensions—including practice locations, training history, referral patterns, publications, procedure volumes, and patient characteristics—the platform identifies and prioritizes emerging KOLs with an ideal profile for accelerating development and driving visibility for a specific novel technology. This level on understanding enables medtech companies to optimize resources and build strategic relationships, ensuring engagement efforts align with both current market dynamics and future growth opportunities.
Success with innovative vascular technologies demands an intelligent approach to KOL engagement. While the current concentration of KOLs highlights the continued importance of established thought leaders, tomorrow’s influencers are critical for market impact and sustained advantage. S2N Health has over a decade of experience helping vascular innovators achieve a competitive edge and build powerful relationships by leveraging data, analytics, and know-how in this fast-paced segment.
