Non-Continuing Medical Education (non-CME) programs – also called promotional education programs - are an important tool to educate and inform physicians, pharmacists, nurses and other healthcare practitioners. Recruiting for both certified CME and non-CME activities has become more difficult, creating challenges to executing successful educational programs for healthcare professionals. Study Objective - To determine best practices in recruitment for non-CME programs, Best Practices, LLC conducted an online research survey to identify emerging trends in recruiting attendees for medical education in general and non-CME programs in particular. Additionally, the research project sought to understand industry norms for attendance goals versus actual attendance, average time for recruitment effort, effective recruiting methods and other operational activities.

1. BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC
Research Conducted on Behalf of
Best Practices, LLC
Best Practices in Recruitment
for Medical Education Programs

2. BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC
Table of Contents
 Study Overview 4
 Respondent and Program Characteristics 7
 Key Findings 11
 Interview Insights 16
 Non-CME Program Characteristics 26
 Non-CME Recruitment Metrics and Tactics 30
 Non-CME Recruitment Trends 38
 CME Program Metrics and Characteristics 43
 About Best Practices, LLC 48
Page

3. BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC3Copyright © Best Practices , LLC
Key Study Objectives
 Assess the number of healthcare
practitioners needed to recruit to
reach attendance targets
 Identify which recruiting methods
are used most often and which are
most effective
 Ascertain whether companies are
changing their approach to
recruiting and, if so, how they are
changing
Study Objective & Methodology
The purpose of this study is to gather
industry benchmarks for recruitment
of healthcare professionals for
medical education programs.
A quantitative survey harvested
current best practices plus emerging
trends in recruiting attendees for
medical education
in general and non-CME programs in
particular.
This study was conducted for a member of the Best Practices, LLC Global
Benchmarking Council. While most of this research relates to non-CME programs, some
data were also collected for certified CME programs.
Research Objective and Methodology

4. BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC4Copyright © Best Practices , LLC
Participant Titles
• President & CEO
• CEO (former Senior Director
Medical Education for Top 10
Pharma)
• Vice President
• EVP, Director of Strategic Services
• Vice President/General Manager
The titles of the survey participants reflect a broad spectrum of roles and experience,
ranging in level from program director to chief executive officer.
• Associate VP, Sales
• Executive Director
• Director (2)
• Director Operations
• Program Director
• Associate Project
Director

5. BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC5
Key Findings
• Non-CME Program Characteristics
Organizations benefitted from diverse service and program offerings.
• Non-CME Recruiting Characteristics
On average, it takes 3 to 4 contacts to recruit one attendee for non-CME programs. Email is
viewed as the most common and most valuable recruiting tool.
• Non-CME Operational
Sales representatives are heavily utilized for non-CME recruiting.
• CME Program Characteristics
Recruiting for CME programs requires much more effort than for non-CME programs.
Copyright © Best Practices , LLC

6. BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC6Copyright © Best Practices , LLC
n=12
Non-CME Services Drive Revenues for Participants
What percentage of your company’s total service revenues are from each of the following categories?
Other responses included sales training, patient feedback and educational programs
Non-CME activities are clearly the driving force behind benchmark partners’ top-line
results with two-thirds of benchmark partners’ revenues associated with non-CME
activities.
Non-CME,
66%
CME, 20%
Other, 15%

7. BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC7Copyright © Best Practices , LLC
Fewer Recruits Needed for Non-CME Than for CME
For each of your last three Non-CME and CME dinner meeting projects, what were the attendance
goals, number of HCPs recruited, number registered, and actual attendance?
91%Percent Attending Per Registered
20Actual Attendance
27%Percent Registered per Recruited
22Average Number Registered
3.5Number Recruited per Goal Attendee
81Average Number Recruited
23Average Goal Attendance
Non-CME
n=15
projects
88%
40
4%
46
23
1033
44
CME
n=9
projects
Benchmark partners had to contact an average of 3-4 HCPs to get one attendee for their
last three non-CME projects, versus an average of 23 contacts for their last three CME
projects.

8. BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC8Copyright © Best Practices , LLC
Most Not Changing Approach to Non-CME Recruiting
What is the likelihood that you will change your approach to Non-CME recruiting in 2009 or
beyond? (Please rate on a scale from 1 to 7, where 1 is not at all likely and 7 is extremely likely)
n=11
1=18%
2=27%
7=9%
4=27%
5=18%
Nobody selected scale values 3 or 6
Most benchmark companies report a low likelihood of changing their approach to
recruiting for non-CME programs.
1 Not at all likely
2
3
4
5
6
7 Extremely likely

9. BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC9Copyright © Best Practices , LLC
What percentages of your company’s CME revenues are from each of the following activities?
n=5
Dinner Meetings Top CME Activity Revenue Mix
Dinner meetings were the single largest source of CME revenue at 34 percent.
Enduring materials were a close second at 27 percent, indicating how previous CME
meetings can be a continuing source of revenues via DVDs, print and other media.
Dinner
meetings,
34%
Web casts,
16%
Symposia at
association
meeting, 12%
Enduring
materials,
27%
Other, 5%
Stand-alone
Symposia, 6%

10. BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC10Copyright © Best Practices , LLC
Best Practices, LLC is a research and consulting firm that conducts work based on
the simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior
economic performance by studying the best business practices, operating tactics
and winning strategies of world-class companies.
Best Practices, LLC
6350 Quadrangle Drive, Suite 200
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
(919) 403-0251
bestpractices@best-in-class.com
www.best-in-class.com
About Best Practices, LLC
Link for Report: Best Practices in Recruitment for Medical Education Programs