How precision targeting strategies engage healthcare professionals

Precision targeting strategies engage healthcare professionals (HCPs) through leveraging real-time clinical data to tailor communications and resources to their specific needs. This moves away from traditionally broad-based marketing methods, which often miss the mark in addressing the unique preferences and behaviors of individual HCPs.

Pharmaceutical companies must focus on data-driven insights to deliver highly relevant and timely information that resonates with HCPs, which in turn leads to more meaningful interactions and improved engagement.

Thomas Shea, Chief Revenue Officer of Doceree, emphasized the impact of real-time clinical data in the US healthcare market. He highlights how this data lets marketers refine their targeting strategies so that HCPs receive information that is directly applicable to their clinical practices and patient populations.

The final result is a more efficient marketing process that captures the attention of HCPs and supports better patient outcomes through providing HCPs with the tools and information they need to make informed decisions.

Surprising patient engagement trends from 2022 and 2023

Patient engagement trends have shifted greatly in recent years, with patients expressing a growing desire for more active participation in their healthcare.

According to a 2022 survey by Actium Healthcare, 61% of patients in the US wanted greater engagement with their healthcare providers, and this figure continued to rise in 2023. Patients are placing more importance on being heard and involved in their health management.

Patients are no longer content with passive roles; they actively seek out collaborative dialogues with their healthcare providers to find optimal solutions for their health concerns. There’s a clear trend toward patient-centered care, whereby the focus is on empowering patients through education and active involvement in their treatment plans.

Improving patient care with personalized resources and support services

The shift towards personalized resources and support services points out a fundamental change in how pharmaceutical companies engage with both patients and healthcare professionals. Pharmaceutical companies must provide valuable and relevant educational materials tailored to individual needs – which then facilitates informed discussions and empowers patients to take an active role in their healthcare.

Personalized resources can include targeted educational content, support services for managing specific conditions, and tools that help patients better understand their treatment options.

Resources are designed to align with the specific needs and preferences of patients, making them more effective in driving engagement and improving health outcomes. For healthcare professionals, personalized resources allow for more productive consultations and better-informed decision-making, which ultimately leads to higher quality care.

Why real-time clinical data is a breakthrough for healthcare marketing

Real-time clinical data encompasses electronic health records (EHRs), medical claims data, and prescription information, providing a comprehensive view of patient and HCP behaviors.

With rapid advancements in technology and data analytics, pharmaceutical companies are now able to analyze this data in real-time, letting them deliver targeted messages that are more timely and relevant.

For instance, predictive modeling techniques can anticipate HCP prescribing behavior based on historical data – meaning that pharmaceutical marketers can engage with physicians who are likely to be receptive to specific messages.

Using real-time clinical data, marketers can also tailor their communications to align with the clinical interests and prescribing habits of individual HCPs, making their interactions more impactful.

Honing patient-physician interactions through precision marketing

Delivering personalized and relevant information to HCPs, pharmaceutical companies can support more informed and effective consultations.

For example, a physician who frequently prescribes a particular class of medication might receive updates on the latest clinical trial data or treatment guidelines related to that therapeutic area. This makes sure that the physician is equipped with the most current information, which can be shared with patients during consultations.

Real-time clinical data also enables trigger-based messaging, which can greatly influence patient care.

Industry studies have shown that such messaging can lead to a 32% increase in script lift, showing just how effectively timely and targeted communications can be. Delivering the right information at critical moments of care helps precision targeting improve patient-physician communication, enabling proactive disease management, and ultimately improves the quality of care patients receive.

Tapping into power of precision marketing

Precision marketing’s evolution over the years

Precision marketing has fundamentally evolved from traditional methods, shifting towards data-driven insights to craft highly customized strategies for specific audiences.

In today’s digital era, consumers demand personalized experiences, with 83% expecting immediate personalization from brands. Modern precision marketing leans heavily on advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data, including demographic information, purchasing behavior, and digital footprints.

Insights generated here let marketers create targeted campaigns that address the unique preferences and needs of each consumer segment. Through moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach, precision marketing ultimately increases engagement, loyalty, and conversion rates, ultimately leading to better business outcomes.

Rethinking healthcare marketing from the lens of precision targeting

Traditional marketing tactics, such as broad-based advertising and in-person visits, are being replaced by personalized strategies tailored to individual HCPs’ needs and preferences. This, in turn, boosts the effectiveness of marketing efforts, making them more impactful and memorable.

Healthcare marketers use precision marketing to provide HCPs with customized content that addresses their specific clinical interests and prescribing habits – including updates on the latest clinical trial results, new treatment guidelines, or patient education materials.

Equipping HCPs with timely and pertinent information, marketers can help them stay informed about the latest advancements in medical science, leading to improved patient care, and developing relationships build on trust and proven expertise.

