Updated 2026-10-25 by Patrina Pellett, PhD

Medical Affairs shows value by connecting its work to the decisions other teams care about. The secret sauce is to turn your activity (KOL meetings, insights, congress coverage) into short stories about what changed, and share them with your internal partners early and often. 

Why is it so hard to show value in Medical Affairs?

Proving value is straightforward in most business functions. Sales teams, for example, have it easy. They can point to the numbers ($$$). Revenue generated, number of prescriptions, market share gained. Those metrics are direct, easy to understand, and no one questions their impact.

It’s a different story on the Medical Affairs side. Showing value in Medical Affairs isn’t simple. The work is all about long-term strategies, educating healthcare professionals, and building relationships. Most of the impact is indirect, meaning it influences how internal teams make decisions or how HCPs treat their patients. Trying to pin down and measure that kind of indirect impact is where things get tricky.

The real challenge lies in needing internal validation. Medical Affairs teams depend on their cross-functional colleagues to recognize the impact of their work. Unlike sales, where success is defined by obvious numbers, the value Medical Affairs brings isn’t always immediately clear unless those relationships are strong.

If demonstrating value is challenging, it’s usually because the relationship isn’t there. Stronger relationships make it easier for others to see the impact of Medical Affairs activities. Without those solid internal relationships, even the most strategic contributions or educational efforts go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Why the Struggle to Show Value in Medical Affairs Exists

The real challenge lies in needing internal validation. Medical Affairs teams depend on their cross-functional colleagues to recognize the impact of their work. Unlike sales, where success is defined by obvious numbers, the value Medical Affairs brings isn’t always immediately clear unless those relationships are strong.

If demonstrating value is challenging, it’s usually because the relationship isn’t there. Stronger relationships make it easier for others to see the impact of Medical Affairs activities. Without those solid internal relationships, even the most strategic contributions or educational efforts go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Sales vs. Medical Affairs: why the same rules don’t apply

Sales teams have numbers to validate their success. Generate revenue and the value is immediately understood and undeniable. Medical Affairs, on the other hand, deals in the power of relationships and strategic influence. The “success” here often comes from the connections built with internal partners and how these relationships help influence company decisions.

These relationships are at the core of what Medical Affairs does and are critical when immediate results are not easily quantifiable. When those relationships are underdeveloped or weak, it becomes much harder to demonstrate value. That’s why the struggle to show value in Medical Affairs often boils down to how well those internal relationships are nurtured and whether internal partners understand and appreciate the contributions.

Why do Medical Affairs leaders struggle to show ROI on field work?

Because the field produces a lot of activity, and activity isn’t value. Most teams report what they did. # of meetings held. # of insights logged. # of congresses covered. Leadership looks at that list and still asks, “So what did we get for it?” 

One of the best ways to answer that is to bring in insights the organization can act on. But that’s not as easy as it sounds. Having a humming insights engine is rare. Most teams struggle to show impact with insights.

In Veeva’s 2026 white paper Closing the Listening Gap, executives said about 70% of field insights aren’t used to shape strategy. Because they never get translated into something leadership can act on. If your best field work disappears into the CRM, it didn’t happen as far as leadership is concerned.

Why communication matters more than better KPIs

Communication is the bridge between what Medical Affairs does and how others perceive that impact. The best KPIs in the world don’t matter if no one will listen. The key is how you communicate that impact.

Think of it this way. Metrics are the evidence. Communication is the verdict. You need both. Most teams stop at the evidence.

It’s about making sure others understand what is being done, why it matters, and how it benefits them. Whether sharing data with internal teams or discussing data with HCPs, the message must be clear, actionable, and directly connected to their goals. Without effective communication, even the best efforts can fall flat, contributing further to the struggle to show value in Medical Affairs.

Activity metrics vs. value: what’s the difference?

An activity metric says what you did. A value story says what changed because you did it. Here’s what that looks like:

Same work. Very different convo with leadership. If you want to learn how to use AI to ideate on how to turn activity metrics into value stories, check out this workshop: Turning MSL Activity Into Value Stories. 

