Key Principles of the Communication of Science

HCPs talking to one another offers credibility and context that are both meaningful and valued. If we follow that premise, there is an intrinsic need to equip HCPs to be as effective as possible in their communication with colleagues, peers, and other stakeholders in this ever-evolving quest to positively impact patient care. 

Speaker training provides the relationship and collaboration between pharmaceutical manufacturers and HCPs, allowing them to share information in an appropriate manner that supports competency and instills confidence in each other to act. Optimally trained HCPs are a catalyst in helping their peers acquire, retain, and use new knowledge. After all, learning can be a fun and empowering reason for action. In speaker training, we look beyond merely the application of adult learning principles and toward the very basis of what creates long-term memory (Nobel Prize-winning research of Eric Kandel) and cognitive application known as confidence-based learning (as seen with the work of James Bruno at NATO and UCLA).

These principles applied in a structured methodology across industries have demonstrated that superior learning occurs with the optimized balance of knowledge (think, logical information) and confidence (think, emotion). This means we are delivering exceptional results at three times a greater speed in learning and we are correctly assimilating information, thereby reducing training time by 50%. These principles engage the intangible emotion in a structured, consistent, and measurable way that enables the use of acquired information in the correct context to support decision-making.

For example, imagine a speaker training where we have a physician with the right balance of knowledge and confidence. He or she makes for a compelling speaker who catalyzes action in the recipients of this talk/presentation. This is definitely our goal. At the other end of the spectrum is, well, a speaker with too much confidence, too little knowledge, leading to miscommunication and all the negatives that brings—ouch, this is definitely what we do not want!

So, when envisioning your next speaker training, embrace these principles as a way to not only optimize peer-to-peer communications but also as a mechanism to differentiate the speakers’ experience of your brand and company. This becomes your real competitive advantage—truly the communication of science AND the science of communication!