Expect the Unexpected: Monitoring Template Tips

Illuminating the Way to Better Business and ComplianceTM
Expect the Unexpected:
Monitoring Template Tips
Most programs stay within their allotted time and budget, and most HCP’s who RSVP show
up. However, your monitoring plan may not have been designed to capture the times when
the unexpected happens. Perhaps a speaker uses his personal case notes to highlight a
specific “patient type”, or a representative uses the program as a forum to solicit off-label
use information from the speaker or the attendees, or you discover the venue has created
their own special product-branded menu for attendees. Thinking ahead about some of these
unanticipated surprises may enable you to design a more robust monitoring template that will
help capture what happens in real time during a program.
• Try to limit your monitoring template to two
pages. Brevity is the soul of wit.
• Capture basic logistical information about
the speaker, location, topic, company
representatives and HCP’s in attendance, and
program duration.
• Include questions on whether materials
distributed or shared were PRC approved
or if they were “homemade” by the speaker,
representatives or the venue.
• Provide some space for additional
commentary by the reviewer about the
general makeup of the attendee group,
the tenor of the discussion, the types of
questions asked, and any untoward or
unexpected events that occurred during the
event.
• Focus on your most important risk areas
by including questions that highlight how
the speaker presented the material, if offlabel discussions or questions occurred,
how speaker or representatives responded
to or took action on attendee inquires or
statements, etc.
Once you have designed your template, pilot it during a few subsequent events to see if it
allows your monitors to capture all relevant details about each program. Make any necessary
adjustments you see. Regular teleconferences or in-person meetings with your monitors to
discuss the previous week’s monitoring activities will help you gather feedback and identify
potential areas for further exploration or improvement, including changes to company policies
or procedures that will help speakers and representatives respond appropriately.
For a free consultation, call 435-213-5622 or email us at
clabarge@searchlightcompliance.com
searchlightcompliance.com