5 ways to show the value of Medical Affairs

You’ll notice most of these come back to insights. That’s on purpose. Insights are your biggest lever and worth getting right. 

1️⃣ Frame the “So What” for Internal Teams

Every time insights or updates are shared, make sure they’re tied directly to what the company cares about. Instead of just presenting data, focus on what it means for internal teams. Ask, “Why should my cross-functional partners care about this?” Make the relevance of the insight crystal clear. (This is exactly why we built CWI: Context, the Why and Implications.)

2️⃣ Figure Out How to Add Value

The biggest struggle for Medical Affairs is to find ways to add tangible value that internal teams can appreciate. It’s important to understand what matters most to each internal partner and then tailor contributions to meet those needs. By proactively seeking areas where Medical Affairs can provide unique insights or support, it becomes easier to add value and later demonstrate value.

3️⃣ Get Internal Partners Involved Early

You always hear Medical Affairs people say Medical Affairs should be involved early. Flip that on its head. Engage with internal partners from the start. Getting commercial or R&D involved early in an initiative ensures buy-in and helps them see Medical Affairs as an integral part of the process. Not just a support function brought in at the end.

4️⃣ Be Proactive and Persistent in Highlighting Insights

Don’t wait for someone to ask for insights; be proactive in sharing them. If there’s an observation that could change a strategic direction or add value, make sure it’s heard. And don’t shy away from repetition. Sometimes it takes several conversations for the importance of an insight to sink in for internal partners. It positions Medical Affairs as a valuable strategic partner and not just a data collector.

5️⃣Communicate with Impact: Focus on Storytelling

The difference between being understood and being ignored often comes down to how information is presented. Use storytelling techniques to make insights more compelling and relatable. Rather than overwhelming colleagues with data, tell them what the data means for their goals and the company’s direction. This type of communication helps cut through the noise and make an impression. And skip the data dump. We’ve all sat through that meeting. Don’t be that meeting.

For Medical Affairs leaders: make your team’s value visible

Your team’s value won’t show up on its own. (I wish it did.) Here’s a simple system:

• Make the focus areas crystal clear. Your MSLs can’t show impact on priorities they can’t name. Walk them from vision to tactics, like we lay out in Metrics and KPIs Made Simple.
• Ask for one or two wins a week, not a list of activities. Focus on value, not numbers.
• Turn them into a short monthly value report for commercial, R&D and your leadership.

Conclusion: Stop Doing Invisible Work

At the end of the day, the struggle to show value in Medical Affairs comes down to relationships and communication. Your team is doing valuable work. The problem is nobody outside your team can see it.

So here’s your homework. Pick one insight or activity from last month. Write down what changed because of it. Share it with one internal partner this week, before anyone asks.

Do that every week and watch what happens. That’s how Medical Affairs moves from being just another support function to becoming a strategic, indispensable partner.

How MSL Mastery helps teams prove their value

MSL Mastery helps MSLs, HQ teams and leaders show their impact, not just do the work. We use our 3 Step Value Story Framework, CWI and our Data-to-Impact program, and we measure every program before and after so you can show leadership what changed.

FAQ

How do you show Medical Affairs value at launch?
Insights turned around quickly is the answer. Agree with brand on 2 or 3 questions the field needs to answer. Report back weekly on what the field is hearing.

Can AI help Medical Affairs show value?
Yes. AI can help you brainstorm how to turn your metrics into a value story. My favorite example: build an AI agent that helps your team come up with ideas and write the value stories.

Who should Medical Affairs share value stories with?
Everyone you can, and often. This is the step that shows your value, and it’s where most teams get stuck. Make sharing a formal step in your insights cycle, and make sure one person owns it.

Want your team’s work to finally get seen?

Talk to MSL Mastery about proving your team’s value.

Patrina Pellett, PhD, is Co-CEO of MSL Mastery. She’s spent her career helping MSLs and Medical Affairs leaders get out of the weeds and into the strategy meetings. Ask her about AI, storytelling, and why you should be using both to show value. 

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