The KOL Who Saw What They Expected to See

I presented the same Phase III dataset to two respected KOLs on the same afternoon.

Dr. A had prior positive experience with the drug class. He leaned forward: "This confirms what we've been seeing clinically. These endpoints align with the mechanism."

Dr. B had published skepticism about this mechanism. She leaned back: "I have concerns about these endpoints. I'd need to review the methodologies."

Same data. Same clinical significance. Same afternoon.

Completely different interpretations.

This wasn't about scientific rigor or intelligence. Both KOLs are brilliant clinicians. Both care deeply about patient outcomes.

This was about confirmation bias.

The brain doesn't process new information objectively. It filters everything through existing beliefs and prior experiences. We see what we expect to see. We interpret evidence through the lens of what we already believe.

In Medical Affairs, we're sophisticated about this. We map KOL publication histories. We understand their treatment philosophies. We prepare for how they'll interpret evidence based on their prior positions.

We spend enormous energy understanding how external stakeholders' perceptions filter evidence.

But here's what I've been thinking about lately:

Perception filters don't just affect how KOLs interpret clinical data.

This is true for all humans, including the ones you work with.