No Gold Standard: Measuring Success in Medical Affairs

Published: 29 July 2026

Author(s): Dr Carlos Areia & Julia Mutygullina, PhD

To understand true publication impact and influence patient outcomes, Medical Affairs teams must have their own benchmarks

Compass Points: The Future of Medical Affairs is a series exploring the strategic challenges facing Medical Affairs teams in today’s communication landscape—and the tools that will help them get it right.

The best publication strategy is like a treatment plan: bespoke

In the past, journal citations served as the primary metric for measuring publication impact. Citations all but guaranteed a share of voice and influence amongst key opinion leaders and healthcare practitioners; they were also a simple, clear metric to share upward, proving research impact and justifying the allocation of resources.