Benefits of real-time clinical data for targeted campaigns

Real-time clinical data offers detailed insights into prescribing patterns, treatment preferences, patient demographics, and digital engagement. Pharmaceutical marketers looking to create highly targeted campaigns that resonate deeply with individual HCPs find these insights incredibly useful and actionable, when applied expertly.

To illustrate this with an example, real-time clinical data reveal trends in medication prescriptions, letting marketers identify which medications are gaining traction and why. Understanding these patterns helps marketers craft messages that highlight the benefits of their products in relation to current prescribing habits. Insights into patient demographics and treatment preferences let marketers better tailor their communications to address specific patient needs, making their overall campaigns more relevant and effective.

Real-time clinical data also generates insights into digital engagement, developing a more comprehensive view of how HCPs interact with online content. This then helps marketers accurately refine their digital strategies so that their messages reach HCPs through the ideal channels.

3 powerful ways to capitalize on real-time clinical data

1. Boost data availability

Electronic health records (EHRs), medical claims data, and prescription data has greatly improved the real-time clinical data availability. This wealth of information gives pharmaceutical manufacturers a comprehensive view of patient and HCP behaviors, letting them extract actionable insights in real-time.

Predictive modeling techniques, powered by machine learning algorithms, further maximize the value of this data – anticipating HCP prescribing behavior based on historical data, which then lets marketers proactively engage with physicians who are likely to be receptive to specific messages.

Marketers can leverage these insights to develop highly targeted campaigns that address the unique needs and preferences of individual HCPs, ultimately leading to more meaningful and impactful interactions.

2. Supercharge script growth with trigger-based messaging

Trigger-based messaging, which targets specific HCPs at key care moments, drives considerable script growth. Industry studies have shown that this can result in up to a 32% increase in script lift.

Delivering timely and relevant messages, pharmaceutical companies can influence prescribing decisions and improve patient outcomes.

Real-time clinical data empowers marketers to send trigger-based messages that align with HCPs’ clinical interests and prescribing habits. For instance, a physician who frequently prescribes a particular class of medication might receive updates on new clinical trial results or treatment guidelines related to that medication.

3. Craft personalized engagement strategies for optimal impact

Personalized engagement strategies align communications with an individual HCP’s clinical interests and prescribing habits. For example, a physician who specializes in treating diabetes might receive targeted content on the latest advancements in diabetes care, including new medications, clinical trial results, and patient management techniques.

Through tailoring messages to address the specific needs and interests of each HCP, pharmaceutical companies are able to foster stronger relationships and support better clinical decision-making. This both improves marketing efforts’ effectiveness and contributes to better patient outcomes by providing HCPs with the information they need to make informed treatment decisions.

Overcoming advances and challenges in precision marketing

The healthcare industry’s transition to precision marketing brings with it major advancements in targeting strategies through using AI, predictive analytics, and data integration.

These technologies give pharmaceutical companies the tools they need to analyze enormous amounts of clinical data, which in turn powers more accurate and effective healthcare professionals (HCPs) targeting.

AI algorithms can identify patterns and predict behaviors, while predictive analytics help anticipate HCP needs and preferences, leading to more personalized and timely communications.

Despite these advancements, precision marketing faces several challenges:

  • Data interoperability: As different healthcare systems and databases often use incompatible formats, making it difficult to consolidate and analyze data seamlessly. Lack of standardization can then lead to fragmented data, impacting both the accuracy and utility of the derived insights.
  • Data quality: Inaccurate or incomplete data can often lead to misguided marketing efforts, potentially harming relationships with HCPs and patients. Pharmaceutical companies must invest in comprehensive and expert-led data cleansing and validation processes to maintain their data integrity.
  • Regulatory constraints and complexities: The healthcare industry is heavily regulated, and marketers must chart their course through a complex web of laws and guidelines to make sure their practices comply with regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Regulations govern the use and dissemination of patient health information, imposing strict guidelines to protect patient privacy.

Future of the global life sciences market

The global life sciences market is projected to reach USD 27,965.6 million by 2028, driven by rapidly advancing technology and an increasing focus on personalized medicine.

As the market grows, pharmaceutical companies must manage an ever-increasing volume of data, which is becoming more complex and fragmented.

AI and machine learning (ML) technologies are core enablers in addressing these challenges. AI can process massive datasets to extract meaningful insights, while ML algorithms can continuously learn and improve from new data. These help healthcare professionals uncover quick insights into complex clinical and business questions, fueling more informed decision-making.

Leveraging AI and ML, pharmaceutical companies can work to streamline their operations, improve the accuracy of their targeting strategies, and deliver more personalized healthcare solutions. This ultimately builds up the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and contributes to achieving superior patient outcomes.

Tim Boesen

July 3, 2024

9 Min