How Do Healthcare Vendors Co-Create Content with KOLs?
Turn clinical expertise into credible, patient-friendly stories by partnering with key opinion leaders (KOLs). Use compliant workflows, clear authorship, and multi-format publishing to build trust and drive measurable demand.
Co-create with KOLs by aligning objectives early (education vs. demand), capturing evidence-based insights (study data, real-world use), and governing accuracy via medical-legal review (MLR). Package outputs for two audiences—clinicians (technical depth) and patients (plain-language, risk/benefit balanced)—and measure impact on awareness, engagement, and qualified pipeline.
What Matters When Co-Creating with KOLs
The KOL Co-Creation Playbook
A repeatable workflow to turn clinical authority into trusted, scalable content.
Identify → Align → Outline → Capture → Review → Publish → Measure
- Identify KOLs: Prioritize by specialty, publication history, outcomes data, and audience overlap.
- Align objectives: Set educational goals, approved claims, disclosures, and target audiences.
- Outline narrative: Draft a claim-map tying data points to visuals and FAQs for both clinician and patient versions.
- Capture insights: Run a 45-minute recorded interview; extract quotes, figures, and case vignettes.
- Medical-Legal Review: Validate accuracy, balance risks/benefits, and document references and approvals.
- Publish in formats: White paper, webinar, blog series, email tracks, and short videos with captions/alt text.
- Measure & improve: Track educational engagement (VTR, read time), quality MQLs, and sourced pipeline; refresh quarterly.
KOL Collaboration Maturity Matrix
| Capability | From (Ad Hoc) | To (Operationalized) | Owner | Primary KPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOL Sourcing | One-off experts | Tiered roster with specialties and audience reach | Medical Affairs | Qualified KOLs/quarter |
| Claims Management | Untracked statements | Central claim library with references and approvals | Regulatory | Approval turnaround |
| Format Repurposing | Single asset | Multi-asset packs per interview | Content/Creative | Assets per session |
| Distribution | Organic only | KOL channels + societies + paid retargeting | Demand Gen | Reach to target HCPs |
| Attribution | Clicks | Sourced pipeline with UTMs and content touches | RevOps | Pipeline influenced |
| Accessibility | PDFs only | WCAG text, captions, alt text, reading grade 8–9 for patients | Digital/UX | Read time & VTR |
Client Snapshot: From Interview to 9 Assets in 14 Days
A life-sciences vendor recorded a single KOL session and produced a clinician brief, patient explainer, webinar, 3 short videos, infographic, and 2 nurture emails. Result: 3.1× content consumption, 34% lift in qualified inquiries, and faster MLR cycles via a reusable claims library.
Treat KOL collaboration as a product: standardize intake, codify claims, repurpose aggressively, and attribute sourced demand—while maintaining medical accuracy and patient trust.
Frequently Asked Questions about KOL Co-Creation
Make KOL Collaboration a Growth Engine
We’ll help you operationalize compliant, multi-format KOL content that builds trust and pipeline.
Take the Maturity Assessment See How We Help Providers